When Kia pulled the silk sheets off its Proceed Concept at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, the Korean carmaker wasn’t just previewing what it could do with its next-generation Proceed C-segment hatchback, it was apparently dropping a major hint about what it would do.

The Proceed Concept, as a fastbacked wagon with the front axle pushed far forward and a low-hanging six-window turret, was new territory for the Kia. With an emphasis on style and utility only a secondary consideration, the Concept’s shooting brake silhouette drew parallels with the Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake… except with prettier proportions.

Kia’s apparent willingness to experiment with new bodystyles – the Shooting Brake will be the fourth in the Proceed range, along with a conventional hatch, wagon and crossover – signals that Kia’s recent design renaissance is having a profound effect not only how its cars are styled, but on what form those cars take. Form no longer necessarily follows function for Kia, which represents a paradigm shift for a brand traditionally concerned with making practical, but not necessarily pretty, mainstream cars.

Kia’s CLA-esque shooting brake isn’t due to appear until late next year, roughly half a year after the debut of the regular Proceed hatch in the first quarter of 2018. However while a European debut would be assured, it has yet to be determined whether it has a future in Australia.

The higher retail price and fatter profit margin of the GT model gave it a fighting chance, but manual-only availability crippled its sales potential and led Kia Australia to drop it from its range. Does that put the next-gen Proceed Shooting Brake well behind the 8-ball as far as an Australian business case is concerned? Watch this space.