THREE YEARS SINCE the debut of the Cee’d badge overseas, Kia’s impressive German-designed and Slovakia-built hatch is coming in for a makeover.

Spied shakedown testing on the Nurburgring, these images of the European-market 2010 Kia Cee’d reveal a more sculpted bonnet, while the usual manufacturer camouflage obscures many of the finer details of the front and rear end.

The outline of the grille beneath the masking appears to show a smaller, more curved design, with the headlights taking on a similar new curved look.

The wing mirrors - which appear to be lifted directly from the 2009 Kia Cerato -feature side repeaters, giving the Cee’d a slightly more upmarket style.

Power is expected to come from the same 1.4, 1.6 and 2.0 litre petrol engines powering the current model, along with the two existing 1.6 litre diesel engines.

The 2010 Kia Cee’d is expected to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, with no word on introducing the popular hatch into the Aussie market.

GALLERY » 2010 Kia Ceed Spy Shots