ABDC: Kia Pro_cee'd GT Tech

Kia’s Pro_cee’d GT Tech represents the Korean brand’s top-spec entry into the sports hatch marketplace. Well priced, offering value-for-money sports performance, the brand’s hero six-speed manual-only was thrown into the deep end during Australia’s Best Driver’s car (ABDC).

Could it mix it with some of the world’s great hardware, on the most demanding roads in the country?

A week’s real-world testing throws up a collection of impressions and opinions, carefully distilled in this case. And the phrase repeated, time and again was ‘surprise package’.

Whether that was because expectations were low, or represented genuine exclamation is arguable. We suspect the latter.

Kia’s first ‘performance’ car is a competent thing and in the end justified its place at ABDC.

Powered by the same engine as the Hyundai Veloster SR, the car delivers 150kW of direct-injected turbocharged power and 265Nm, driven through its manual six-speed transmission (the final two gears are overdriven).

Kia reckons this is enough to accelerate the pro_cee’d GT Tech to 100km/h in 7.7sec, although our experience at the drag strip suggests this claim is optimistic. The car boasts a top speed of 230km/h and is claimed to consume as little as 7.4L/100km on the ADR combined cycle. Our average fuel use was 11.5L/100km.

Consensus suggested that power delivery was adequate, but a little unexciting. There is no turbo-neck-snap, but, in its favour, little lag as well. In short, there’s power there, but it takes a while to spin up and is very linear. That reference to linear power would be praise for a car in many categories. ‘Driver’s Car’ is arguably not one of them.

Due to the lack of any form of clever front differential (mechanical or electronic), the car tends to spin up an inside wheel under full power, especially in undulating and tight cornering – which is just about everywhere when it comes to Tasmanian roads.

This characteristic held the car back when it came to the judges scoring, compounded by the fact that the Pro_cee’d really wants another 25kW if it is to be considered anything like a hot hatch.

Bung in that sort of extra power and the wheelspin issue would be further highlighted. Engine mapping is very good though, with peak torque on offer from as low as 1750rpm, holding a flat curve through to 4500rpm. This makes the power that is on hand very accessible indeed.

Toss in the neat and slick gearshift and smart ratios, and you have a package that really does make the most of its drivetrain when it comes to sporting use. One tester saw it this way: “The more you drive it the better it gets, and the more you want to push it hard into corners.”

Kia took Australian running into account when refining the GT we get locally. Spring-rates, damper tune are sway bars are all unique.

Braking is good, but again compromised in very sporty going, with one particularly spirited run through Targa Tasmania’s iconic competitive Hellyer Gorge stage pushing them to their limits.

Hardware is all-wheel discs measuring 300x28mm at the front and 262x10mm at the rear, and the steering is electrically-assisted.

The interior is busy but tidy, finish good but a little squeaky and disjointed. Ergonomic positioning was adequate and adjustability good, and the classy Recaro seats do a pretty good job of holding the driver snugly when pushing on. They sit high in the cabin though and tall people will notice it.

The instrument cluster is a digital screen, switchable from a conventional speedo view to a ‘sports mode’, featuring gauges for turbo boost and torque levels. Fun and well executed.

It should be added that the GT Tech specification adds keyless entry and ignition, HID headlamps, panoramic glass sunroof, privacy glass, luggage net and a 12V outlet in the cargo compartment over the slightly more plain Jane GT.

Scoring across the range of categories chosen for ABDC saw the car neither loved nor hated. It really was in the big league here and its scoring must be viewed in that light. A bit more power and an LSD would make the Pro_cee’d GT a more worthy contender.

ABDC Scorecard