A Korean hot hatch? Yes, that is what’s being planned at fast growing Kia, which wants a Golf GTI rivaling halo model for its next generation Cee’d. The Cee’d is a C-segment hatchback sold in Europe with with three bodystyles – five-door hatch, wagon, and a sportier three-door hatch. The hot hatch will be based on the latter, which will debut in 2013, one year after the new five-door appears at Geneva 2012.
“We are preparing turbocharged engines. We are tuning suspension and we are preparing a Golf GTI rival,” Lee Soon Nam Lee, Kia’s overseas marketing director told Autocar UK. The firm’s COO Thomas Oh added that this halo car will not be a loss-making venture. “It must be economically viable in terms of volumes,” he said.
Possible powerplants include Hyundai’s 2.0 litre Theta II turbocharged GDI engine, as seen in the Sonata 2.0T with 274 hp and 375 Nm, but Kia is leaning towards a new 1.6-litre turbo GDI engine, tuned for over 200 horses, in line with the current minimum emissions downsizing trend.
Autocar UK tells us to expect Seat Leon Cupra performance and price. That Volkswagen 2.0 TSI powered hatch has 241 PS, 300 Nm and a 6.4 sec 0-100 km/h time. It’s priced at £22,180 in the UK.
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AI-generated Summary ✨
Comments show skepticism about Kia's ability to compete with the legendary Golf GTI, citing VW’s proven reliability and performance. Some believe Kia's ambitions are admirable but doubt their current capabilities, referencing past struggles and lack of experience in the hot hatch segment. Others are optimistic, acknowledging Kia's recent progress and expressing support for their efforts. A few comments compare Kia's plans to Japanese automakers’ successful evolution and emphasize the importance of innovation and quality over copying. Overall, there is a mix of cautious optimism, skepticism, and appreciation for Kia’s courage to enter a competitive segment, but many agree that matching the Golf GTI's reputation will be a significant challenge.