Chinese cars have been keeping the motoring public busy for the past year. It boggles the minds of those who have witnessed it, that twenty years ago we looked at cars from Korea with similar distrust. Where they are today is best shown by the two GT models. Both the petrol Proceed and the electric EV6 are personalities with a distinctive design and driving characteristics that will convince even experienced pilots. And they also get paid well for their services.
Twenty years ago, Kia came up with the last predecessor of the Ceed. It was called Cerato, and even if today it causes more understanding smiles, more observant individuals were smarter behind the wheel back then. “Leap two generations,” it was written then. It was obvious that Korean engineers are fast learners.
In another three years, the Ceed was here, made in Europe, armed with a seven-year warranty and ready to start a price war in the Czech pond. If your name wasn’t Golf, you had a problem. This was followed by the arrival of the German designer Peter Schreyer, and you will surely know it by now.
With the current third generation of the Ceed, Kia blew itself up when, in addition to the regular station wagon, it introduced a more dynamic shooting brake called Proceed. The line of the side windows, taut as a bowstring, and the sporty rounded rear look innovative in this class. The only other car in the same category is the Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake.
The most powerful version of the GT spices it up with a discreet bodykit, a lowered chassis and a design of eighteen-inch wheels. In this class and with a price of up to a million crowns, it is definitely one of the most visually interesting cars.
The electric EV6 also attracts attention with its unusual shapes, which certainly contributed to winning the title of European Car of the Year 2022. The designers were able to disguise the chubby proportions with the battery in the floor with an interplay of elements bordering on incongruity, which arouses a healthy dose of provocation. The GT version looks very little different, the differences are hidden in the technology.
Both models pay for an elegant and sporty swing with a low interior. It is easier for athletes to get into the Proceed, the seats are very low to the floor, and in the back the space above the head is already taken away by the falling roof. The battery in the floor of the EV6 pushes the seats noticeably higher, but the roof only a little, so the feeling of low space remains.
The style tax is inevitably paid in the trunk as well. In the Proceed, the blind reaches almost to the ceiling and we wouldn’t even guess its volume of 594 liters. The boxes under the floor probably help him. The EV6’s shallow luggage compartment is seventy liters less.
In terms of driving dynamics, these cars cannot be directly compared. The common hundred-kilometer circuit rather confirmed their different characters. Both cars are connected by a distinctly sporty tuning of the chassis, which does not hide the pain of Czech roads. However, you will also find enough flexibility for everyday driving.
Kia Proceed GT
Dimensions 4605 x 1800 x 1422 mm
Engine: gasoline 4-cylinder 1.6 turbo
Power: 150 kW at 5500 rpm
Top speed: 225 km/h
Acceleration 0-100 km/h: 7.5 s
Price from: 834,980 CZK
Electric with a hundred in 3.5 seconds has a clear lead in acceleration, but also in corners. It is helped by a low center of gravity, a wide track, all-wheel drive and low-profile tires with a width of 255 millimeters. You have to go a long way to feel the limits given by the weight of 2.1 tons. On the other hand, a quiet drive can dangerously mask the real speed.
The Proceed is almost six meters lighter, so after changing from an electric car, it feels quite bouncy on the road. You don’t have to – and really can’t – go nearly as fast for the ride to deliver the same intense experience. The hoarse sound of the engine and the occasional snort from the exhaust also contribute to it.
Although the chassis is very well balanced and the unit does not feel heavy in front of the axle, it just flutters behind the EV6 on a twisty road. A little getting used to working with the 1.6 T-GDI engine is also required. After adding gas, it has a distinct delay and pulls best in the middle revs, in which the dual-clutch automatic must hold it at the cost of frequent shifts.
The price difference will not surprise anyone. Proceed GT costs 834 thousand crowns, EV6 GT 950 thousand more. It is also a class larger car, both side by side with a stylish and sporty focus.
Efficiency is no longer so unambiguous. We would expect a consumption of over eight liters from a petrol engine. The resulting 7.4 was just a little lower. On the other hand, the EV6 with a consumption of around 22 kilowatt hours is one of the “thirstier” electric cars.
Kia EV6 GT
Dimensions 4680 x 1880 x 1550 mm
Motor: 2x synchronous with permanent magnets
Total power: 430 kW at 5500 rpm
Top speed: 260 km/h
Acceleration 0-100 km/h: 3.5 s
Price from: 1,780,980 CZK
It must be added, however, that the Proceed GT has a compromise technique with a small 1.6 liter engine for all the style and tuning. Most competitors rely on a two-liter volume. In contrast, the EV6, with its 800-volt battery, ultra-fast charging and Porsche Taycan-level acceleration, represents the current top.
2023-10-23 13:52:55
#dont #cheat #Gasoline #electric #Kia #amaze #Currently.cz
