Kia Cerato SLi 2013 Review

Price Guide (recommended price before statutory & delivery charges): $29,990
?Options fitted to test car (not included in above price): Metallic Paint $520?
Crash rating: TBA?
Fuel: 91 RON ULP?
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 7.4
?CO2 emissions (g/km): 177
?Also consider: Ford Focus Titanium (from $32,990); Hyundai i30 Premium (from $29,990); Toyota Corolla Ultima (from $31,990); Volkswagen Golf 103TSI Highline (from $31,990)

You might have missed the massive advances of the Kia Motor Company -- if you’ve spent the last couple of years under a rock! No longer the ‘cheap and cheerful’ poorer cousin of sister company Hyundai, Kia has now surpassed the highly regarded reputation of its Japanese contemporaries on many fronts.

A big call? Perhaps. But, as our upcoming comparison will show, the latest Kia Cerato has taken a giant step forward from its predecessor, and is now at a level that places it in direct competition with European rivals Ford and Volkswagen... More on that story on these pages soon.

But what of the Cerato in isolation? The value for money part of this model’s equation alone is enough to see it pose a serious threat to most of its rivals.

Our high-grade Cerato SLi featured 17-inch alloy wheels (with full-size matching spare!), leather appointed seats with heaters up front, auto headlights, front and rear parking sensors, electric tilt and slide sunroof, an electrochromatic mirror, cruise control, and keyless entry with push-button start among its long list of features.

Add to this one of the most comprehensive warranty programs in the business (five years / unlimited kilometres), included roadside assistance (for one year) and competitive servicing costs, and the Cerato makes a lot of sense, at least on paper.

And then there are the accommodation levels...

The Cerato is a larger car than it seems and offers commodious seating with generous cargo space (421 litres). The seats are both supportive and comfortable with sufficient dimensions in all but headroom-- perhaps as a result of the rakish roof and fitment of a sunroof (on this occasion).

The driver’s seat offers generous levels of adjustment, as does the steering column. And visibility is on the better side of good in all directions except directly behind.

The ride is exceptionally quiet (we measure it at 75dBA at 80km/h) and reasonably compliant, though we might add that the Cerato’s crisp handling does come somewhat at the detriment of outright acquiescence. This is especially the case on corrugated dirt roads or cobblestone lanes; a moot point, perhaps, considering where the Cerato is likely to spend the vast majority of its life.

We’re not ultimately sympathetic to Kia’s (or for that matter Hyundai’s) view that steering weight equates to feel, and find the Cerato’s wheel presents a digital feel akin to that of a very good game console controller. However, it is switchable, and in the lightest ‘Comfort’ setting will meet the ‘easy to park’ demands of the majority of buyers.

Don’t get me wrong; the steering isn’t so light as to affect the Cerato’s handling, for as we touched on a moment ago this is one of the small sedan’s many strong suits. The car points accurately and holds its line at speeds well beyond what it could expect to encounter in ‘normal’ driving. The body remains composed through sudden lane-change manoeuvres and is equally consistent when slicing through a challenging section of winding road.

The Cerato’s 2.0-litre engine is currently the most powerful in its class. It offers 129kW (at 6500rpm) and 209Nm (at 4700rpm) and accelerates the 1319kg sedan to 100km/h in 9.1 seconds (as tested).

There’s enough motivation down low in the rev range to ensure you’re not constantly on the throttle, too. While the six-speed automatic transmission provides fluid and decisive shifts.

Geared to minimise fuel consumption, the Cerato’s transmission sees the tachometer’s needle rest at 1900 revs at 100km/h. And with lower revs equating to lower fuel use, the Cerato managed an around town average of 7.9L/100km and a highway tally of 5.2.

Average it out and our week in the Cerato consumed 6.5L/100km, almost a litre less than the published combined cycle figure.

Safety has also improved for the Cerato, and although the car’s crash test results are yet to be announced, the improvements in body structure design and added safety equipment levels are almost certain to see it earn a five-star result. Commendable considering where this particular model was at just five short years ago...

So if you’re soon looking to purchase a small sedan (hatch and coupe versions of the new Cerato are coming soon) it’s time to re-evaluate your perceptions of the Kia brand.

As Molly Meldrum would say, “do yourself a favour”, and go test drive a Cerato. It might just get you out far enough from under that rock to put you in the driver’s seat of one of the best small sedans available.

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