2019 Kia Proceed GT Wants To Be Your Affordable Hot Shooting Brake

Kia is busy developing the upcoming shooting brake variant of the Ceed hatchback, which will be offered in GT guise as well.

The new version was previewed by the last year’s Proceed Concept and is expected to use elements of its styling, including the shape of the sloping roof.

Test cars are still heavily camouflaged in a bid to keep their shape a secret but this specific one is probably the range-topping GT version. Features like the red brake calipers, the bigger alloys and of course that GT badge on the front grille, partially reveal the nature of the upcoming Kia.

Expect to see a more aggressive bodywork, featuring bigger air inlets on the bumpers and deeper side sills. Sadly the pair of trapezoidal exhaust pipes appears to be fake, at least on the test car with the smaller wheels.

Softer than the Hyundai i30N but hopefully still fun to drive

We still don’t know for sure which engine the upcoming GT models will use. A detuned version of the turbocharged 2.0-liter unit found in the i30N is a possibility, as well as a smaller 1.6-liter turbo. Some reports even suggest that the warm Proceed might even use a mild hybrid 48-volt powertrain. Whichever the engine, power will be around the 200-hp mark.

The interior will be spiced up with new bucket seats, more equipment and splashes of color for that necessary sporty effect but otherwise it’s expected to be the same with the Ceed hatchback.

The upcoming Kia Proceed GT has been partially developed at the Nurburgring by Albert Biermann, who’s also responsible for the i30N. However, the GT will be a less aggressive model, targeting models such as the VW Golf GTI and leaving the more hardcore (and faster) rivals to its Hyundai cousin.

The new Kia Proceed’s range will also share most of the engines that are already available in the Ceed as well. Kia is expected to launch the new variant of the Ceed family of models in early 2019.

Article updated with new spy shots