Kia Cerato – What you need to know

The latest iteration of the Kia Cerato, the Korean brand’s biggest seller, arrived here mid-2021 with safety and equipment upgrades plus styling updates led by Kia’s bold new badging.

Like before, the 2021 Kia Cerato is available in both small hatch and sedan form, and retains four trim levels in ascending order – S, Sport, Sport + and GT.

Also carried over are the 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine in the S, Sport and Sport + variants, with the warmer GT grades keeping their 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine.

Dropped from the Cerato range is the six-speed manual transmission, with all models now coming standard with a six-speed auto – except the GT, which keeps its seven-speed dual-clutch auto.

List prices range from $25,490 to $35,290 plus on-road costs.

Aside from body-specific features like a boot on the sedan and a rear window wiper for the hatch, specifications and pricing for each grade and body are identical.

So, let's see dig deep into the specifications of each model to help you select the one you want within your budget, starting with the entry-level S, which has the following equipment as standard.

Options for the 2021 Kia Cerato include premium paint ($520) and there are nine colours available, but white is the only standard colour.

Available for S and Sport models is an optional $1000 Safety Pack including Fusion II autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with cyclist detection, an electronic park brake, larger rear brake discs, blind spot detection, rear cross traffic alert with collision avoidance assist, electric folding mirrors and, for the S, a premium steering wheel and shift knob.

The 2021 Kia Cerato is generously equipped with safety features and all models come with six airbags, traction and stability control, anti-lock brakes and hill-start assist.

Driver assist technology across the range includes auto headlights with auto high-beam, leading vehicle departure warning, lane keep and follow assist, lane departure warning, driver attention monitoring and rear cross traffic alert.

To make parking a breeze you get front and rear parking sensors plus a reversing camera with guidelines, as well as cruise control with speed-limiter, autonomous emergency braking with car and pedestrian detection plus forward collision warning.

However, if you want the full spread of safety kit head to the Sport + that adds the new-for-this-model blind spot collision avoidance assist, rear cross traffic collision avoidance assist and safe exit warning functions.

These are in addition to blind spot detection, rear cross traffic alert, autonomous emergency braking with cyclist recognition, an auto-diming rear-view mirror and adaptive cruise control.

The infotainment system in the 2021 Kia Cerato S is operated through an 8.0-inch touch-screen giving access to the AM/FM tuner, wireless Apple CarPlay or wireless and wired Android Auto, with the normal Bluetooth phone connectivity and MP3 music streaming playing through six-speakers.

Move up to the Sport and a 10.25-inch touch-screen unlocks the satellite navigation and DAB digital radio, plus wired Apple CarPlay. But only the GT provides you with an eight-speaker premium JBL sound system.

The 2021 Kia Cerato S and Sport both have cloth trim with the Sport getting a unique pattern that lifts the cabin ambience and complements the premium steering wheel and shift knob.

For added convenience the driver's window has an auto up/down function and the vanity mirrors are illuminated.

Although air-conditioning is in all models, if you want the individual comfort of dual-zone climate control, shimmy over to the Sport + that nets you auto window de-fogging and a sliding armrest on the centre console.

Have you circled leather seats as a must? The Sport + has leather trim, boosting the interior look, and the front seats also have a heating function. What's more, the upper door trims have a soft-touch feel and your windscreen will never be cleaner thanks to the efficiency of aero blade wipers.

Is a flat-bottom, perforated leather sports steering wheel a feature you want? What about heated and ventilated leather sports seats, a powered driver’s seat and alloy sports pedals?

If you've said yes to any of the above whip over to the GT, whcih illuminates the interior with LED lights in both rows and provides the handiness of wireless phone charging.

Is a sunroof on your wish list? Then stick with the GT as it's exclusive to this variant.

Spotting the GT is easy with its full body kit and dual exhaust outlets, not to mention the gloss-black door mirror surrounds, gloss-black grille with red and silver highlights and the LED lights at both ends.

All other models are fitted with halogen headlights, but all grades have LED daytime running lights.

While the S makes do with 16-inch steel wheels, the Sport and Sport + get 17-inch alloys, and the GT rolls on 18s.

The 2021 Kia Cerato S, Sport and Sport + are all powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 112kW/192Nm, with the GT getting its 150kW/265Nm outputs from a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder.

A six-speed automatic transmission is the only offering in the S, Sport and Sport +, while a seven-speed dual-clutch auto is the domain on the GT.

For under $30,000 on the road the 2021 Kia Cerato Sport with Safety Pack represents excellent value and if we were focussed on spending a modest budget we'd happily sign up for this variant.

But with the extra performance of the GT coupled with its long list of additional safety, comfort and convenience features for not a huge extra outlay, it is hard not to throw your extra dough at this one. Well, we would.

How much does the 2021 Kia Cerato hatch and sedan cost?
S (a) – $25,490
S (a) with Safety Pack – $26,490
Sport (a) – $27,590
Sport (a) with Safety Pack – $28,590
Sport + (a) – $30,640
GT Turbo (a) – $35,290