Kia Cerato Hatch 2013 Review

Finally available after a two-month production delay and four months after the new Cerato sedan arrived, Kia’s third-generation Cerato hatch brings the same good value equation as the sedan.

The Cerato was Kia’s top-selling model last year in Australia, in the nation’s single biggest new car sales segment. With hatchbacks accounting for 60 per cent of total segment sales and the hatch’s predecessor comprising up to 70 per cent of Cerato sales, the new five-door is the central to Kia’s goal of snaring five per cent of Australia’s new-vehicle market by 2015.

Indeed, like the latest Rio light-car and Sportage medium SUV, the new ‘cornerstone’ Cerato hatch should play a key role in Kia’s drive to be seen not just as affordable, but desirable.

As expected, the new Cerato hatch delivers exemplary value, offering class-leading levels of standard equipment across the three-variant line-up -- despite a bargain-basement opening price of $19,990 drive-away ($21,990 including on-road costs for the auto, with all other prices excluding on-road costs).

More surprisingly, Kia’s newest hatch also brings new powertrains with more performance and efficiency, and a decidedly European ride/handling flavour. All of this is wrapped in a lighter yet bigger and more stylish five-door bodyshell.

That means three model grades, opening with the 1.8-litre Cerato S hatch at $19,990 drive-away and also including the mid-range Si (from $23,990) and flagship SLi (from $27,990) -- both of which come with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine.

A six-speed automatic transmission adds $2000 to the price of the base six-speed manual price, while premium paint is a $520 option across the range. Satellite-navigation can be had for a further $1000 on the top-spec SLi (bringing its fully loaded price to $30,990 plus on-road costs), but not lesser models.

Like the sedan, the new Cerato hatch comes well specified with all the standard equipment you expect in a modern small sedan -- and then some.
Naturally, standard across the range is air-conditioning, remote central locking, power windows and mirrors, body-coloured door-handles and a six-speaker single-CD tuner with MP3, 3.5mm auxiliary, USB and Bluetooth connectivity.

On top of this, the Cerato adds larger-car standard features like Kia’s FlexSteer variable steering system, foglights, heated side mirrors with indicators, front, corner and rear parking sensors and a matching full-size spare wheel/tyre. Inside six-way driver’s seat adjustment (including height), front and rear armrests with twin cup-holders, an in-glass aerial and an LCD instrument cluster with multi-function trip computer are all standard.

Steering wheel controls on all models include audio, cruise, trip, Bluetooth and FlexSteer buttons.

Specific to the entry-level Cerato S are a 1.8-litre engine, 16-inch steel wheels with 205/55 R16 tyres, projector headlights with escort function, and woven cloth seat trim.

In addition to a bigger 2.0-litre engine, the mid-range Cerato Si offers 16-inch alloy wheels, a reversing camera with in-audio screen display and parking guide lines, automatic headlights, push-button starting, rear ventilation outlets, a 4.3-inch colour touch-screen, and premium ‘knit and tricot’ interior trim, including carbon-look fascia, chrome-look door pulls and soft-touch door/dash trim.

Also standard in Si models is a premium steering wheel and shift knob, leather-look instrument binnacle trim, sunvisor illumination, passenger-side seatback pocket, welcome puddle/pocket lights, auto-folding wing mirrors, a sliding front centre armrest, chromed interior highlights, a chromed exhaust outlet, a UV-cutting windscreen, auto up/down front windows and aero-blade type wipers.

On top of all this, the top-shelf Cerato SLi adds 17-inch alloy wheels with 215/45 R17 tyres, LED daytime running lights, HID headlights, LED tail lights, leather seat trim, eight-way power driver’s seat adjustment with memory and ventilation and heated front seats.

The SLi flagship also comes standard with a powered sunroof, auto-dimming rear-vision mirror, colour 4.2-inch TFT supervision instrument cluster, alloy sports pedals, a cooled glovebox, dual-zone climate-control with Clean Air module (anti-allergen), auto defog system and, in automatic versions, steering wheel paddle shifters.

The top-shelf Cerato’s optional navigation system features a 7.0-inch colour touch-screen, multimedia system with SUNA traffic information, DVD player and shark-fin GPS antenna. The fact it’s a $1000 option on the most expensive Cerato is the only evidence of cost-cutting, with some rivals (including cheaper mid-range versions of Hyundai’s sister model, the i30) offering satnav as standard.

Ten exterior paint colours will be available, including the new Racing Red premium hue.

Like all Kias, the Cerato comes with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and capped-price servicing.

This is matched to either six-speed manual or automatic transmission, consumes a competitive 6.6L/100km and 7.1L/100km and offers zero to 100km/h acceleration in 10.1 and 11.6 seconds respectively.

Si and SLi model variants come with a 129kW/209Nm direct-injected ‘Nu GDI’ 2.0-litre engine, reducing 0-100km/h acceleration to 8.5 seconds in manual guise (9.3 auto) and increasing fuel consumption marginally to 7.4L/100km for both transmissions.

At 4350mm, the new Cerato hatch is 10mm longer overall than before, as well as 10mm lower (1450 mm) and 5mm wider (1780 mm), while the wheelbase is a considerable 50mm longer at 2700mm.

Despite this, weight reductions of between 44-61kg have been achieved depending on the variant. The hatch weighs about 20kg more than the sedan, while the body has an aerodynamic drag coefficient of 0.30Cd (higher than the sedan’s 0.27Cd).

Kia claims big reductions in noise, vibration and harshness, including at idle.This is aided by a stiffer bodyshell, new vibration-damping subframe mountings, new firewall design and more sound-deadening materials.

Cerato’s chassis has been tuned specifically for Australia, including its electric power-assisted steering, independent MacPherson strut front suspension and torsion beam rear suspension systems (both of which feature firmer gas dampers).

Kia says a new, stronger front suspension subframe features wide L-shaped lower arms with larger diameter bushes, while the steering rack is mounted 15mm forward to improve on-centre feel.

The electric power steering system features Kia’s three-mode FlexSteer system with Normal, Sport and Comfort modes. Although the longer wheelbase results in a slightly larger 10.6-metre turning circle, there is a tight 2.96 turns lock-to-lock. The steering wheel adjusts for reach and rake.

Kia says it invested more than $250 million and 42 months of design and engineering work to develop the Cerato hatch and sedan. There will be no diesel Cerato, but the new Cerato Koup due in October will mark the local debut of Kia’s first (1.6-litre) turbo-petrol engine.

The longer wheelbase liberates more rear legroom -- but not as much as some rivals -- while a lower hip point increases headroom by 12mm up front and 10mm in the rear and shoulder room is improved by 9mm (front) and 5mm (rear).

Luggage space is also bigger than before -- 100 litres more in fact at 385 (VDA) or 657 (SAE) litres, which is more than the sedan offers (482/421 litres), and augmented by a 60:40 split-folding rear seat.

The heating and ventilation system has been upgraded to deliver more heating capacity and greater cooling power, but the base S model misses out on rear air-vents.

There are seven interior storage areas -- most of them bigger them before -- including a 30 per cent larger eight-litre glovebox, 700ml bottle holders in the front doors, 500ml units in the rear doors, a covered two-litre console under the centre stack, a 5.6-litre centre console box and twin cup-holders in both centre armrests.

Both front seats feature wider seat cushions (now 322mm) and increased cushion angle (up from 15.2 to 16.2 degrees).

All Ceratos come with six airbags (including twin front, front-side and side curtains), electronic stability control, electronic brake-force distribution, brake assist, hill-start assist, seatbelt reminders for all five seats and Emergency Stop Signal (ESS), which activates the hazard lights under heavy braking.

The latter is via four-wheel discs with 280mm ventilated rotors up front and 262mm solid rotors at the rear, backed by an anti-lock system.

Kia says the new Cerato’s bodyshell is stiffer than before, thanks to the use of more high-tensile steel, but a reversing camera is standard only from the mid-spec level upwards.

Other mainstream small cars include Holden’s Cruze, the Ford Focus, Hyundai’s i30, Honda’s Civic, Mitsubishi’s Lancer, Nissan’s Pulsar, Subaru’s Impreza and the Volkswagen Golf.

The Cerato’s $19,990 drive-away starting price is on par with the Corolla and Mazda3, $500 more expensive than the Cruze and $1000 more than the Pulsar.

While the base Cerato’s 1.8-litre engine is more powerful than both the Corolla’s 1.8 and the Mazda3’s 2.0, the Cerato’s 129kW 2.0-litre engine matches the same engine in the new Hyundai i30 SR and approaches ‘warm’ hatches like the 132kW Cruze SRi-V and 140kW Pulsar ST-S/SSS.

Of note for those willing to wait, the Cerato is not available with the advanced driver aids that will be featured in the all-new Mazda3. These include lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, automatic low-speed crash avoidance, radar cruise control and auto high-beam control.

Kia’s old Cerato wasn’t too bad on the eye and came chocked full of standard equipment at a competitive price, but it didn’t set the world on fire in terms of performance, efficiency, dynamics, cabin materials or safety.

The new Cerato addresses all of its predecessor’s shortcomings in a sharply-priced attractive, spacious, efficient, well-equipped five-door package possessed of a slick ride and handling package developed exclusively for Australia.

The hatch was the subject of an intensive chassis localisation program and the result is European-style handling, with very little body roll and a pleasing level of body control. And this comes at no expense to ride quality, which remains plush at all speeds and on most surfaces. The only downside, the 17-inch Nexen tyres on premium SLi models are noisier than the mix of Nexen and Continental rubber fitted to ‘lesser’ variants.

Adding to the Cerato’s credentials is locally tuned electric steering that’s crisp, sharp, responsive and communicative. It’s mercifully  devoid of unwelcome interference like torque steer, bump steer or rack rattle.

While the Cerato doesn’t match the Mazda3 or Focus for steering feel, we think it’s the best ride/handling package produced by Kia Australia yet.

Noise, vibration and harshness levels are also impressive although the new 1.8-litre engine is noticeably louder at all revs than the direct-injected 2.0-litre.At least, it delivers healthy performance on the road.

As you’d expect, the more advanced 2.0-litre engine is stronger and slicker, revving more freely, smoothly and quietly (despite direct-injection) to its 6500rpm redline.Unfortunately, only the top-shelf SLi auto comes with steering wheel paddle shifters.

With smart styling, a polished ride/handling compromise and outstanding value the only question now is: will that be enough for Kia’s latest best-seller to stand out in a crowd of accomplished new small cars?

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