CIRCULATING IN WANGARATTA, BENALLA, MYRTLEFORD, BRIGHT, MT BEAUTY, BEECHWORTH, YACKANDANDAH, RUTHERGLEN, CHILTERN AND DISTRICTS
NORTH EAST
July 11, 2014
available online - wangarattachronicle.com.au
PRINTED FORTNIGHTLY — VOLUME 452
Multipurpose Lexus Storypage3
KIA PRO_CEE’D GT: It looks sharp.
Kia’s new hot hatch looks sharp
T
he name pro_cee’d smacks of somebody at Kia trying to be clever, mangling words and punctuation in the worst possible way. Not that the sporty turbocharged three-door can feel embarrassed about anything other than its naff name. This is a real warm hatch that deserves a place on your list of possible buys. Given our love of hot cars, Australia is the only market outside Europe to have access to the pro_cee’d GT where it is available in two specification levels – GT (our test car) and GT Tech, from $29,990, plus on-road costs.
By DEREK OGDEN The GT came out of Kia’s European Design Centre in Frankfurt under the guidance of head of design Peter Schreyer and is built at the Zilina plant in Slovakia. Whichever way you look at it, the Kia looks sharp. With its curved slashes, angular openings, arched roof and steeply sloping rear glass, the hatch does all its designers demanded, appearing quick, even when standing still. The front sports a low, broad bumper
and airdam, and a central lower air intake, underscored by a thin red line which reinforces the wide track. This is flanked by high-gloss black inserts housing the GT’s fascinating four-point ‘ice-cube’ LED daytime running lamps and foglights. From the rear, the bold stance of the hatch is accentuated by broad shoulders and steeply angled tailgate glass, further emphasised by a diffuser under the bumper, separating dual sports exhausts. The sporty exterior is echoed inside the all-black five-seat cabin. The driver and front
passenger are firmly supported by Recaro sports seats graced with ‘GT’ and ‘Recaro’ logos. Power lumbar support is fitted to both seats. Upholstery is a leather / suede combination with red contrasting stitching on the seats, steering wheel, gear lever and door trims. Alloy sports pedals with non-slip rubber inserts complete the picture. The GT is powered by a turbocharged version of Kia’s 1.6-litre ‘Gamma’ engine, developing 150kW of power and 265Nm of
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