Kia Pro_cee'd GT 2014 Review

The name Pro_cee'd smacks of somebody at Kia trying to be clever, mangling words and punctuation in the worst possible way. Not that the sporty turbocharged three-door can feel embarrassed about anything other than its naff name. This is a real warm hatch that deserves a place on your list of possible buys.

Given our love of hot cars, Australia is the only market outside Europe to have access to the Pro_cee'd GT where it is available in two specification levels – GT (our test car) and GT Tech, from $29,990, plus on-road costs.

The GT came out of Kia's European Design Centre in Frankfurt under the guidance of head of design Peter Schreyer and is built at the Zilina plant in Slovakia. 

DESIGN

Whichever way you look at it, the Kia looks sharp. With its curved slashes, angular openings, arched roof and steeply sloping rear glass, the hatch does all its designers demanded, appearing quick, even when standing still.

The front sports a low, broad bumper and airdam, and a central lower air intake, underscored by a thin red line which reinforces the wide track. This is flanked by high-gloss black inserts housing the GT's fascinating four-point 'ice-cube' LED daytime running lamps and foglights.

From the rear, the bold stance of the hatch is accentuated by broad shoulders and steeply angled tailgate glass, further emphasised by a diffuser under the bumper, separating dual sports exhausts.

The rear number plate is framed in high-gloss black, while LEDs give the car an interesting signature at night. 'cee'd' and 'GT' badges inform following road users of the car's Kia performance path first taken by the Cerato Koup Turbo. 

The sporty exterior is echoed inside the all-black five-seat cabin. The driver and front passenger are firmly supported by Recaro sports seats graced with 'GT' and 'Recaro' logos. Power lumbar support is fitted to both seats.

Upholstery is a leather / suede combination with red contrasting stitching on the seats, steering wheel, gear lever and door trims. Alloy sports pedals with non-slip rubber inserts complete the picture.

ENGINE / TRANSMISSION

The GT is powered by a turbocharged version of Kia's 1.6-litre 'Gamma' engine, developing 150kW of power and 265Nm of torque, the turbo boosting power output by 51 per cent and torque by 61 per cent over its naturally-aspirated brother.

With its six-speed manual transmission, the T-GDi (Turbocharged Gasoline Direct Injection) motor has the warm-hatch hitting 100 km/h from a standing start in a nippy 7.7 seconds. 

INFOTAINMENT

Standard features include a six-speaker sound system with radio/CD audio and MP3 compatibility, USB and Aux plugs for connection of a media device such as iPod, or memory stick, and Bluetooth with audio streaming and there's the usual range of info by trip computer displayed for the driver.

SAFETY

Days after winning the prestigious Good Design Australia Award, the Kia scored 36.19 out of 37 from ANCAP testers, earning it a top five-star safety rating.

This is the result of a comprehensive suite of safety measures which includes Electronic Stability Control and Vehicle Stability Management, Hill-start Assist, ABS anti-locking brakes with Electronic Brake-force Distribution and Brake Assist. 

It has six airbags, seat-belt reminder, impact-sensing door unlocking and three child seat anchors plus two ISOFIX child-seat mounting. Reversing sensors are augmented by a reversing camera with views projected on one-third of the internal rear-view mirror. 

DRIVING

A three-dial sporty instrument layout is interspersed with an LCD multi-function high-definition display which allows the driver to switch between analogue-type or GT performance digital information, the GT setting shows speed digitally, engine torque, turbo boost pressure and engine coolant temperature, as well as trip information.

A 'GT' button on the steering wheel allows the driver to change the display without taking a hand off the wheel. It's a no-brainer, the 'GT' mode wins hands down for clarity and convenience. 

This is one of many controls on a crowded steering wheel which takes some sorting out at the beginning.

The letter box slit of the back window offers only a restricted view behind. Generous exterior mirrors make amends.

The gear lever needs positive input from the driver and it's fun to try to second guess the suggested shift points posted on the instrument display. Unfazed braking helps the GT make life safer. 

As with other Kia vehicles, the ride and handling gain from input by Australian suspension engineers. It's firm on fast corners, yet yielding over uneven surfaces. Steering offers up quality feedback from the road through 18-inch alloy wheels shod with Michelin Pilot Sport 3 tyres. 
 
Combined fuel consumption is put at 7.4 litres per 100 kilometres. The test car used 5.6 on the motorway and 10 to 11 litres per 100 kilometres in day-to-day city commuting.