Kia Cerato Sport + 2018 Review

The Kia Cerato Sport + is fighting a battle with one arm tied behind its back. In the small-car segment, a manufacturer needs to draw upon a hatchback option for the majority of buyers, but the latest Kia Cerato range won't be joined by a hatchback until later in the year.

In the meantime, the Cerato has to make its case with just a three-box body style – a type of vehicle that is losing ground in the sales race to hatchbacks and equivalent-sized SUVs. For all that, however, the Kia Cerato in range-topping Sport + trim does make a strong case.

When we recently compared the (manual) Kia Cerato S with the Mazda3 Neo Sport, the Cerato came out on top. And in this stand-alone context the Kia Cerato Sport + remains a very attractive offering, especially for the price; but it wasn't all smooth sailing for the high-spec model.

Fitted with 45-Series Nexen tyres on 17-inch alloy wheels, the Cerato Sport + was subject to some road noise on freeways and country roads. In mitigation, however, the flagship model rode better than we recall of the Cerato S, with its higher-profile Kumho tyres.

Like the entry-level model, the Kia Cerato Sport + has pretty dim headlights when switched to low beam, and despite the extra cost and its standard automatic transmission the flagship model exhibited some coarseness from 2000rpm into the mid-range – unlike the manual Cerato S driven the week before. This was apparent under load (accelerating) rather than cruising at 100km/h when the engine was ticking over at a constant speed of 2100rpm. Could that coarseness be related to the automatic transmission mounting, or is it that superior noise and vibration suppression in other areas highlights this issue in the flagship Cerato?

The driver's seat is well shaped for lateral hold, but is basically the same seat as in the Cerato S and lacks cushioning in the base for more comfort over a longer touring interval. On the subject of the driving position, the pedals – the accelerator in particular – feel too close to the driver, even without the clutch pedal of the Cerato S.

Those niggles aside, the Kia Cerato Sport + is a very accomplished car. It delivers safe cornering, even in the wet. Much like the base model, this one feels like it could be pushed harder once you're already committed to a line, such is the native grip and consistent handling. There's no sign of lift-off oversteer and the Nexen tyres provide plenty of grip under brakes and on initial turn-in. The brakes themselves were strong and responsive, with good pedal feel.

Stability and traction control systems are properly calibrated and hold everything in check until you have the wheel cranked over hard in tighter going – more noticeably at lower speeds in the wet. Then there's some power-induced understeer, but plenty of warning with it.

Even on damp surfaces there were no obvious signs of torque steer. That was despite respectable performance from the 2.0-litre port-injected four-cylinder, which picks up power from 4500rpm up to the redline, but still works well with the automatic at lower revs for gentler driving in urban settings. There's still more than enough torque to hold higher gears on hills and work its way up to speed easily around town without needing it whipped into a frenzy by the driver.

Also to the credit of Kia's powertrain engineers, the Cerato Sport + uses fuel at a rate that's very close to what it says on the wrapper. The official combined-cycle consumption for the Cerato is 7.4L/100km and the urban figure is 10.2L/100km. Over the course of a 70km test loop, taking in country roads and a brief section of freeway, the Cerato Sport + returned 8.1L/100km, approaching the official combined number. In urban commuting it finished the week at 9.9L/100km, which is actually better than the official urban result.

The driving position for the Cerato Sport + has already been covered (see above), but let's pause and give thanks for a fairly conventional instrumentation setup that's easy to review in the blink of an eye. The controls are properly located and functional too (notwithstanding pedal placement). Red back lighting for the USB port in the bin below centre fascia is an appealing design detail that's also a practical idea.

There is enough knee-room for two adults of average height seated one behind the other on the left of the car. The plastic kick-panels on the back of the front seats feature scalloped areas for an extra few millimetres of knee room.

Based on a previous comparison of the Hyundai Elantra and Toyota Corolla, we anticipate the similar dimensions of the Cerato will place it at a disadvantage against the Corolla where rear-seat accommodation is concerned, and we already know from running the base Cerato S against a Mazda3 that the Mazda offers better headroom. In the Cerato Sport +, like the Cerato S, headroom is marginal for adults in the rear, but the Cerato Sport + does come with adjustable rear vents, unlike the base Cerato S.

Rear seats flip down from finger pulls in the boot, but the seat squabs don't fold perfectly flat or flush with the boot floor. A space-saver spare resides under the floor.

It may seem like a case of mixed results, but the Cerato Sport + is outstandingly good overall, for the price. Many buyers will probably prefer to wait for the hatchback or hold out for a comparison with the new Toyota Corolla, but the Cerato sedan in this specification won't disappoint the right sort of buyer.

How much does the 2018 Kia Cerato Sport + cost?
Price: $26,710 (As tested, drive-away with optional metallic paint $520)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 112kW/192Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.4L/100km (ADR Combined); 8.1L/100km (as tested)
CO2: 167g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: TBA