Kia Cerato SLi 2009 long term test - 2

Kia Cerato SLi Long-term Test

Price Guide (recommended price before statutory and delivery charges): $22,990
Options fitted to test car (not included in above price): Nil
Crash rating: four-star (ANCAP)
Fuel: 91 RON ULP
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 7.8
CO2 emissions (g/km): 186
Also consider: Ford Focus, Holden Cruze, Hyundai Elantra, Mitsubishi Lancer, Suzuki SX4, Toyota Corolla

Overall rating: 2.5/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 2.5/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 4.0/5.0
Safety: 2.5/5.0
Behind the wheel: 2.5/5.0
X-factor: 3.0/5.0

About our ratings

The time has come to farewell our long-term Cerato SLi, a car that has endeared itself to us here at the Carsales Network for its resilience and affordable comfort. As a bonus, it's proven itself a fun car to drive around town.

But that was largely down to its steering and roadholding. In a straight line it's less satisfactory. As was the case with the previous Cerato SL on long-term test, the upgraded Cerato SLi is difficult to launch smoothly from a standing start. While the engine is fairly torquey -- as opposed to powerful -- there's a flat spot that makes its presence felt at around 2000rpm. Welcome back to 1984 and carburettor induction!

In heavy traffic and stop/start driving, giving the car no more than 1500rpm and riding the clutch a little, there was no problem. With clear road ahead and using appropriate revs, the engine just fell in a hole.

This is compounded by what seems like an accelerator pedal adjusted too high. The driver could, inadvertently, overstep the mark with the throttle and the car would lurch out of the flat spot. This is something that Kia dealers may be able to fix by adjusting the throttle cable somewhere along the line.

The engine, as mentioned, is torquey and has a sporty-sounding note to it. It's a relatively free-revving powerplant and offers plenty of throttle response from zero revs, which makes that flat spot all the more frustrating.

While it's not an especially powerful unit, it's also hampered a little by high ratios in the intermediate gears. Commonly, drivers will select second gear from low speeds -- say 10km/h or thereabouts. Although the Cerato feels unfussed by that, which is testament to the engine's native torque, you are aware that the engine is virtually pulling from idle speed.

Here's a shout-out to the Cerato's clutch and transmission. The two work together quite well, with a light clutch action and the reasonably slick shift quality. Unfortunately, the two are defeated to a degree by the drive-by-wire throttle on the overrun, which slows down the driver's ability to change gear smoothly.

Spending more time in the suburbs than on the open road, the Cerato was averaging about 10.6L/100km, according to the trip computer. However, an earlier refill of the tank yielded a figure (calculated manually) of 9.0L/100km.

While our concerns about the Cerato chiefly lie in what seems like a slightly underdeveloped drivetrain and the ergonomics of the pedal placement, we have no such worries about the car's interior space and luggage capacity.

For what remains a relatively small car, the Cerato is highly practical and usefully-sized. Rear-seat legroom stands out in particular for its genuinely adult-accommodating measure. The seats are comfortable and the instruments/controls are easy to use and reach.

The Cerato's steering provides the sort of positive feedback that places it in among the stronger contenders in the VFACTS small car segment. The suspension is nailed down firmly for safe handling and roadholding also, but that comes at the expense of ride comfort. For a car as well-equipped as the Cerato in SLi trim, that might be a shortcoming for many buyers who are perhaps seeking a small car in lieu of a mid-sized car.

Generally speaking, Japanese and Korean cars are very effective when talk turns to HVAC and air-conditioning. With the Cerato, however, the fan speed needs to be cranked up pretty hard to cool the cabin on warm days and we found the demisting not so good on Melbourne's cooler mornings during autumn. It can take up to 10 minutes or more for the glass to completely clear.

But on balance, we give the Kia credit for being dependable and durable, while providing accessible comfort on a budget.

If our niggles read like we're being a bit pernickety, it's because there will be those prospective buyers who might be a little that way themselves. In the main though, we could always rely on the Cerato to do its duty, just like a faithful servant. And at that price, that's all it needs to be.

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