Following the all-new Kia Ceed’s reveal, the Korean
company has been caught working on the more potent GT version. This time, we
caught a prototype without the heavy plastic covers on the front while testing
in the Austraian Alps.
The faster derivative of the Kia Ceed is reportedly
being developed by the same team that created the hot Hyundai i30 N. This will
include some high-speed testing at the Nurburgring in a bid to give the new
Ceed GT a more fun-to-drive character than its predecessor.
Albert Biermann’s team will make sure that the new
Ceed GT will offer a similar handling character with the i30 N, but it will not
be as focused as its cousin. The biggest question to be answered is what sort
of engine the new Ceed GT will use. Given the company’s will to keep a distance
between the fast Kia and the more aggressive Hyundai i30 N, the Korean hatch
will most likely offer around 200 hp instead of the i30 N’s 271 hp.
That could come from either a detuned version of the
turbocharged 2.0-liter petrol unit found in the hot Hyundai or from the
company’s smaller 1.6-liter turbo. Some reports even suggest the use of a
mild-hybrid 48-volt powertrain.
The test car you see in the spy shots might be
camouflaged, but details of the sportier bodykit like the bigger alloy wheels,
the deeper side sills with red detailing and parts of the new bumper design
spill the beans. The twin exhaust pipes with their trapezoidal tips and the
covered roof spoiler are further proof.
The more forgiving character of the Kia Ceed GT will
allow it to rival more rounded hot hatches in the segment, including the VW
Golf GTI, leaving hardcore -and faster- players like the Renault Megane RS to
deal with the Hyundai i30 N directly. Expect the new Kia Ceed GT to be revealed
sometime in late 2018, with a market launch set for early 2019,
Cr : Carscoops
