Kia has gone punctuation mad. First, it dropped the apostrophe for its Ceed hatchback and now for its sportier sister model, it鈥檚 not only dropped the rogue piece of punctuation but also the even more irritating underscore. 鈥檇 becomes simply ProCeed and the Korean firm has performed a complete control-alt-delete on the car, as out goes the three-door body shape and in comes a swoopy five-door hatch design. The ProCeed鈥檚 interesting mix of estate car and coupe body styles is an answer to the trend of people rejecting three-door hatchbacks. Here Kia is following Mercedes鈥?lead by offering a sleek CLA Shooting Brake in tandem with its more conventional A-Class, knowing that Shooting Brake customers are prepared to spend more cash on a more stylish model. In our eyes it looks pretty good, with a clear nod to the CLA, although at the rear there鈥檚 a hint of Porsche Panamera if you squint hard. There are even a few interesting design details, such as the Porsche-like four 鈥榠ce cube鈥?LED daytime running lights and metal-effect shark鈥檚 blade on the rear quarter glass carried over from the dramatic 2017 Proceed Concept.
It鈥檚 just a shame then that the concept car鈥檚 large wheels haven鈥檛 transitioned over, because our car鈥檚 18-inch alloys look a little lost within the body - but that鈥檚 the only real gripe. When it arrives in January the ProCeed is expected to come in three flavours of GT-Line, GT-Line S and GT - and our exclusive first drive was in a pre-production version of the range-topping model. Kia鈥檚 upmarket desires are clear on the inside because the ProCeed, just like the Ceed hatch, is well put together, with swathes of plush plastics, while the GT adds red stitching and bolstered sports seats. But while kneeroom is good, headroom in the back is pretty tight - if you鈥檙e over six feet tall you鈥檙e really going to struggle - and the visibility out of the back isn鈥檛 great, either. That said, the boot is well shaped and offers useful underfloor storage, luggage rails and seats that nearly fold down completely flat. The ProCeed sits 5mm lower than the Ceed hatch and estate, and features independent suspension all round, while the GT gets stiffer springs and softer anti-roll bars. The steering is particularly good in its response but just falls short of delivering enough feel, while the engine feels stronger and punchier than its 201bhp and 265Nm suggest. But the 1.6 turbo is let down by the automatic box; it might be a seven-speed dual-clutch, but the upshifts aren鈥檛 crisp enough for a sporting model and downshifts are too slow. This is mated to a throttle modulation that鈥檚 a bit tardy to pick up, too. How the ProCeed drives on the road sums up the car, really. It鈥檚 a stylish, nicely made and slightly quirky car that handles and goes well but is slightly held back by its gearbox and throttle response. It鈥檚 a nice balance between a warm hatch and a GT wrapped up in one of Kia鈥檚 sexiest bodies.
While Alcantara equipment range is not available, customers will have access to all seat variants, the Chrono Package, and the audio system through the options list. The good news is that the Touring model shares the exact same drivetrain with the regular, high-winged 911 GT3. The unit in question is a recently updated 4.0-liter, naturally aspirated, flat-six that cranks out 500 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque. Because it鈥檚 an enthusiast car, it鈥檚 also equipped with the six-speed manual transmission as standard. Sure, it鈥檚 not as fast without quick-shifting PDK, but it鈥檚 a price you must be willing to pay in order to row your own gears. The standard package also includes a mechanical rear differential and the rear-wheel steering system. Performance is obviously top-notch, but as you might have already guessed, the Touring model isn鈥檛 as quick as the standard 911 GT3. Because there鈥檚 no rear wing, the GT3 equipped with the Touring package is a tenth-second slower than its manual counterpart, hitting 62 mph in 3.9 seconds. The Cabriolet model is likely to be a bit slower too, so expect this version to reach the benchmark in four seconds flat.
Top speed should decrease a bit from the coupe鈥檚 196 mph to around 193 mph. Still not bad though. Much like the coupe, the drop-top should get the optional lift system and the PCCB ceramic brakes for enhances stopping power. The Track Precision app, which enables the driver to record and analyse detailed driving data on their smartphone, will be included in the standard package. Convertible models are usually more expensive than their coupe counterparts, so it鈥檚 safe to assume that the GT3 Touring Cabriolet will fetch more than the coupe. The latter is priced from 鈧?52,416 in Germany, so the drop-top should cost at least 鈧?60,000 before options. A Roadster version of the Mercedes-AMG GT R would be the best competitor here, but until the German firm gives us one, the AMG GT C is the best option we have. Read our full story on the 2018 Mercedes-AMG GT C Roadster. A Cabriolet version of the 911 GT3 Touring might seem redundant at first glance with a Speedster model underway, but it鈥檚 actually a good addition to the lineup. Although the Speedster also features GT3-inspired styling and a GT3 drivetrain, the two-seater is more of a heritage model, while the GT3 Touring Cabriolet is a completely new concept. With the next GT3 rumored to take the turbocharged path, a limited-edition convertible model is a great way to say goodbye to the all-motor GT3. Now let鈥檚 see if it actually happens.