Kia’s Pro_cee’d 3-Door Headed for Paris Debut

Kia releases photos of its all-new Kia pro_cee’d 3-door hatchback, which will make its world debut at the Paris auto show later this month.

This is the third version of the second-generation cee’d family to debut since the cee’d 5-door hatch and the 5-door Sportswagon versions were unveiled side by side at the Geneva auto show in March.

“This car embodies emotion and energy through and through,” Peter Schreyer, Kia’s chief design officer, says in a statement. “You know from a single glance that this is a car you want to drive, not just own.”

No powertrain details or other features are being revealed prior to the Paris show.

However, a source tells WardsAuto the car will be offered with the 1.4L MPI and 1.6L GDI gas engines rated at 100 hp and 135 hp, as well as three diesels, a 90-hp 1.4L and 110-hp and 128-hp 1.6L engines.

The rear styling of the pro_cee’d is different from the cee’d 5-door hatch that was unveiled in Geneva. The rear fenders are more pronounced and the roofline is lowered and more steeply raked.

The pro_cee’d is expected to be in production at the Zilina, Slovakia, plant by year’s end for sales launch across Europe in early 2013.