Kia Proceed concept revealed
Kia has revealed its Proceed concept, just days before it’s due to make its debut at the Frankfurt motor show on September 12.
Following the single teaser image released last week, the new pictures of Kia’s show car confirm the Proceed name, while also giving an indication of what to expect from the next-generation Cee’d, the current version of which was once sold in Australia in three-door Pro_cee’d form.
The Proceed concept features a new body type for the Korean brand, a shooting-brake style wagon with a swoopy roofline and fast-backed tailgate. Kia says: “The extended hot hatch retains the athleticism of the current pro_cee’d model, while combining its striking visual presence with a dash of real-world versatility”.
“Reworked and reimagined for a new generation of driver, it puts forward a bold vision for a potential member of the next-generation cee’d family.”
Up front, the Proceed concept actually looks a lot like the upcoming Stinger liftback, while the sloping roofline and curvaceous rump appear to draw inspiration from the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo wagon.
Large 20-inch alloy wheels are quite eye-catching, as is the ‘Lava Red’ exterior paint – which was created by combining “multiple hand-applied layers of black, chrome-effect silver, and red-tinted lacquer for a glossy, lustrous paint finish”.
Other design highlights include what Kia calls the ‘Luminline’, an illuminated outline of the vehicle’s window line that ‘greets’ drivers as they approach the car. There’s also a ‘Sharkblade’ above the rear quarter panels, which reinforces the Proceed’s lack of B-pillars and features ‘GT’ badging.
Kia’s next-gen Cee’d essentially is to the European market what the Cerato is for our market and the US, competing in the small car class against the likes of the related Hyundai i30 and Volkswagen Golf.
Unlike the Cerato, however, the Cee’d is offered in both hatchback and wagon body styles – where its cousin is offered in hatchback and sedan forms.
Prototypes have already been spied (above), and while they don’t exactly echo the sexy look of the concept, certain design cues like the slim headlights and fastback-style tailgate appear to feature on the production model.
It’s unlikely we’ll see the new Cee’d in Australia, though when announcing the local axing of the Pro_cee’d GT in 2015, local communications boss Kevin Hepworth said “the door’s shut now, but it’s not locked”.
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