Cerato, Rio next for GT badge

Kia Australia says the future of its Rio and Cerato model ranges could include at least one GT-badged sports variant.

Speaking to motoring.com.au at the launch of the facelifted third-generation Cerato this week, Kia Motors Australia COO Damien Meredith said the deletion of the pro_cee’d GT had left a hole in the range that may be filled by the next-generation Cerato.

“The Cerato makes a lot of sense for the GT-line badge,” said Meredith. “Given its direct competition here, and Australia’s love of ‘sporty-flavoured’ cars, we think it would be well received.”

Meredith said the less-than-warm reception of the three-door pro_cee’d GT warm hatch locally was attributed largely to the fact the model was not offered with an automatic transmission.

He also said the absence of a five-door variant had hurt sales, with Aussie buyers preferring the practicality of five-door hatchback models.

“If the pro_cee’d GT had been offered with an automatic and five doors it would still be on sale today,” he admitted.

“There’s no doubt it was a terrific car – the reviews told us that – but our buyers told us four- or five-door models, and an automatic transmission, was a key part of the ownership equation.

“If we were to offer a Cerato GT, then we’d definitely look at a powertrain offered in combination with a dual-clutch transmission, and obviously four or five doors.”

The statement points to Kia offering its 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine – as offered in the now-defunct pro_cee’d GT – as a possibility for the next-generation Cerato, which could be up to three years away.

That engine is now available with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission in selected markets, and makes a tidy 150kW and 265Nm -- 38kW and 73Nm more than the newly released 2.0-litre Cerato range.

“What Mazda has done with its Mazda3 SP25 range and Hyundai with its i30 and Elantra SR is obviously of interest to us, but we’d also like to have a rival for the Volkswagen Golf GTI, and even the Polo GTI, if the right model became available,” he added. “We’re really open to anything that’s made available to us.”

Until now Kia has been quiet on the prospect of a warmer Rio. But with parent company Hyundai’s i20 WRC car pushing engine and chassis development in the right direction, it’s conceivable we could see Kia grasp at a sportier Rio in its next iteration.

Kia's next Rio is due on sale globally next year, following its potential world debut at the Paris motor show in September.