FRANKFURT MOTOR SHOW: Kia’s next hot hatch previewed

Kia has revealed the first image of a low-slung five-door concept car that “indicates what the next-generation cee’d could look like”.

That’s hardly relevant to Australians, given the existing small cee’d hatchback is specifically designed for and built in Europe, right?

Yes, but this new liftback-style variant suggests a new bodystyle derivative of the next cee’d, which is likely to form the basis of a replacement for Kia’s weirdly-named, three-door, manual-only pro_cee’d hot hatch, which was discontinued here due to slow sales in late 2015.

Kia Australia has previously said the turbocharged pro_cee’d GT could return Down Under if it became available with five doors and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, as the standard cee’d now is in Europe.

Alternatively, Kia Australia’s next hot hatch – positioned as a performance model below the upcoming rear-drive Stinger sedan – could be a turbo GT version of the next Cerato hatch produced in Korea.

A new-generation Cerato sedan based on is expected to debut at the Detroit motor show in January and due on sale here by mid-2018, with a redesigned Cerato hatch likely to follow in the second half of next year.

Like Europe’s next cee’d, both Cerato models will borrow heavily from Hyundai’s slick new i30 and Elantra, bringing big advances in performance, dynamics, refinement and technology.

It’s not unreasonable to expect the as-yet-unnamed concept pictured here – and perhaps even its as-yet-undisclosed powertrain – to also preview the look and feel of a Kia’s new Cerato GT.

Either way, consider this German-designed concept a taste-test of what Kia Australia’s next hot hatch will bring and stand by for more details after its full reveal on September 12.

“The concept presents a new body type for Kia. The extended hot hatch retains the athleticism of the current pro_cee’d model, while combining its striking visual presence with a dash of real-world versatility,” said Kia.

“Reworked and reimagined for a new generation of driver, it puts forward a bold vision for a potential member of the next-generation cee’d family.”