Turbocharged Kia Pro_Cee’d and Cee’d GT Take Aim at GTI—In Europe [2013 Geneva Auto Show]

Kia has pulled the wraps off of high-performance, turbocharged GT iterations of its European-market Cee'd five-door and Pro_cee'd three-door hatchbacks, and the pair appear to take direct aim at Volkswagen's current GTI. We already knew Kia was working on the GT models, but the cars are making their in-the-metal debuts at the 2013 Geneva auto show. Kia's GT treatment largely centers around a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that pumps out a GTI-baiting 201 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. Those numbers are close to the European GTI's 210 horsepower and 207 lb-ft—despite the Kia engine displacing 0.4 fewer liters than VW's 2.0-liter. A six-speed manual handles shifting duties. Kia claims that both the Pro_cee'd GT and Cee'd GT can run from 0 to 62 mph in a conservative-sounding 7.7 seconds, and that top speed for both is a lofty 143 mph. The cars' suspension upgrades aren't specifically outlined, with Kia saying only that the setups were worked over to match the higher-performance engine. Aggressive visual upgrades back up the go-faster hardware. The three-door Pro_cee'd GT appears slightly sportier than its more-practical five-door sibling, but both get unique front and rear fascias with large intakes and neat-looking square nacelles. Up front, the nacelles each pack a quadrant of LED running lights. Dual exhaust outlets poke out of the rear ends of both GTs, and handsome 18-inch wheels and red-painted brake calipers serve as eye candy. First Drive: 2014 Kia Forte Sedan Instrumented Test: 2013 Kia Rio5 SX Manual Photos and Info: 2015 Volkswagen GTI The GTs' interiors are just as businesslike as their exteriors, gaining Recaro sport seats, aluminum pedals, and a seven-inch TFT digital gauge cluster. For Kia hot-hatch fanatics—do those exist yet?—there will be a special launch-celebrating pro_cee'd GT 1st Edition. Just 500 examples will be built for all of Europe, and each one will include adaptive xenon headlights, automatic climate control, navigation, and a sunroof. Visually, they'll be set apart from regular GTs by black wheels and door mirrors, stainless steel sill plates with backlit "GT" lettering, red ambient lighting, velour floor mats with red stitching, and a number plate. Here's hoping Kia decides to give the GT treatment to the Forte and Forte five-door we get here. from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com

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