Peppy new powertrain might (might) be what we’ll get.
Korean carmaker Kia could not wait for the impending Paris motor show to pull the wraps off its now baby, a hotted-up version of the Ceed hatch that broke cover earlier this year. Dubbed the Ceed GT, the performance model boasts thoroughly-revised suspension and a funky powertrain that lets it carry the status of ‘hot hatch’ without excuses being made.
As with any hot hatch, the aesthetic revisions are aplenty, though they’re not as obvious as one might think. There’s a bodykit for the Ceed GT, comprising more aggressive bumpers on either end, integrated twin tailpipes (that are real, mind), and highlights in gloss black and chilli red. There are also bright chrome window trims, a unique spoiler, a unique grille integrating the GT badge discreetly, as well as 18-inch alloy wheels.
Inside, the Kia Ceed GT benefits from things like a flat-bottomed steering wheel, red contrast stitching on the black leather/suede combination upholstery, and even more GT badging. The centre infotainment screen can be had in either 7- or 8-inches across, while the 395-litres of boot space can be made even bigger with the standard 60:40 folding rear seats.
The Ceed GT is an interesting machine sure, but what we’re most interested in is under the skin. The hot hatch makes use of a 1.6-litre T-GDI (turbo-gasoline direct injection) engine, producing a healthy 150kW and 265Nm. This power goes to the front wheels through either a 6-speed manual, or a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, both of which sound pretty fun to us.
Because the Ceed and the Cerato share… everything, it’s very likely that the engine used here will eventually find its way into a hotter Cerato variant for us in the near future. Talk around the launch of the Cerato confirmed that a hotter version would be on its way in due course, could this perhaps be an early peek into something we might be able to put on our driveways?
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