Is this Kia’s next small SUV?
Mystery surrounds photos and video of a new Kia in testing in South Korea. Is this a new SUV – or a high-riding version of the next Cerato hatchback?
A new Kia compact car or SUV has been spied testing in South Korea – but it is unclear if it is the latest member of its electric-car range, or the next Cerato, Seltos or Stonic with petrol power.
A video posted to YouTube by WoopaTV – and photos posted to the Autospy forum – shows the vehicle wearing heavy disguise over most of its bodywork, but the 'tiger nose' notch on the leading edge of its bonnet gives it away as a Kia.
The proportions of the vehicle – compared to the cars around it, and the presenter in the WoopaTV video – suggests it has a footprint similar to a Kia Cerato hatch, but it appears to sit slightly higher off the ground than a traditional hatchback.
While initial images and video of the car did not show an exhaust outlet, suggesting it could be an electric car, the latest images show a large exhaust pipe emerging from beneath the rear bumper, confirming petrol or diesel propulsion – assuming it's not a decoy.
Online speculation has pointed to the next Kia Cerato hatch, which Drive has previously reported is expected no sooner than the second half of next year.
However spy photos this week confirmed to show the new Kia Cerato sedan do not match this high-riding test vehicle – suggesting this is a different vehicle.
It is reminiscent of the Kia XCeed currently on sale in Europe, which is an SUV-styled version of the Kia Ceed hatchback – itself the European counterpart to Australia's Cerato range.
Alternatively, the vehicle could be a replacement for an existing model, such as the Stonic or Seltos, or a new nameplate entirely.
However it looks too low and hatchback-like to be a Seltos replacement, and the current model – which launched 18 months after the Cerato it is based on – underwent a major facelift a year ago that is expected to see it out until closer to 2025.
Meanwhile, the smaller Stonic is expected to have at least two or three years left in showrooms in its current generation – meaning it is not due for replacement until 2025 or 2026.
"Its current generation has a lengthy life ahead ... it's that long, this current generation, that we can't see yet what's beyond it," Kia Australia product planning boss Roland Rivero told Drive earlier this month.
Kia has committed to the small-car class despite declining sales as buyers move to SUVs – and as the South Korean car giant speeds up its rollout of electric cars.