First drive: Kia Ceed and Proceed GT

Is this Kia’s cut-price Golf GTI?

Yup. Like the rest of the Ceed and Proceed range, the warmed-up GT version has had a mid-life refresh for 2015, too. It’s equally subtle – the headlights and alloy wheels have changed, and the body is marginally more aerodynamic – but then the starting point was pretty good in the first place, regardless of whether you picked the three-door Proceed or five-door Ceed.

What’s new?

It gains the brake-based torque vectoring from the standard Ceed, there are bigger brakes and the engine has had a bit of a tickle. Which is good news, as the 1.6-litre turbo petrol has always been one of the weaker components of the GT.

Does it have more power?

It doesn’t, but the turbo itself is new, with increased air pressure swelling the amount of torque low down in the rev range and yielding an engine that’s happier to rev. And therefore one that’s more fun.

While power and torque are unchanged, the CO2 emissions are down a smidge, to 170g/km, while the 0-62mph time is marginally quicker at 7.6sec.

In a world of 250bhp Focuses, it ranks itself as a less desirable Top Trumps card, but away from on-paper stats it’s actually quite quick. And like the standard Ceed, its pace matches all the other components nicely.

How so?

While it’s more stiffly sprung than other Ceeds, it’s not as frivolously firm as some rivals, and grip isn’t as tenacious. That latter point might normally be levelled as criticism, but the GT manages to better match its power and grip than a number of hot hatches, the result being a car that feels involving at quite sane speeds. Try to truly tap into a Golf GTI’s potential and you’ll be going much quicker.

It’s not the ultimate hot hatch driving experience, as its GT badge suggests, but there’s satisfaction to be had, and it’s refreshing to get into a car without numerous driving modes to toggle through before you’ve even engaged first gear. It’s reassuringly simple: there’s only a manual gearbox on offer, and should you wish to disengage the traction control, it’s one simple button press.

What’s that GT button on the steering wheel, though?

Well spotted. It may flick the TFT speedometer from traditional analogue to more legible digital display, but it also unshackles an unwelcome addition for the GT’s facelift: a sound symposer.

The scourge of sporty cars across the breadth of the market, it ‘enhances’ the engine noise by piping a boosted version of it inside the car. When you’re driving the GT with your teeth gritted, it’s not too offensive, but in urban driving or at cruising speeds it better simulates the sound of a hole in the exhaust. The car is no less interesting with the GT button ignored.

Anything else of note?

All kinds of nice stuff is available, with big comfy Recaro sports seats as standard and self-parking, active safety systems and a heated steering wheel all on offer.

What isn’t on offer – sadly – is a GT version of the Ceed Sportswagon to further swell the go-faster estate sub-genre. Given this is a hot hatch that treads a more sensible path, trading front diffs and big power outputs for an easy-going nature and a seven-year warranty, it strikes us a missed opportunity.

Me too…

Easing your pain, though, are more GT-badged Kias. You can expect the next Sportage crossover and Rio supermini to have performance iterations. Kia is taking your demand for driver’s cars seriously – there’s even a rear-drive coupe coming.

In the UK, eight per cent of Ceeds sold are GTs. That’s a bigger portion than a number of other hot hatches sell within their respective ranges. It seems you’re taking them equally seriously.