kia proceed

High-tech, lower-weight body structure

Beneath its stylish exterior, Kia’s new pro_cee’d benefits from a bodyshell that has been engineered to achieve exceptionally high torsional (twisting) stiffness, which delivers a host of benefits in terms of handling, ride quality, durability, refinement and safety.

The all-new bodyshell that Kia has engineered for the pro_cee’d uses a high percentage of high tensile-strength steel (67%) for structurally critical components (to save weight and to increase torsional stiffness), while more than 87% of the bodyshell is made from anti-corrosion steel.

Model-for-model, the new pro_cee’d weighs a significant 84 kg (maximum) less than the equivalent five-door version.

Finite element analysis was performed to conduct simulated crash testing and to arrive at the optimal structural design. Kia’s engineers created a final pro_cee’d bodyshell that surpasses its design goals in terms of resistance to both twisting forces (torsional rigidity) and longitudinal bending forces (flexural rigidity).

To enhance the bodyshell’s ability to resist corrosion, every cee’d is subjected to a new Rotation Dipping Painting method which takes each bodyshell and rotates it through a forward somersault while immersed in the tank, ensuring the optimum coating thickness on every surface, throughout the entire shell.

kia pro cee'd concept

World-class wind tunnel hones pro_cee’d aerodynamics

The final look of the production pro_cee’d was developed from European designs in Kia’s world-class full-size aero-acoustic wind tunnel at the Namyang R&D Centre in Korea. The pro_cee’d has a smooth exterior, with elegant detailing and no unnecessary features, which results in significantly improved aerodynamics.

The 4250 mm long three-door hatchback, which is 15 mm longer than the five-door, with 10 mm greater overhang (875 mm) at the front and 5 mm (725 mm) at the rear, has highly competitive drag and lift coefficients. Its aerodynamic drag figure is Cd 0.33 (same as the cee’d 5-door) – bettering Golf and Focus, while its lift coefficient figure is a class-best result. A low lift coefficient enhances vehicle stability at high speeds.