Here’s an artist’s impression from Kia as to how their new pro-cee’d GT will look when it rocks up in 2013. Well roughly at least ‘cos you’d need to be a rather small person – or indeed headless – with a huge wheel fetish to want to part with your hard-earned for an in-the-metal one of these low riders.

Details are light at the moment, but we recognise the Kia family front-end that’s looking particularly gnarly in this concept sketch, with its flared nostrils, predator headlights and angry mouth. It’s a good-looking start for sure for the new GT; it just needs a touch more upwards cabin space!

The Kia pro-cee’d GT will feature a 1.6-litre turbocharged GDI petrol engine and six-speed manual transmission, driving the front wheels, expectantly through some kind of clever differential – electric or mechanical – to keep front wheel slip in check.

And to keep in touch with the established turbo front-driving hot hatches, the Kia GT will have to knock firmly on the door of 250bhp. And that’s a lot of shove from a 1.6-litre engine; turbo or not. The 250bhp Ford Focus ST, for example, uses a 2-litre motor and a fair chunk of turbo boost pressure to make its mumbo.

This new GT hot hatch is said by the brand to be perfectly aligned with Kia’s sportiness and “fun to drive” positioning, so it better get a sweet chassis. So, to party with the STs, VXRs and GTIs of this hot hatch world, this new Kia had better be right on the ball right from the start. Game on.

By Daniel Anslow

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