Unlike its two predecessors, the latest generation of the Kia Pro_cee’d has switched segments entirely.
On the first two tries, Pro_cee’d was simply the name of a sportier, three-door version of the five-door Cee’d. Starting with 2018, the Kia Pro_cee’d is firstly less confusing to spell, since it’s Proceed now. Secondly, the car is now a five-door shooting brake model akin to the Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake, which may not get a replacement once the current generation stops being made.

Designed by Peter Schreyer, know for the first-generation Audi TT and now Kia’s design boss, the new Proceed will confusingly co-exist with a regular station wagon version of the Ceed. Having a sportier nature thanks to the very different exterior design will definitely help it in the long run, though. In the beginning, the engine lineup will consist of a single diesel, 1.6-liter CRDI with 136 HP, while on the gasoline front customers will be able to choose between a 1.0-liter with 120 HP, a 1.4-liter with 140 HP and a 1.6-liter with 204 horsepower, borrowed from the Ceed GT.

The revised Kia pro_cee’d joins the cee’d family as a third installment coming in a longer, lower and more sculpted body than the previous generation.
With the exception of the front body structure, several major parts of the bodyshell - the roof, body sides, and rear-end - have been redesigned compared to the current cee’d. Ring-shaped structures on centre pillars and tailgate opening area have been added in to ensure rigidity and collision safety. New pro_cee’d shares all the same external dimensions as the current cee’d save for its height - new pro_cee’d is 40mm lower than its 5-door sibling. Front doors are 270 mm longer, offering better access and aiding with the car’s sleek profile. The exterior’s performance-orientated looks are echoed on the inside with a driver-centric layout to the dashboard and modern, premium touches such as the dark cloth trim, black headlining, piano black fascia trim and subtle chrome accents to the door handles, instruments and air vents.

Just a year after the introduction of the cee’d’s first-generation, Kia stunned the world again with a surprisingly good-looking hatchback: the 2007 Pro cee’d.
In the past, carmakers offered their hatchbacks in three or five-door versions. It was the same for Opel Astra, Volkswagen Golf, Renault Megane, or Ford Focus. But Kia took another path and offered the 3-door cee’d in a different shape, named Pro_cee’d.

The Korean carmaker used the same platform, but the bodywork was different. While it featured the same front fascia, the designer tilted the windshield even more, and the roofline sat lower than the one on the regular cee’d. It was a daring move that traded headroom for the exterior look. Finally, the younger generation had a more affordable, good-looking hatchback. Behind the doors, the Pro_cee’d featured small windows for the rear passengers and, in the back, a roof-spoiler completed the sporty car’s look.

Inside, the Pro_cee’d featured the same dashboard as the five-door version. The front seats, on the other hand, were different and featured higher side bolstering. Due to the sloped roofline, there was limited headroom for the rear passengers on the split-folding rear bench.

Under the hood, Kia installed the same choice of engines as for the five-door version. It was the right car at the right moment and offered a good fun factor for a fraction of a Focus, Megane, or Golf price. On top of that, it featured independent suspension in all corners.