By Paul Gover.
There is a surprise in the latest Kia Cerato, and it’s not the new-look badge on the bonnet.
The Cerato has arrived as the first new model wearing the updated and stylised new KIA logo, but it’s the GT that springs the surprise.
It is taut and sporty, even more responsive than a Hyundai i30 N, and nothing like we’ve come to expect from Kia’s best seller in Australia.
It’s likely to be a relatively slow seller, as the $36,990 drive-away flagship of a Cerato range that starts at $25,990 on the road, but it shows why Kia is doing so well down under.
It’s starring in 2021 because it has great cars with a great value package. Many are twins under the skin with equivalent Hyundai models, but they have great local suspension tuning by engineer Graeme Gambold and a longer warranty and slightly sharper pricing.
Most of Kia’s top sellers, including the Sorento and Carnival, are on back-order with delivery delays until the first quarter of next year.
That’s a bad thing for buyers but great for Kia, and its reputation and following.
The Cerato got a mild update this year that is headlined by the new Kia badge but includes. The manual gearbox is gone as Kia admits defeat in Australia’s mass migration to autos.
The Cerato S is well equipped for the class and price, including auto headlights, an 8-inch infotainment screen with wireless smart-phone connection, LCD instrument display, rear air vents (good for kids) and three USB sockets, as well as a solid safety package that can be upgraded for $1000 to hit all the current high points.
The biggest change from the S to the GT is the punchy turbocharged engine in the flagship, as well as a DCT gearbox that brings sharper shifts and a sportier tune.
It’s a lot more money but $14,000 is not unusual from the bottom to the top of a model line, and things get even more exaggerated if you look to somewhere like BMW or Benz.
But the Cerato is a starter car and that’s why it is now Kia’s all-time sales leader, after overtaking the very basic Rio – which was still popular in its day – with more than 155,000 deliveries since it arrived in 2003.
Driving the GT is a Cerato treat, but it also shows the basics are right. The design is classy, the quality if very good, and the car is comfy and roomy for a 2+kids modern family.
The GT is solid in a straight line and grippy in corners and in braking, has supportive seats and a nice sporty steering wheel.
It’s not a hot hatch to rival the much-more-pricey i30 N or the Volkswagen Golf, but it makes everyday motoring a little more rewarding and fun.
The tyre noise is not fun, with a loud boom from the road at highway speeds, but it’s about the only downside of a car where the LED light package and wireless CarPlay connection are welcome additions.
The Cerato GT is not for everyone, but it shows what Kia can do and sits comfortably in a showroom lineup that includes the Sorento and Carnival that are the benchmarks in their class.
KIA CERATO GT
Position: sporty starter car
Price: $36,990 driveway
Engine: 2.0-litre petrol turbo
Power: 150kW/265Nm
Transmission: 7-speed DSG, front-wheel drive
Safety: 5-star ANCAP
Plus: practical and enjoyable
Minus: tyre noise, not cheap
THE TICK: not for everyone
Score: 8/10
