Kia studies Civics for new Cerato

Kia's new Cerato was the centrepoint of the importer's stand at the Australian International Motor Show.

The small car, which is scheduled for local release early next year, might be said to resemble the current Honda Civic. Kia promotes the Cerato's new style as an example of the company's "new face", referring to the 'H-grille' design from the hand of Peter Schreyer, Kia's head of design. Schreyer is also the man responsible for designing the European market c'eed hatch.

The new generation Cerato is larger than the current car and follows the global trend towards making 'little-big cars' of vehicles in the small-car segment. Kia claims that the Cerato measures up to everyone's favourite midsize benchmark for small cars, the Toyota Camry from the 1980s.

Jonathan Fletcher, the National Public Relations Manager for Kia in Australia, told the Carsales Network that the Cerato will be powered by a 118kW four-cylinder engine displacing 2.0 litres and employing variable valve timing when it's launched here. The Cerato is known in other markets as the Kia Forte and the unveiling in Sydney is the car's first public showing outside the domestic market in South Korea.

As Fletcher tells it, the Cerato has been specifically designed for Asian, Oceanic and American markets, where hatchbacks lack cachet; hence there are no body derivatives for the Cerato other than the sedan at this stage.

Kia will sell the new Cerato here in two levels of trim, but local pricing and specification are yet to be fixed. The company will lock in the Australian specification around the time right-hand drive export models commence production in December.

Fletcher advised that this new Cerato is coming here (and to other markets around the region) because the landed cost of the Slovenian-built c'eed makes it uncompetitive in Australia against its rival from Hyundai, the i30. The cost of shipping alone for the c'eed prices it $1000 above the i30.

Whilst nothing's set in concrete yet, Fletcher believes that the entry-level Cerato will start from around $19,000 and the high-spec models will be priced around $23-24,000.

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