Kia pro_cee'd GT Tech 2014 Review

Kia pro_cee’d GT and GT Tech

It may have taken Kia longer than most to join the performance hatch brigade, but as with any rite of passage, the manufacturer was fit to choose its own timing.

Ergo, the pro_cee’d GT is an eagerly anticipated take on the genre and one Kia has just about nailed. We say ‘just about’ because there are a few caveats to the overall package, not least of which is the model’s failure to launch with the option of an automatic transmission.

Arguably, many shopping in this segment won’t mind shifting gears themselves, and will enjoy the pro_cee’d GT’s short-throw six-speed ‘box. But with almost every other competitor in the segment offering the choice of an automatic or dual-clutch transmission, we can’t help but wonder if the pro_cee’d GT is starting its life behind the eight ball.

That issue aside, the pro_cee’d GT does present a lot of promise. It’s a sleek and stylish three-door hatch with an interior that belies its meagre pricetag.

Loaded with standard equipment, the pro_cee’d GT is likewise well endowed beneath the bonnet, and arrives with a 1.6-litre direct-injected, intercooled and turbocharged four-cylinder engine -- the same found powering Hyundai’s hard-charging Veloster SR Turbo.

The force-fed DOHC ‘Gamma’ engine develops 150kW at 6000rpm and 265Nm between 1750 and 4500rpm, which is enough, Kia says, to accelerate the pro_cee’d GT to 100km/h in 7.7 seconds. The sporty new hatch boasts a top speed of 230km/h and is said to consume as little as 7.4L/100km on the ADR combined cycle. CO2 emissions are rated at 171g/km.

As we’ve mentioned, the pro_cee’d GT drives the front wheels via a six-speed manual transmission, the final two ratios of which are overdriven. Braking is managed by all-wheel discs measuring 300x28mm at the front and 262x10mm at the rear, while the steering is electrically-assisted.

Like the steering, the pro_cee’d GT's strut (front) and multi-link (rear) suspension arrangement is tuned specifically for Australian conditions with increased damper rebound and compression rates, stiffer springs and bushes, and a larger-diameter rear anti-roll bar. Two-tone alloy wheels measuring 18x7.5-inch are shod with 225/40-series Michelin Pilot Sport 3 rubber regardless of variant.

In a nod to its sporty underpinnings, the pro_cee’d GT is possessed with an equally athletic five-seat cabin. It is accessed via two large doors which allow reasonably easy access to the roomy back seat and is dressed with leather and suede-upholstered Recaro sports seats, a neat leather-clad steering wheel, alloy-faced pedals, gloss-black and chrome garnishes and monotone carpets, dashboard, door cards and hood lining.

Equipment levels vary slightly between the two model variants, which are priced accordingly. The entry-spec pro_cee’d GT starts at $29,990 (plus on-road costs), while the higher-grade pro_cee’d GT Tech begins at $33,490 (plus ORCs). Metallic paint attracts an additional $475 surcharge.

The former is fitted with dual-zone climate-control, cruise control, power windows and mirrors, reversing sensors and a rear-view camera, while the latter adds an electric tilt and slide sunroof, active HID headlights, keyless entry and push-button start, and privacy glass to the mix.

Both variants are equipped with a six-speaker audio system with single-CD/tuner, 3.5mm and USB auxiliary audio connectivity, Bluetooth telephony and audio streaming, and a model-specific TFT LCD binnacle-mounted screen.

The centre screen doubles as an instrument read-out which displays info like turbo boost pressure, torque output, engine coolant temperature, a digital speedometer and other trip information.

The pro_cee’d GT competes with the likes of the Veloster SR Turbo and Toyota 86 on price but dimensionally is near-identical to Volkswagen’s $50,000 Scirocco.

Riding on a 2650mm wheelbase, the pro_cee’d GT measures 4310mm in length, 1780mm from door to door and 1430mm from road to roof top. The front track is slightly narrower than the rear (1545 v 1553mm) while the turning circle is a nippy 10.6 metres.

The Australian-spec pro_cee’d GT tips the scales from 1359kg and, like all of Kia’s passenger cars, is backed by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, capped-price servicing and 12 months of roadside assistance.

The pro_cee’d GT is capable of carrying up to 380 litres of cargo with the rear seats and cargo cover in place but can swallow up to 1225 litres thanks to a 60/40-split folding rear bench.

On road the pro_cee’d GT is quick and confident. It grips as tenaciously through sharp off-camber bends as it does long sweepers, and is not easily upset by surface lumps and bumps. As front-wheel drive hatches go, the handling is particularly neutral, though with turn-in as sharp as the pro_cee’d GT’s there’s bound to be a little oversteer when jumping off the throttle.

The good news is that the set-up makes the pro_cee’d GT almost impervious to understeer, and though the rear-end can get a little twitchy under heavy braking, a quick change in pedal pressure and a dab of opposite lock will bring the car quickly and accurately back into line.

In short, the handling is fun. It’s an element missing in many mainstream models and one an increasing number seem to insist begins at speeds certain to endanger one’s license. Not so the pro_cee’d GT. It’s just as enjoyable at the speed limit on a public road as it is on the racetrack, though we’re not suggesting it’s slow.

Kia says the pro_cee’d GT will hit triple figures in less than eight seconds, and we have no trouble believing that claim. The engine is a smooth revver that piles on it pace rapidly, but with linearity. The full whack of torque is available early in the piece and hangs around until well past half tach, the mill revving comfortably past 6500rpm.

The delivery is well matched to the six-speed box and, with so much torque down low, shifts can be kept to a minimum. On more than one occasion we remained in third where second would usually be required, simply feeding on the throttle to pull from the apex with zero fuss.

If we did have any complaints for Kia’s first performance hatch it’s that crosswinds can cause a little wind rustle around the A-pillar and tyre noise is omnipresent. We also found the brake pedal travel a whisker long and found the C-pillar can prove difficult to see around when changing lanes, but there aren’t too many cars these days where that isn’t the case.

Otherwise the pro_cee’d GT has proved that Kia not only has the power to surprise but to perform as well. It’s a zippy little hatch and one that feels quicker than its figures suggest.

Considering its size/performance/price ratio, it’s a first effort well worth further investigation by any potential buyer in this segment, and one we look forward to spending more time with in the very near future.