Proceed GT: macho with a sense of family

Coupé grace, powerful drive and sporty set-up – cars with such characteristics are rarely practical. The Kia Proceed GT is an exception, but leaves room for improvement.

In order to create volume models suitable for everyday use compact class To make them more desirable, car manufacturers are happy to provide them with special fun versions. Extra hot in two ways Kia seasoned the Ceed offshoot Proceed in the sports version GT. The focus here is primarily on driving fun, while at the same time the slightly exaggerated eye-catcher offers a format that is attractive for everyday use with small cuts.

Is that a Kia?

eye-catcher? A Kia Ceed? Quite a few even find it difficult to specifically identify the Proceed as a Kia. There is the progressive station wagon coupé body, the LED rear light that runs across the width of the vehicle, stylish high-tech headlights, the recently particularly martial front or the iconic brand lettering, behind which some people assume a combination of the letters K and N.

With its body stretching over 4,60 meters, the Proceed goes beyond the dimensions of the compact class. The reason is simple, because the sloping rear section only slightly conceals the actual station wagon rear with a large flap and an extra portion of storage space. 594 to 1.545 liters are quite ample, although some of the cubically shaped competitors are numerically superior. However, 100 liters more or less play a negligible role in everyday life at this level of storage space.

The sloping tailgate, on the other hand, can be experienced as somewhat more annoying, because of which, for example, crates of drinks have to be heaved deeper into the trunk than in other station wagons with a steeply sloping flap. A flexible room divider in the Proceed, which provides more order with the help of a sliding telescopic rod, is again beneficial for everyday use. A lavish underbody storage space or the rear seat backrest, which can be divided in a 40:20:40 ratio and folded down by remote unlocking, are also well-solved. Alternatively, guests can enjoy good head and knee room on the seats behind. In addition, the cardan tunnel is flat, which is why even three rear passengers can accommodate their six feet in a relaxed manner.

The interior is impressive

Despite tight-fitting and leather-covered sports seats, the front is also comfortable. Material quality and workmanship are at the upper end of the class. The digital instrument cluster is generously dimensioned at 12,3 inches, in the middle of the dashboard there is a 10,25-inch touchscreen for the versatile and talented infotainment system, which is open to a smartphone network. The Proceed was launched at the end of 2018 and refreshed in the summer of 2021, but if you look into the recently launched new edition of the Kia Sportage, the digital display world of the Ceed already looks a bit gray. Poor is the view through the interior rear view mirror, because the rear window only gives a limited view of the rear traffic.

Questions of suitability for everyday use quickly fade into the background in the literal sense when you give the 200 hp GT version a little more spurs. Again, the car offers more than some would expect from a Kia. Thanks to the flap exhaust system, the engine sound, which is deeply grumpy and occasionally teasing, already speaks for itself - this applies once again in the sport mode, which can be activated at the touch of a button. Among other things, this makes the steering harder and ensures that the gears are turned out longer.

Seven of these are available in the DCT version that we have tested and is currently the only one available, which the driver can also manage manually using paddle shifters on the steering wheel. Although it has a displacement of only 1,6 litres, the turbocharged direct injection engine makes an amazingly full impression and ensures courageous propulsion in every driving situation. The 1,4-tonner cracks the 7,5 mark after 100 seconds, a maximum of 225 km/h is possible, at which the car leaves a confidence-inspiring impression.

Anyone who is particularly fast on the road drives consumption to a double-digit level, in our case it was 7,6 liters with a predominantly quiet driving style. On a winding country road, it's tempting to push the GT's sporting potential a little, thanks to direct steering, crisp road holding and gripping brakes. However, Kia bought the unmistakably sporty setup with a slightly exaggerated chassis hardness, which is occasionally annoying and cannot be defused even in the comfort mode, which can be activated at the push of a button.

Relaxed vs sporty

And this is also where the one aspect of the GT version that is annoying in everyday life manifests itself: the chassis is unrivaled hard, while some competitors offer an adaptive chassis with a little more technical sophistication that allows an adjustment appropriate to the driving situation. The GT could be a perfect glider over long distances, because the assistants keep you on track, regulate the distance to the vehicle in front, adjust the speed to the currently applicable limits - the sporty setup sometimes even gets in the way.

Driving pleasure has its price, which is also steep in monetary terms. Around 37.000 euros for the basic version is definitely a house number. Accordingly, one could ask again in astonishment: A Kia? Yes, a Kia, because for this price the customer gets almost full equipment level in return, which leaves only a few wishes unfulfilled. Only a glass roof package for 990 euros and a comfort package with electric seats for 690 euros can be ordered as an option. So bottom line, there's a lot of car for the money.

Technical data

Five-door, five-seater coupe sedan, length: 4,61 meters, width (without mirrors): 1,80 meters, height: 1,42 meters, wheelbase: 2,65 meters, trunk volume: 594 - 1.545 liters
Drive: 1,6 liter four-cylinder turbo petrol engine, 150 kW/204 hp, max. torque: 265 Nm at 1.500 rpm, Vmax: 225 km/h, 0-100 km/h: 7,5 s, seven gears -Double clutch transmission, standard consumption: 6,5 l/100 km, CO2 emissions: 147 g/km, emission standard: Euro 6d, efficiency class C, test consumption: 7,6 liters, price from: 36.950 euros

In brief


Why: because you are looking for a type of character that also offers a good deal of suitability for everyday use
Why not: because the trunk is too small for a station wagon and the chassis is too hard for an everyday car
What else: Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake, VW Golf R Variant

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