Kia cultivates new cee'd

Kia has officially released a picture of the upgraded cee'd, due for release at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

The cee'd, a hatch built on the same platform as Hyundai's i30, was designed in Europe for the European market. Much as we reckon it would be a great thing for Australia, Kia says that the Slovakian-built cee'd would reportedly be about $1000 too expensive by the time it's landed (more here).

Based on the image released by Kia, the mid-life refresh looks less Corolla, more Focus. All the major design work has concentrated on the frontal styling (bonnet, bumper, grille and lights), but the interior has also been revised and the car gains Bluetooth connectivity.

"cee'd has been one of the first Kia models customers have bought for emotional rather than practical reasons," says Paul Philpott, Managing Director for Kia in the UK.

"Now we have other aspirational cars in the range, such as the new Soul, we are establishing a clear image as a design led brand and, with more new introductions due early next year, Kia offers one of the youngest product ranges available."

According to the spy photographers at Carparazzi, who were fortunate enough to capture a pre-production model in the field, the Cee'd will retain the mechanicals of the current car, but their pics show an upmarket variant, based on the wheels fitted.

Could Kia be considering a hot-hatch version?

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