LA MOTOR SHOW: Kia recreates Cerato sedan

Kia revealed its third-generation Cerato sedan way back in July, and its Australian outpost has now announced more details to coincide with its global debut at the Los Angeles motor show overnight.

Due on sale Down Under in April or May next year, the new four-door Cerato (known as the Forte in the US and the K3 in its home Korean market) will be joined here by all-new hatchback and coupe body derivatives in July and November respectively, though the next Koup may not arrive until early 2014.

The sedan version of the Cerato is designed only for US and selected Asian markets and, together with the hatch, remains Kia Australia’s top-selling model. The Cerato has found more than 2.5 million buyers globally since 2004, including 445,000 units in 2011, when it accounted for 17.9 per cent of Kia’s total worldwide sales.

Wrapped in an all-new Optima-esque body that follows Kia’s ‘dynamic masculinity’ design theme, the Cerato sedan is longer, wider and lower than its predecessor, measuring 4560mm long (up 30mm), 1780mm wide (up 5mm) and 1435mm high (down 14mm).

Liberating more rear legroom is a 50mm longer (2700mm) longer wheelbase, which matches the latest Sorento’s and is claimed to be the longest in its class.

Designed at Kia’s American Design Centre in Irvine, California under the direction of Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer, the new Cerato’s coupe-like roofline results in a slippery aerodynamic drag coefficient of just 0.27Cd – down from 0.29.

Kia says the new Cerato will bring improved cabin materials, including a curved centre stack with carbon-look trim and soft-touch surfaces for the doors, dashboard and door armrests, while 26mm and 20mm lower front and rear seats respectively maintain head room.

Wider front seat bases with increased cushion angle are said to offer better thigh support, while a choice of black mono-tone or grey two-tone cloth or leather upholstery - plus two optional ‘colour packs’ featuring brown and black or white and black leather - will be available.

Other new options (depending on the model) will include a 10-way powered and ventilated driver’s seat, heated front and rear seats, a powered glass sunroof, keyless entry and starting, Xenon headlights, Bluetooth connectivity and dual-zone climate-control.

Apart from a class-leading 421-litre boot capacity, Kia claims the new Cerato will bring upgraded equipment including additional convenience and safety features, better refinement and upgraded powertrains claimed to deliver class-leading performance and fuel economy.

Two all-aluminium four-cylinder petrol engines will be fitted to Australia’s Cerato, including Kia’s 118kW 2.0-litre Nu engine (with 3.2 per cent more power), and a 96kW version (up 4.8 per cent) of the company’s 1.6-litre Gamma engine.

Combined with six-speed manual and automatic transmissions across the range, Kia says the result is 0-100km/h acceleration in as little as 8.5 seconds, top speeds of up to 205km/h and combined fuel consumption as low as 6.5L/100km.

Kia Australia will have local tuning input to the Cerato’s suspension system, which remains basically unchanged save for fine-tuning to improve agility, shock absorbance and refinement.

Kia says the Cerato’s new bodyshell is fitted with three additional cross members and greatly strengthened B-pillars. Combined with a greater proportion of high-strength steel (now 63 per cent) torsional rigidity is said to have increased by 37 per cent, improving safety, handling, ride quality and steering precision.

“Cerato has become our brand’s biggest-selling export vehicle, so the introduction of this third-generation model is a major event for Kia,” said Kia’s Executive Vice President & COO of the International Business Division, Thomas Oh,

“We are raising our game once again with the all-new Cerato, which adds emotional appeal to its core values of design, quality and value. It will surely boost our competitiveness in the compact car segment, one of the world’s most important and fiercely fought marketplaces.

“All-new Cerato is hugely significant for Kia, as it is a bold demonstration that we continue to be determined to deliver cars which exceed customer expectations and provide a rewarding ownership experience,” said Mr Oh.

More news and coverage of the 2012 LA Motor Show

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