Review 2014 Kia PRO-CEE'd GT

Continuing the trend in changing their brand perception, the 2014 Kia pro-cee’d GT is finally here on Australian shores. Originally destined to be a Europe only vehicle, this exclusively European designed Kia provides customers something to be excited about in a small BIG way. 

This three door hot hatch shoots from 0-100km/h in 7.7 seconds with power being delivered through the front wheels. Under the hood, there is a twin-scroll turbocharged 4 cylinder engine that produces 150kW of power, and 265Nm of torque. ​

To put that in perspective, on paper, this is faster than the Toyota 86 Coupe! 

There are two models to choose from in the pro-cee’d GT range, with pricing for the GT starting from $34,400 drive away, and the GT-Tech from $37,490. The difference between the two are mostly cosmetic, the performance is identical.

With a manual only transmission, Recaro sports seats and a digital dashboard, could you want any more for a sports car under $40,000? Let’s take a look.

INITIAL IMPRESSION​

Visually the pro-cee’d GT is a lot more aggressive and hints at a menacing personality.  Its superb lines that extend through to the rear of the car from the nose make it look longer and lower than it is in reality. 

The red accents on the bodywork, and the Ice-Cube daytime running lamps make it feel like this car should belong to a European brand like Renault or Volkswagen. A lot of kudos to Kia for making a car look this good.

Interior wise it is similar to other Kia models, and the steering wheel, whilst receiving red stitching accents, is the same comfortable setup as in the Kia Cerato Koup.

We were keen to get onto the road, so let’s get to it.​

DRIVABILITY

It’s easy to put on the miles when you’re in a car that you are enjoying, and that’s exactly what we did in the pro-cee’d GT.

The setup for the driver is one that feels purposeful. From the organ style accelerator pedal, the Recaro sports seats, short shifter and adaptive headlights (GT Tech model), you have everything you want or need. 

We pushed the pro-cee’d GT through a late night mountain run on Mount Neebo and the car handled itself better than expected. Under-steer, a trait of a FWD car, was noticeable but you didn’t need to be a racecar driver to keep control of the car.​

Acceleration wise, the car really comes to life in the upper end of the rev spectrum. In this case it means that if you want to cruise, you can by following the guides on the dash for when to change gear. This also helps you to save fuel.

If you want to get the most out of the turbocharger, you can hit the GT button on the steering wheel. This changes the digital dash to show you real time torque and boost levels. In our driving, the fun factor comes in after 6,000 RPM.

There’s a myriad of driver assistance systems including electronic stability control, vehicle stability management, Hill-Start assist, ABS with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, six airbags, and impact-sensing door unlocking.

As a result of this impressive feature list, it has not only achieved a 5 Star ANCAP rating, but it also meets the even tougher to achieve 5 Star Euro NCAP safety rating.

Whilst it isn’t supercar fast, it feels fast enough in all the situations we placed it in.​

PRACTICALITY

Is this a family car? No. Is it a people mover? No. It’s a hot hatch designed for young people and couples.

At the same time, it’s unlike other hot hatches and coupes in its segment, because the pro-cee’d GT brings some versatility, like useable rear seats, enough rear boot space to be able to pack a couple of suitcases in when taking the in-laws to the airport.​

If you need to transport larger items you can with the 60/40 split seats that almost double your boot space.

The pro-cee’d GT also gives you flexibility with its very respectable fuel economy figure of 7.4 litres per 100km from the 53 litre fuel tank. You can embark on a weekend roadtrip without needing to plan your fuel stops with your rest breaks.

COST​

As we’ve already mentioned, the pricing starts from a competitive $34,400 for the entry GT model.

The GT is the entry-level version yet it comes with anything other than a base-level specification. The exterior benefits from a number of unique styling touches including new front and rear bumper designs, side sill mouldings, dual exhausts, ‘ice-cube’ LED daytime running lights and 18-inch graphite grey ground-effect alloy wheels with red brake calipers.

Standard there’s also dual-zone climate control, cruise control, automatic headlights, cornering lights, reversing sensors, and Bluetooth phone and music capabilities.​

In our test, we found the GT-Tech model was the best value at $37,790. This adds a panoramic sunroof, smart key with push button start, active HID headlamps, privacy glass and luggage net for only a small price premium. 

The only other thing would have liked to see as standard, or even as an option is GPS navigation in the GT Tech model. However, isn’t that what smartphones are for these days?

As part of the standard fitment, the 2014 Kit pro-cee’d GT comes with a 5 Year/Unlimited KM warranty and is part of the Capped Price Servicing Program.

CONCLUSION​

When we were asked to review the 2014 Kia pro-cee’d GT we were happy to know that the car was finally here and we could now experience what Europe had been raving about.

It provides a great driving experience with a European flavour without the price tag usually associated. Kia has done another fantastic job at renewing their image and initial order numbers show that this will be a popular little car.​

Across the Motorama Kia dealerships in Moorooka and Browns Plains we have demonstrators now available to be test driven, so don’t just read this review. Experience one for yourself.