Kia sows another Ceed
BY RON HAMMERTON | 20th Mar 2019
KIA Motors Australia is getting an all-new small SUV later this year, but it will not be the upcoming Ceed crossover vehicle that was teased in a sketch released by the European branch of the South Korean company today.
Like other variants of the Ceed family, the small high-riding hatchback will stay close to Europe, at least for the foreseeable future.
Instead, KMAu has its eyes on sub-Sportage SUV modelled on the Kia SP concept revealed in India more than a year ago.
Codenamed SP2, the new addition to the Kia line-up will be sourced from South Korea for Australia, arriving under a yet-to-be-announced badge in the last quarter of this year.
The SP2 is said to be the same size as sister company Hyundai’s Kona, and so we assume that the two vehicles are closely related.
The European-developed and built Ceed family is mounted on a different platform that so far has spawned a hatchback, wagon, coupe-style sedan and – now – a jacked up hatchback to create a sort-of SUV.
Kia Motors Europe design vice-president Gregory Guillaume said the new vehicle would have its own look.
“There’s another style, another type of vehicle, that we feel very strongly deserves to be a new member of the Ceed family,” he said. “It will the play the role that’s needed to make the Ceed range stronger and even more exciting, more appealing, to European consumers
“The design will be nothing like you’ve seen in the Ceed family so far. This will be the next big surprise from Kia.”
The latest Ceed addition will have its own model name, but Kia is holding back that information until the new product is revealed in the flesh later this year.
The SP2 small SUV destined for the Asia-Pacific markets will be built in two variants, with one built in India for that market and another one – presumably with higher safety standards – aimed at markets such as Korea, Australia and North America.
KMAu is planning to roll out the red carpet for the new vehicle which it sees as a ticket to substantial sales growth in a market that has gone mad for SUVs, particularly compact ones.
It might end up being the company’s number one seller in 2020, dislodging the current king of the showroom, the Cerato small car.
