Tricky apostrophe dropped, too.
Korean marque Kia has dropped a sketch of its all-new Ceed hatchback, one of the marque’s most popular offerings in Europe, ahead of the cars’ debut at the upcoming Geneva motorshow. The Ceed may be more familiar to you and I as the Cerato hatch, but it gets its own name in that market.
“Designed, developed, engineered, and built in Europe, the third-generation Ceed features innovative new technologies and engines, a mature and athletic new design, and a more engaging drive.” — Kia
What’s clear to see from the sketch is that the Ceed/Cerato hatch will share a lot with the Cerato saloon that was recently unveiled in Detroit, which is a first for the Ceed. Previously, the Cerato saloon and Ceed hatch shared underpinnings, but the Ceed was positioned as a European offering with its own distinct styling. The new generation model will very much be a Cerato hatch in all but name.
With that in mind, beneath the skin, the new Cerato hatch will (like the saloon) share much with the previous generation model, though with plenty of refinements made where possible. Inside, the Cerato saloon is trying to pull a “class above” move by offering more soft-touch materials inside, adopting circular air vents like the Stinger, and the saloon (in the US, at least) gets an 8-inch infotainment screen and the option of a Harman/Kardon audio system.
One of the biggest changes to the Cerato saloon was the inclusion of a new ‘Nu’ engine under the bonnet. 2.0-litres in capacity, it runs the Atkinson cycle and produces a decent 109kW and 179Nm. The Nu engine is also mated to a CVT automatic gearbox. For those in the know, the existing Cerato we have makes a pokier 112kW/192Nm, and the engine will be retained for the new model, along with its six-speed automatic, and this should be the same for the hatchback.
The Cerato saloon is expected to debut here towards the middle of 2018, while the hatch will arrive towards the end of the year. Kia Australia has confirmed that the saloon will be offered in S, Si, Sport+, and GT variants, with the GT alluding to the possibility of a turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol mill (150kW/265Nm) being offered. With any luck, the hatch should offer a similar lineup.
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