Kia Europe released a teaser of an all-new model for the South Korean automaker which, rather predictably, will be yet another crossover. It’s a car that’s been teased for some time now, with each new instance showing a rather small part of its overall appeal. Most recently, the world was treated to its digital instrument cluster.
This Xceed is based on the Cerato hatch and stands apart from the incoming Kia Seltos with most of the styling work finished by their design team in Germany. Of course, it too is given the requisite ruggedised soft-roader treatment of higher ground clearance and matte cladding around the wheel arches and bumpers.
They term its body as being swept back and sporty, deciding to categorise it as coupe-like in the same vein as the BMW X6 and Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe. Emilio Herrera, Chief Operating Officer at Kia Motors Europe, says of the Xceed:
“The sporty design and demeanour of the new Kia XCeed CUV makes it more innately desirable than many taller, larger SUVs. Yet it offers this without compromising on versatility, with its intelligent packaging achieving the cabin and storage space of an SUV in a sportier body and more compact footprint.”
No mention was made of its mechanical specification, which might only be revealed at the official debut on June 26th. Taking the Cerato as a reference, however, one can infer that the Xceed will likely be offered with a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol or a more powerful 1.6-litre turbo-petrol.
Drive will be sent through the front wheels through a 6-speed torque converter automatic or 7-speed dual clutch and it is unlikely that all-wheel drive is even on the cards. It is unlikely that the Australian line-up will have enough room to accommodate both the Xceed and larger Seltos with the latter already confirmed for a local launch.
That said, the Xceed will slot very nicely into the brand’s European portfolio where the Ceed and Proceed are already on sale, playing the stylish little sibling to the larger Sportage.
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