29 Sep 06 16:57
Not content with giving its new C-sector car, the cee'd, a very silly name, Kia is now producing concepts with appalling puns on the same theme. Alongside the production-ready five-door cee'd hatch is a new concept - called pro-cee'd.
The pro-cee'd is a sporty three-door, a bodystyle to follow the five-door and station wagon cee'ds on sale late next year, with a roofline 25mm lower than that of the more family-orientated five-door. The show car is finished in a sparkly paint job the designers call Cashew, with bright chrome window trimmings and matt black details such as door mirrors and wheel hubs. It sits on 19" wheels with low-profile tyres.
Inside, it's finished in matt black with metal brightwork and leather upholstery, four bucket-type seats with aluminium alloy headrest mounts and lower dash panels trimmed in a black/brown distressed-effect leather.
Kia's chief designer at its European Design Centre in Russelsheim, Gregory Guillaume, said: 'Like the five-door cee'd, the new sporty hatch will be a truly European product - designed in Europe and made in Europe. But whereas the five-door is a great handling family car, this version of cee'd will be targeting younger drivers in search of a more overtly sporty look to go with the sporty drive. We have seized the opportunity of the Paris Show to create a teaser car that really will build eager anticipation of future Kia models.' What next? The suck-cee'd, re-cee'd and con-cee'd, perhaps?
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