Kia ProCeed shooting brake makes its debut in Paris

With the death of the unnecessary underscore and apostrophe in its name, the new Kia ProCeed also signals the death of the three-door hatchback in the Ceed lineup. As previewed by the stunning Proceed Concept last year, the third-generation model has morphed into a five-door shooting brake, distinct and separate from the Ceed Sportswagon, um, wagon.

As such, the ProCeed is longer than both the hatch and wagon, and receives a low-slung roofline and a fast rear windscreen rake for a more dynamic look. The half moon-shaped glasshouse gets a chrome “Sharkblade” on the C-pillar, while at the back, there are slimmer tail lights that span the entire width of the car, further differentiating it from other models in the lineup.

The ProCeed is also only available in the sportier-looking GT Line trim, so it comes as standard with a gloss black “tiger nose” grille with a satin chrome surround, a more aggressive front bumper with horizontal corner blades, side skirts and a large rear diffuser with twin trapezoidal exhaust exits.

Inside, the ProCeed is as per the standard Ceed, with the exception of a flat-bottomed steering wheel with metal alloy paddle shifters, black headlining, metallic door sill scuff plates and more heavily-bolstered seats. The rear seats are mounted lower to offset the effect of the lower roofline on headroom, and while the 594 litre boot isn’t quite as capacious as the Sportwagon’s 625 litres, it’s 50% larger than in the standard hatch.

The lack of a boot lip and the lower ride height also means that it’s easier to load cargo into the boot, and there are 40:20:40 split-folding rear seats, an underfloor storage area, a bag hook and an optional handsfree Smart Power Tailgate for increased practicality.

As far as infotainment goes, the ProCeed will be offered with either a seven-inch touchscreen or an eight-inch touchscreen with navigation, both of which will come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Also available are a JBL Premium sound system, Qi wireless smartphone charging, a heated windscreen, heated front and rear seats and ventilated front seats.

All models get all-around independent suspension, retuned for greater agility, improved response and body control and a better compromise between ride comfort and handling stability, accommodating the longer, cab-rearward body. Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres are offered as an option across the board for better grip.

The engine lineup consists of two turbocharged and direct-injected (T-GDI) petrol engines – a 120 PS/172 Nm 1.0 litre three-cylinder and a 140 PS/242 Nm 1.4 litre four-pot. There’s also a new 1.6 litre Smartstream turbodiesel from the facelifted Sportage, delivering 136 PS and 280 Nm of torque with a six-speed manual gearbox, or 320 Nm with the optional seven-speed dual-clutch transmission also offered on the 1.4 T-GDI.

To exceed the new Euro 6d TEMP emissions standards, petrol models now receive a particulate filter, while the diesel engine gets Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) to reduce carbon dioxide, particulate matter and nitrous oxide emissions compared to past Kia models.

For those who want a bit of extra oomph, there is also the hot GT model. This uses the 1.6 litre T-GDI petrol mill developing 204 PS at 6,000 rpm and 265 Nm of torque from 1,500 to 4,500 rpm, sent to the front wheels through either the manual or the DCT gearbox. The chassis has been further developed under the helm of ex-BMW M man Albert Biermann, with stiffer springs and softer anti-roll bars.

Safety-wise, the ProCeed is offered as standard with six airbags, Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) with brake-activated torque vectoring, Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA), Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), Driver Attention Warning (DAW) and High Beam Assist (HBA).

Buyers can specify Lane Following Assist, a Level 2 semi-autonomous driving feature that takes care of acceleration, braking and steering at speeds of up to 180 km/h. Smart Cruise Control (SCC) with Stop and Go, Blind-spot Collision Warning (BCW), Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning, Smart Parking Assist and pedestrian detection for the FCA system are also on the options list.

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