2008 Kia pro_Cee'd

KIA cee'd THREE-DOOR REVEALED

Kia Motors Corporation has released the first preview image of its exciting new Kia three-door hatchback model which will make its World Premiere at this year's Frankfurt International Motor Show on 11 September. The new model will be named Pro-cee'd.

Based closely on the earlier 'pro_cee'd' concept shown at the Paris Motor Show in 2006, the new production model has been developed by Kia's design team in Europe under the direction of Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer.

'Longer, lower and lighter than its five-door sister car, the new Kia Pro-cee'd is going to be a great drive,' enthused Mr Jean-Charles Lievens, Senior Vice President Kia Motors Europe. 'Combining real style and genuine practicality, our new three-door cee'd is sure to delight existing Kia customers and attract a new group of European consumers who have not yet considered our brand.'

Manufactured in Slovakia, Pro-cee'd will be the third member of the Kia cee'd family, joining the popular cee'd five-door and the soon to be released cee'd SW models to make Kia an especially strong challenger for C-segment sales in Europe.

Production of the Pro-cee'd model range is scheduled to begin in November with first customer sales during the early months of 2008.

Source - Kia

KIA UNVEILS FINAL CHAPTER IN cee'd STORY

Longer, lower and lighter than its five-door sister car, the new Kia pro_cee'd – to be debuted at the Frankfurt International Motor Show on 11 September - brings yet more style and more sportiness to the C-segment in Europe.

'The new Kia pro_cee'd offers consumers sensationally stylish looks with a truly sporty feel to the driving experience, while also retaining most of the practicality and versatility of the popular cee'd five-door hatchback,' enthuses Jean-Charles Lievens, Senior Vice President Kia Motors Europe. 'With performance, ride and handling that is even more responsive, the pro_cee'd will attract European consumers who find three-door cars particularly appealing.'

The 4250 mm long pro_cee'd delivers class-leading passenger and luggage space. The cee'd family wheelbase (2650 mm) is retained, so despite its lowered, sporty appearance, pro_cee'd provides generous legroom front and rear, and luggage capacity with the rear seats upright matches the five-door model. The 19-model line-up of three-door hatchbacks is scheduled to go on sale early next year.

'With the pro_cee'd we have communicated sportiness mostly through the car's exterior design,' explains Gregory Guillaume, Chief Designer Kia Motors Europe. 'At the front, we have extended the nose by 10 mm and introduced a shallower grille, new-style headlamps, a wider, lower bumper with a prominent lip spoiler, a deeper central air intake and larger fog lights set in elliptical depressions.

'It is the side profile that makes pro_cee'd truly distinctive. The windscreen is much shallower and the vehicle height is reduced by 30 mm. The doors, which are 276 mm longer than the front doors of the five-door cee'd model, have a unique design with a more prominent swage line that highlights the sporty character of this model and a beltline that rises much more steeply towards the rear of the car.

'The side window, C-Pillar and tailgate spoiler are all new and although the rear screen is steeply raked, rear headroom remains good. Únlike other cee'd models, the exhaust tailpipe on the pro_cee'd is boldly displayed,' concludes Guillaume.

The larger pro_cee'd doors with their extra-wide 70 degree openings ensure good access to the rear seats. To boost practicality, Kia's designers re-styled the rear seat cushion, which is now fixed, and re-engineered the 60/40 split backrest so that it is easy to release and simply folds down onto the cushion with no need to remove the head restraints.

With pro_cee'd, Kia is offering customers the full choice of cee'd family powertrains – five Euro4 compliant engines, with power outputs covering a 90 ps to 143 ps range, and three transmissions – as offered in the five-door hatchback and wagon models.

Like its siblings, pro_cee'd will also be available with three equipment levels plus 12 exterior colours and a wide range of optional extras – so that each customer can create a 'personalised' vehicle to suit their needs and tastes.

The optional Sports Pack, which comprises 17-inch alloy wheels with 225/45 R17 tyres, stiffer dampers, sport-concept interior trim (with 'tyre-track' pattern fabric and silver stitching, plus alloy pedals and stainless-steel door-scuff plates) is expected to be a popular choice with pro_cee'd buyers.

Source - Kia