What's the news?
On the same day that Kia took the covers of its new Proceed shooting brake, it also revealed the five-door version of its Ceed GT, the second-generation hot hatch from the Korean company. The GT specification will be offered in Ceed and Proceed formats in time, though it has yet to be confirmed for sale in the Irish market.
Exterior
As before, the Ceed GT visual makeover is a subtle one. There are new bumpers front and rear, plenty of gloss black detailing, a few flashes of red, new side sills and a boot spoiler, plus unique 18-inch alloy wheels. There will be a choice of eight paint colours.
Interior
The Ceed GT gets a black roof liner, sports front seats, a flat-bottomed steering wheel and alloy pedals, plus alloy for the paddle shifters for the automatic transmission (if fitted, obviously). Those seats are upholstered in a mix of black leather and suede with red stitching and the 'GT' logo in red.
Mechanicals
Under the bonnet is a turbocharged four-cylinder 1.6-litre T-GDi petrol engine, updated a little from the original. Peak outputs are quoted as 204hp at 6,000rpm and 265Nm of torque, produced between 1,500- and 4,500rpm. No performance data is available yet, but Kia will offer the Ceed GT with the option of a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic to complement the standard six-speed manual gearbox.
Larger brakes are fitted as standard and there's Torque Vectoring by Braking to enhance the feeling of agility. The Ceed GT sits 5mm lower than the regular hatchback to lower the centre of gravity and it gets its own suspension tune, along with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres as standard.
Anything else?
The Ceed GT features a Drive Mode Select system, allowing the driver to choose Normal or Sport settings, which alters the electric power steering, the throttle response and, if the auto is fitted, the transmission characteristics. The GT also features exhaust flaps that open under heavier acceleration to enhance the sound, which is further augmented by an electronic sound generator.