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Next Hot Kia cee'd to Use Turbocharged 1.6-liter GDI Engine

Kia has managed to pull the automotive version of a rabbit out of the hat in Europe, completely changing its image in recent years. Yet despite having a number of good products to affordable vehicles to choose from, the Korean brand has no clear look, nor does it offer a veritable king of the performance hill.

All that’s about to change soon, as the next generation cee’d will spawn a hothatch version, meant to create a sportier image for the brand. Autocar seems to have all the scoops when it comes to this subject, and they never fail to deliver. Th latest info on the hot cee’d project is that it will not use a 2.0-liter engine, but a turbocharged 1.6-liter unit.

The unit could be borrowed from the Hyundai Veloster, meaning we can expect the 1.6 T-GDI to produce somewhere in the region of 210 horsepower. If this is the case, than the cee’d will be a match for the Golf GTI, provided weight is kept down and the German model doesn’t find a few extra ponies. Autocar goes as far as to say that performance and price should be in competition with the Seat Leon Cupra, but that’s a car with a loyal following across Europe and a premium look and feel.

Kia should launch the 1.6 T-GDI cee’d at the Frankfurt show in 2013, 18 months after the five-door and estate appear at next year’s Geneva show. The same engine should also make its way into the five-door a bit later on.

“The sports models won’t be there for volume,”
said Kia UK managing director Michael Cole. “They’ll just be a boost to the brand’s image, particularly in the UK.”
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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