Kia Proceed
New Kia shooting brake will go on sale in early 2019 with a 201bhp GT as its flagship
New five-door shooting brake revealed
Kia has released official pictures and details of its new five-door Proceed ahead of its Paris motor show debut next month.
As previewed by the Proceed Concept in 2017, the previous model’s three-door hatchback bodystyle has been transformed into a coupéinspired five-door shooting brake. The move reflects dwindling sales of three-door models in European markets.
Designed, developed and engineered in Europe, the Proceed shares much visually with the five-door Ceed from the front doors forwards. From there back, though, it’s all change, with a roofline that slopes down to a steeply raked rear window and extended rear overhang.
The rear profile is also unique, with a single-piece LED light bar stretching across the tailgate and a more aggressive bumper design. Chrome ‘Sharkblades’ in the rearmost side windows are said to emphasise the roof angle.
The Proceed is 5mm longer than the Ceed Sportswagon, at 4605mm, with a 43mm-lower roofline and 5mm taken from the car’s ground clearance. The 2650mm wheelbase is unchanged.
It will be available in only the sportiest trims Kia offers – GT Line or GT – with all cars getting at least 17in wheels and details such as dual exhaust tips.
Inside, little has changed to the front passenger section of the Proceed’s cabin, save for a new black roofline, revised front seats with thicker bolsters and new sill plates. GT models feature sports seats finished in black leather and suede with red stitching.
To offset the head room sacrificed by the lower roofline, the Proceed’s rear seats have been mounted lower in the car. The shape of the car’s rear end means it loses 32 litres of boot space compared with the Sportswagon, at 594 litres. Rear 40/20/40 split folding seats and an electric tailgate are included.
The Proceed shares the same fully independent suspension as its siblings, but Kia claims it has been set up in a unique state of tune for better body control and a more responsive feel. Stiffer front and rear springs take care of that, while softer anti-roll bars help boost traction under hard cornering.
Three engines will be available in the Proceed GT Line from launch. The base unit is the 1.0-litre T-GDI three-cylinder petrol, making 118bhp and 126lb ft of torque. A 1.4-litre turbo four-pot option raises that to 138bhp and 178lb ft. Both come with a six-speed manual gearbox, the 1.4 also being available with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.
The sole diesel engine is a 134bhp 1.6-litre unit, with Smartstream tech designed to raise economy and lower emissions. It produces 207lb ft of torque in manual form, and 236lb ft with the dual-clutch automatic gearbox.
The range-topping Proceed GT shares its 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine with the newly revealed Ceed GT. That makes 201bhp and 195lb ft of torque, mated solely to a sevenspeed dual-clutch auto. No performance figures have been released yet.