Daily Archives: September 19, 2018
3 Things To Know About The 2019 Kia ProCeed
Kia is set to reveal its next-generation ProCeed as a five-door, fastback-like wagon and officially ditched the three-door layout of the current generation.
Sitting at the top of the Ceed lineup, the ProCeed is longer than the Sportwagon (by 5 mm) and a fair chunk shorter, too (by 43 mm). It even has a lower ground clearance (also by 5 mm).
1. Exterior
The design of the 2019 Kia ProCeed is a mix of the ProCeed concept shown at last year’s Frankfurt show and the Stinger. What Kia wants you to focus on, however, is the unique rear that tapered off elegantly. This is the same rear shown in the concept, though that’s where the similarities end.
If you noticed, there are other things the ProCeed has going for it such as the new front bumper design, the slightly different proportions, and even the fake exhaust tips.
2. Interior
The all-black interior and the unique metal sill scuff plates will be the first things you’ll notice about the new ProCeed. Other than that, not much will differentiate this model from the current one in the market. Since this is a new car, Kia will make it possible for you to choose the brand-new design sports seats which feature firmer side bolsters than before. The rear seat can be folded 40:20:40, giving you plenty of space to store your cargo.
The dashboard and the rest of the interior trim are similar to the regular Ceed models, meaning a clean and pleasant layout made of high-quality materials.
There’s no digital instrument cluster yet, but buyers can choose between a standard 7-inch or optional 8-inch infotainment displays which can run Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
3. Drivetrain
All the engines available for the ProCeed are the same as the Ceed lineup and they are all turbocharged. The base unit is a 1.0-liter with 120 horsepower and 127 pound-feet of torque while next is a 1.4-liter machine that makes 140 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque. Finally, the 1.6-liter from the high-performance GT model can produce 204 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque.
Kia is still offering a diesel engine for the ProCeed. It’s a 1.6-liter ‘Smartstream’ CRDi oil burner with 136 horsepower. The torque output is dependent on your choice of transmission: 206 pound-feet for the six-speed manual and 236 pound-feet for the dual-clutch.
2019 Audi e-Tron Crossover Starts At $75,000
We are finally seeing the 2019 Audi e-Tron crossover SUV and it’s not exactly cheap. The entry-level Premium Plus model starts at $75,795 while the Prestige trim brings the price to $82,795. Finally, the top-rung First Edition model has a base price of $87,695.
After the camouflage has been taken off, we can now see that the e-Tron, which was revealed in bare-painted sheetmetal, looks like a mix of the flagship Q8 and the smaller Q3. It has the chiseled features of the Q3 and the taillights of the Q8.
Let us focus on the powertrain that undermines all these design languages though. The e-Tron crossover uses two electric motors: one large for the rear and a small one for the front wheels. According to Audi, this dual-motor setup can produce 355 horsepower and 414 pound-feet of torque in normal mode. This output can be produced for 60 seconds straight.
To bring the power to 402 horsepower and 490 pound-feet of torque, owners can switch on the overboost function for eight seconds. This output will allow the car to go 60 mph in 5.5 seconds on the way to a top speed of 124 mph.
Depending on the load, the e-Tron can be driven using only the rear motor. The motor on the front wheels will be activated only if more power is needed and when the driving conditions require more traction.
With an optional towing package, this crossover SUV can also handle the hauling of 4,000 pounds worth of cargo.
Between the motors is where you could access the 95-kWh battery pack. There’s no final EPA rating yet but we’re inclined to believe that it can reach a total of 248 miles on a single charge. Audi says the E-Tron will also support 150-kW DC fast charging, which will allow it to regain 80 percent of its range in 30 minutes.
