Paul Murrell tests the 2018 Kia Cerato with pricing, specs, ride and handling, safety, verdict and everything the over-50 driver needs to know.
In brief: Kia’s Cerato sedan is the company’s biggest seller. As a value-for-money package for people spending their own hard-earned dollars, it’s hard to beat.
2018 Kia Cerato sedan
Pricing: From $19,990 (S with manual transmission, driveaway); S (with automatic transmission, driveaway): $21,490; Sport (with automatic only, driveaway): $23,690; Sport+ (with automatic only, driveaway): $26,190.
Warranty: Seven-years, unlimited km (best warranty in the business)
Safety: not ANCAP tested (but it should rate five stars when it is tested)
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder MPI (unchanged from the previous model)
Power: 112kW at 6200rpm (a little below the class average)
Torque: 192Nm at 4000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed manual, six-speed automatic
Drive: front-wheel drive
Body: 4640mm (long); 1800mm (wide); 1440mm (high)
Turning circle: 10.8m
Weight: 1295kg-1332kg
Towing: 1100kg (braked), 600kg (unbraked)
Maximum towball download: 75kg
Spare: space saver (country drivers will need to consider the optional full size spare)
Thirst: 7.4-7.6L/100km (combined) (higher than it should be but at least it uses regular unleaded)
seniordriver consumption: not yet tested
[review]
WHILE MANY CAR REVIEWERS seem to think that $150,000 is a reasonable starting point for buyers (especially those reviewers who have never spent a penny of their own money actually buying a car), the reality is that most of us are looking for more realistic purchase prices, and around $30,000 is a particularly popular price point.
Not only that, but real-world buyers are looking more closely at reliability, warranty and day-to-day running costs, especially if, like many over-50 drivers, they’re on a limited budget.
The quiet achievers on all three counts have been the Korean brands. It was Kia that introduced the unrivalled-in-the-industry 7-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, a clear statement of confidence in their vehicles’ reliability. And as tens of thousands of happy Australians can attest, running costs for Kia vehicles are amongst the most affordable around. In fact, a recent car quality survey of 75,000 US buyers put Kia firmly in second place (trailing only fellow Korean brand, Genesis). Even more significantly, all three top scorers come from the Hyundai Motor Company. Meanwhile, the once unassailable Japanese brands could only manage two of the top ten spots (Lexus in eighth and Nissan in tenth).
The Cerato is Kia’s best-selling model.
It may come as something of a surprise but the often-overlooked Cerato is Kia’s biggest selling model, accounting for fully one third of Kia’s local sales. Admittedly, some of those sales must be to fleets and car rental companies, but even so, that’s impressive. And if car rental companies keep coming back for more, that’s another endorsement for reliability and affordable running costs.
Handsome lines, well-integrated corporate grille
More sophisticated design, advanced technologies, greater refinement.
It’s an old truism, but if you’re not moving forward, then you’re going backwards, as Kia Motors Australia Chief Operating Officer Damien Meredith acknowledged when he announced the new Cerato.
In line with other Kia models, the new line-up deletes the Si and SLi models, replacing them with models bearing the Sport and Sport+ labels. Despite the names, these aren’t really sports models, but more on that later. Initially, the Cerato will only be available in sedan format with the more popular hatch arriving Q4 2018 or Q1 2019.
The price leader sedan model remains the S, available with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. The manual retails at a competitive $19,990 driveaway, but for most people the entry price will be $21,490 (driveaway) for the auto. By any measure, that’s keen pricing.
Unchanged engines.
Kia’s 2.0-litre Nu 4-cylinder MPI engine continues as the motive power. While not an inspiring engine, it has proven durable and more than up to the task. As we said earlier, despite the labelling, the Cerato makes no pretensions to being a sports car. The engine puts out 112kW of power and 192Nm of torque, a little below average for the class, but not so much that average drivers will ever notice. Both the manual and automatic gearboxes have been upgraded. The six-speed auto is equipped with Kia’s Drive Mode Select system, permitting drivers to tailor their vehicle’s responses to meet their immediate needs. Sport mode adds weight to the steering, holds intermediate gears longer and quickens engine responses. Eco mode, as the name suggests, makes fuel economy the priority – it may be a little tardy for some. Comfort mode treads a balance between the two. The Smart mode monitors driver habits and automatically adapts to their inputs, selecting the best choice of Comfort, Eco or Sport depending on conditions. Most drivers will find the Kia auto a better option than the twin-clutch autos or continuously variable transmissions found in many of the competitors. It’s more decisive than a twin-clutch, and doesn’t slur up and down the rev range like a CVT.
High levels of standard equipment.
Kia stills sells on value for money. Not only is it cheaper than its mainstream competition, even the base model gets more standard equipment than most of others. That’s a strong selling point. Making it even stronger, radar cruise control and AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection are available (standard on the Sport+), along with rear cross traffic alert and blind spot monitoring for a more-than-reasonable $1000 premium. Adding rear cross traffic alert and blind spot monitoring to the Sport+ costs $500.
Also included in the purchase price are autonomous emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance, rear camera, front and rear sensors, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, digital radio, digital speed read-out, one-touch auto lift power window for the driver, three USB ports, one 12-volt socket and automatic headlights. The Sport+ model, coming in at $26,190 (driveaway) adds leather seats, LED headlights, built-in satellite navigation with free map upgrades for 10 years, sensor key with push-button start and dual-zone air conditioning. Add in the Safety Pack (highly recommended), premium paint ($520) and even the highest-priced Cerato comes in comfortably under $30,000.
Safety all there but not yet ANCAP tested.
Most Ceratos will be used to carry the most valuable cargo of all: families. AEB, forward collision warning, lane keep assist, rear-view camera with dynamic guidelines, driver attention alert warning, six airbags, front and rear parking sensors, tyre pressure monitor and speed limiter all combine to provide peace of mind. The reasonably-priced additional safety features make the Cerato one of the best safety-rated cars in its category, so it’s strange that the Cerato doesn’t have an ANCAP rating as it’s yet to be tested. If and when it is, we’d expect it to score the maximum five stars.
More space everywhere.
Inside, there’s more head, shoulder and knee room (although we are talking in terms of millimetres, as usual). In fact, the Cerato is larger than the current Corolla and Mazda3 sedans. It’s called a small car, but not so many years ago, it would have qualified as a medium-sized sedan.
The rear seats fold 60/40 but reaching the release tabs through the boot can be a bit awkward. For those with mobility issues, the lean-and-stretch may be uncomfortable – try it out during your test drive. Opening the boot on the base model can only be done using the button in the driver’s footwell; the two top models get the convenience of a release switch above the number plate. You probably won’t mind the interior release until you arrive at the car with an armful of shopping or a fractious grandchild and have to put either down to release the boot – it’s another reason to stretch to the Sport or Sport+ models. However, once open, the boot is well-shaped and huge at 502 litres (rising to 657 with the seats folded), larger than all others in the class except for the Civic (519 litres). You’ll appreciate the extra capacity if you find yourself having to transport a grandchild’s pram, a walking frame or a set of golf clubs. The opening is a fraction less than one meter wide and 710mm tall. The rear seats fold to create a flat floor. And there are two ISOfix fittings in the rear seat – essential if you are planning to carry toddlers in a baby seat.
Another consideration for those who regularly carry passengers or have to insert small children (including into baby seats or capsules) into the rear seat is the sloping roofline that compromises access through the rear doors. Again, we suggest trying it out for yourself whilst test driving.
We’ve always complimented Kia for providing full-size spare wheels (exactly the same as the other fitted four wheels). It’s a sign of the times, we guess, but those days are gone. Kia now provides a space-saver spare, arguing that most Cerato use will be in an urban environment and if there’s a problem, owners can call on the roadside assist. Fair enough, but a full-size spare can be optioned and it will fit in the spare wheel well.
A handsome vehicle.
While the third-generation Cerato isn’t instantly distinguishable from its predecessor, it’s a new design from the wheels up, and blends the various Kia styling elements into a harmonious, well-integrated package. Design characteristics from the larger Stinger sedan are obvious. The bonnet has been elongated and the roofline, as mentioned earlier, adopts the fashionable but not-so-practical fastback sedan silhouette. The corporate grille design works better on the Cerato than some other models in the Kia range. Wheelbase is unchanged over the outgoing model at 2700mm.
Aerodynamics have also been enhanced, with a Cd of 0.27 (down from the previous 0.28). However, the additional weight means fuel consumption has actually increased marginally, and the Cerato is thirstier than others in its class at 7.4-7.6L/100km. This is somewhat offset by running on regular unleaded fuel.
Improved interior design.
Stepping into the Cerato is relatively easy, but some will object to having to lower themselves down into the seat. The rear access needs even more dexterity. However, once aboard, space is generous, even in the back (but preferably for two people, although three will fit, at a pinch). Only the Sport+ gets air conditioning outlets to the rear seat.
The dashboard is 18mm wider, and this is reinforced by the strong horizontal layout. Fewer buttons make for a less cluttered interior. Gauges are logically located and markings clear and easy to read. Circular controls for the climate control are easy and intuitive to use without taking your eyes off the road and most of the most-often-used controls are easily within reach. The large (8.0-inch) touchscreen sits high and looks like something of an afterthought, but the advantage of its location is how easy it is to read with minimal eyeline diversion from the road ahead.
Even the lower-spec interiors are well finished and show a marked improvement in quality over Kias of the distant past. The S gets cloth trim, the Sport gets premium cloth and it’s leather for the Sport+. The clean and elegant interior design is a little more dowdy in the base model S, with its monochrome audio display and lack of highlights.
Easy to drive.
The Cerato makes no claims to being a luxury car (and nor should it at this price point), but it makes a good fist of delivering a comfortable, assured ride. There’s more road noise than you’ll find in a luxury car, but certainly no worse than others in its class.
The 17-inch alloy wheels (and lower profile tyres) on the Sport and Sport+ models are, as you’d expect, a little less compliant than the 16-inch steel wheels and higher profile tyres on the S.
Driven in the manner for which it has been designed (in other words, like a sane adult), the Cerato does everything asked of it. The suspension has been retuned for local conditions, and the Kia techs deserve kudos for their achievement. The suspension is supple and handles speed humps, potholes and other road imperfections (of which there are many!) with assurance. It turns in well, and tackles corners with commendable balance. The vast majority of drivers will feel totally comfortable at the wheel and confident in the Cerato’s abilities.
Running costs.
Service intervals are at 12 months or 15,000km (whichever comes first). The capped price servicing adds a further degree of reassurance, with the first three services capped at $923 in total. The 60,000km/four year service is $487. Once again, this puts the Kia at the forefront of the category.
Summary.
The Kia Cerato is a car designed for real world drivers, spending their own money to drive in the real world. It delivers much higher quality than you might expect (particularly at the price) and loads of standard equipment (and even those options you’d choose aren’t excessively priced). As always, everything else being equal, how could you go past that 7-year/unlimited kilometre warranty; you could happily drive it for four years, upgrade to a new model and on-sell it to a buyer with a residual warranty equal to that still being offered by many new cars.