Kia Ceed GT hot hatch revealed

* Five-door version of Proceed GT * 201bhp; 0-60mph in 7.4sec * On sale now, priced from £20,495...

Kia Ceed GT hot hatch revealed

This is the Kia Ceed GT, a new hot hatchback challenger to the VW Golf GTi, Seat Leon FR and Ford Focus ST.

The Ceed GT is, in effect, a five-door version of the Kia Proceed GT that Kia introduced late last year. It gets that car's turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol engine (producing 201bhp and 195lb ft of torque) and a six-speed manual gearbox. Kia claims a 0-60mph time of 7.4sec and a top speed of 143mph. The official combined fuel consumption figure is 38.2mpg, meaning CO2 emissions of 171g/km.

The rest of the modifications over the regular five-door Ceed hatchback are likely to be in line with the alterations already seen on the Proceed GT. That means revised suspension (increased damper and rebound rates, plus stiffer springs and bushes and a thicker rear anti-roll bar), and the removal of the regular car's adjustable steering weights in favour of a more direct, single-spec setup. The Ceed GT also gets 300mm ventilated brake discs at the front and 262mm items at the rear.

The styling tweaks over the conventional Ceed include reprofiled front and rear bumpers, different LED daytime running lights, a rear diffuser, different side sill mouldings, and graphite grey 18-inch alloy wheels.

Two trim levels will be offered; the GT gets those 18-inch alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights, Recaro leather/suede seats, cruise control, air-conditioning, radio/CD with iPod connectivity, Bluetooth, electric windows, and heated, folding side mirrors with puddle lights. It is priced at £20,495.

The more premium edition, GT Tech, starts at £22,995 and adds a seven-inch touch-screen with satellite navigation, a reversing camera, heated front seats and steering wheel, xenon headlights, rain-sensing wipers, dual-zone climate control, and keyless entry and engine start.

The Kia Ceed comes with Kia's seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty, and they're available to order now.