Three-door Cee’d backs into view

Kia has revealed even more of its sporty new three-door small family car – and the picture above shows the stunning rear of the Pro-cee’d for the first time.

Making its world debut at next month’s Frankfurt Motor Show, the Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch rival will join the existing Cee’d five-door and SW estate. Only the front wings and bonnet are shared with the other var­iants, so the Pro-cee’d has a unique des­ign from the windscreen back.

With a shallow rear window and steeply raked tailgate, the car bears
a remarkable similarity to the three-door Astra. The low-mounted number plate and wraparound tail-lights are also a radical departure from the con­ventional five-door variant.

Buyers will be offered a choice of four engines. The sole diesel will be a 1.6-litre unit, while petrol fans can take their pick from 1.4, 1.6 and 2.0 turbo powerplants. Kia co-developed the 2.0 engine with Hyundai, and it is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.

The chassis of the Pro-cee’d is 30mm shorter than that of the five-door, and has been tuned by engineers in Germany to deliver an entertaining driving experience.

Production is due to start at the company’s European plant at Zilina, Slovakia, in November. However, UK customers will have to wait until the beginning of next year to take delivery. Prices have not been announced, although they are likely to be similar to the five-door’s.