Kia has confirmed that it is developing a new Ceed hot hatch that looks set to be positioned against the Volkswagen Golf GTI.
The brand, of course, recently took the wraps off its new, third-generation Ceed. And now a fresh report out of the United Kingdom suggests a hot version of the five-door hatch is very much on the cards.
Speaking to Autocar, Artur Martins, Kia?s marketing chief in Europe, said that high-performance guru Albert Biermann (the former BMW M chief whose official title is head of vehicle test and high performance development at the Hyundai Motor Group) would be involved in the testing of the upcoming Ceed GT, which is expected to launch in 2019.
Martins told the publication that the Ceed GT would share some characteristics with its Hyundai i30 N cousin, but hinted that it would ultimately be a little more forgiving.
“With Albert’s involvement you will see similar handling and balance, although not at that level [of performance]. It will be more fun than the old car, but it will not be as focused as the i30 N,? Martins told Autocar.
Michael Winkler, Kia?s head of powertrain development in Europe, added that the Ceed GT would not be ?as extreme? as the i30 N. The Autocar report speculated that this meant the Kia would employ a detuned version of the hot Hyundai?s turbocharged 2,0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, which makes 202 kW and 353 N.m in its most extreme form.
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