At first glance, the sketch of Kia’s new Pro Cee’d looks like just another Cee’d hatchback minus two doors, or a design exercise heavily influenced by Volkswagen’s Scirocco. Look closer, however, and you’ll see that the latest Pro Cee’d is sporting some mighty big rims, in addition to a completely new design from the B-pillar rearward.

While previous Pro Cee’d models weren’t substantially different than their five-door brothers in appearance, it now looks like Kia is taking a new direction with the next generation Pro Cee’d. The newer, sportier car appears be aiming directly at Volkswagen’s GTI, Opel’s Astra GTC and sister company Hyundai’s Veloster Turbo.

Autoblog.nl met with Kia’s European vice president of marketing and product planning, Benny Oeyen, who was happy to share a few details on the upcoming Pro Cee’d model. In addition to the restyled body, the new three-door Cee’d will get a wider track for improved handling and a serious infusion of horsepower.

Expect the Pro Cee’d to use the same turbocharged 1.6-liter GDI engine that’s going into the upcoming Hyundai Veloster Turbo. In the U.S., the engine is rated at 201 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque, which should prove equally entertaining in the Pro Cee’d.

European customers can expect to see the new Pro Cee’d in about a year, but there’s no word on whether or not the car will make it to these shores as a version of the Kia Forte.