Kia has released the first official pictures of its all-new Pro_cee'd, ahead of its planned debut at the Paris Motor Show at the end of September.
Though the new three-door hatch is based on the five-door Cee'd, the Pro_cee'd gets its own bodywork and appears to sit lower to the ground than its more practical sibling.
Its sportier design philosophy mimics the approach Opel took with its Astra GTC and Renault with the Megane Coupé.
We also see no logical reason why Kia won't build a performance version of its new three-door. It already has access to the nuts and bolts, with sister-brand Hyundai having already launched a 1.6-litre turbocharged version of its Veloster.
This direct injection, twin-scroll turbocharged motor pushes 152kW at 6000rpm and 265Nm at 1750rpm. Not quite OPC or RS territory, but decent enough.
Although Kia hasn't released any substantial information on the new Pro_cee'd, its mechanical composition will no doubt mirror that of the Cee'd.
Kia describes the latter as being a game-changer for the brand, and one that takes the brand into an altogether different league.
Highlights include independent rear suspension, the availability of a 99kW 1.6-litre direct injection petrol engine and a dual-clutch automated manual transmission. The car is also available with a 1.4-litre petrol engine and a pair of diesels displacing 1.4 and 1.6-litres.
The spec list also looks rather juicy, with features like a colour reverse camera, parallel park assist and lane departure warning being available.