Frankfurt show: Kia reveals Proceed concept

KIA has revealed its striking new Proceed concept ahead of its public debut at the Frankfurt motor show next week, giving fans a hint as to what the next-generation Cee’d hatch may look like.

Designers at Kia’s European design centre in Frankfurt borrowed heavily from the Stinger for the Proceed liftback concept, with a front fascia and profile reminiscent of the incoming performance sedan.

The Proceed concept has all the marks of a Kia vehicle, including the signature ‘tiger nose’ grille, the ‘island’ bonnet borrowed from the Stinger, and lower and side air intakes that also bear a similarity to Kia’s newest production model.

Arguably the most distinctive part of the Proceed concept’s design is seen in profile, with a feature Kia is calling a ‘Luminline’ – an illuminated outline of the vehicle’s glasshouse that complements the liftback shape of the vehicle.

The Lumiline is highlighted by the inclusion of a ‘sharkblade’ design in front of the C-pillar, replete with GT logo. The Luminline design also highlights the lack of visible B-Pillar on the vehicle.

Aggressive bodykit flourishes are applied to the side skirts and partially hidden rear end, finished with a simple, horizontal tail-light strip.

Riding on 20-inch wheels, the Proceed concept has a low-slung look reminiscent of the Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake, with a sloping roof line finished by a subtle roof spoiler.

No details have been given on the powertrain that will underpin the Proceed, but it will most likely use a more potent version of the engines that will underpin the next generation of Cee’d hatches, possibly the 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine found in the current Proceed and other models such as the Hyundai Veloster and i30 SR.

The next-gen Cee’d is currently slated for a production in 2018, however Kia Motors Australia (KMAu) has ruled out bringing the small hatch to Australia, given it already offers the Cerato small car here.

So far in 2017 sales of the Cerato have excelled, up 52.5 per cent year-on-year to 13,083 units, enough for fourth in the sub-$40,000 small car segment.

While KMAu general manager media and corporate communications Kevin Hepworth told GoAuto that a decision on bringing a production version of the show car to Australian showrooms is still a long way off, its handsome styling was generating excitement at KMAu headquarters.

A showroom version of the concept would likely lose some of its more aggressive styling touches, but comparing the Stinger with the GT concept from the 2011 Frankfurt show suggests Kia could remain relatively faithful to its concept design.

The Pro_Ceed was last offered in Australia from 2014-15, but poor sales – roughly 700 over two years – meant it was dropped from Kia’s Australian line-up.

Kia Motors Europe chief designer Gregory Guillaume said Kia wanted to create a halo model for the C’eed family without the restricting three-door design.

“With many European drivers now seeking performance alternatives to the three-door hot hatch, we began thinking about a different halo model for the Cee’d family,” he said.

“The Proceed Concept represents a bold new vision of how the vibrant soul of the Procee’d could be reincarnated and revitalised for a new generation of performance-oriented drivers.”