Kia is plotting another Ceed model, but not a faster hatch

Kia’s already got a Ceed hatchback, Ceed estate and Ceed ‘shooting brake niche-o-wagon' in its ranks, so there’s no room for any more Ceeds, right? Wrong. Kia’s confirmed it’s working on a fourth bodystyle for its family hatchback, and it’ll be revealed in late 2019.

What’ll it be? Well with the sleek new Proceed replacing the old three-door coupe-fied hatchback, we know it’ll not be a two-door. And the market for cabrios in this sector, once ruled by the French with folding hardtop Meganes and 308s, is long dead and buried. So the smart money says – yep, you guessed it – it’s a Ceed crossover in the wings.

Kia wouldn’t be drawn beyond “that’s an interesting idea” at the Proceed’s launch, but logically, it’s the only ground left for the Ceed to occupy. Between the supermini-sized Kia Stonic crossover and the heartland Sportage, there’s just about room for a jacked-up hatchback that’s not as, well, mumsy as the Sportage.

If we had to bet the office biscuits on it, we’d vouch for a coupe-ish four-door liftback crossover – a high-rise Proceed, in other words. Think discount-priced BMW X4 – a niche that, incredibly, hasn’t really been conquered. Yet...

Again, Kia bods simply raise wry eyebrows and grin modestly when quizzed, so we’ll be keeping a beady eye out at the Frankfurt motor show in September for another potentially handsome Kia. Who knows, there might even be a 201bhp GT version...

Speaking of quick Kias, the company has put the kibosh on a quicker version of the Ceed GT warm hatch, which could have plumbed in the 271bhp 2.0-litre engine from sister brand Hyundai’s stellar i30N. TG is told firmly that any future Ceed ‘GTS’ would see a gain in equipment levels over the already well kitted-out Ceed GT, but “it wouldn’t need any extra power.”

A pity perhaps, as the Ceed GT shows decent potential, but it’s destined to occupy a lower price and power point than the Hyundai i30N, rather than seek to usurp it in a Game of Thrones style coup.