New Kia Cerato hatch slides under $20K

Pricing and specs for the 2019 Kia Cerato hatch have been confirmed before the new-generation five-door rolls into showrooms, closely mirroring that of the Cerato sedan launched here in June 2018.

With pricing starting at $20,990 drive-away, the all-new third-generation Kia Cerato S hatch undercuts small-car favourites such as the Toyota Corolla ($22,870 plus on-road costs), Mazda3 ($20,490 plus ORCs) and Hyundai i30 ($19,990 plus ORCs).

The new hatch range comprises the Kia Cerato S, Sport and Sport+ model grades, topping out at $26,190 drive-away for the latter model.

We'll be testing the new models in late January but it's understood the cars are already rolling off boats and will arrive in showrooms before Christmas.

The go-faster Kia Cerato GT, powered by a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine (150kW/265Nm), will top out the range when it arrives at a bit later -- around mid-January.

For customers not concerned with 0-100km/h acceleration times, the regular engine is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine (112kW/192Nm) that consumes fuel at a rate of 7.4L/100km with a six-speed automatic.

Along with capped-price servicing, roadside assistance and a strong seven-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, all Cerato hatch models will be fitted as standard with plenty of driver assistance tech, including autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane-keep assist, front/rear parking sensors and a reversing camera.

Six airbags are also standard across the range, as is cruise control and a tyre pressure monitoring system that lets you know if any of the tyres are deflating via a warning on the dashboard.

Kia has improved the cabin fitout too, with a bigger 8.0-inch touch-screen infotainment system featuring Android Auto and Apple CarPlay functionality, Bluetooth phone and audio streaming and digital radio plus a couple of USB ports.

Mid-spec Cerato Sport models ($23,690 drive-away) swap 16-inch steel wheels for 17-inch alloys, an upgraded premium steering wheel and gearshifter, plus sport-patterned cloth upholstery for the seats. Aero blade-style wipers and satellite navigation with 10 years of map updates and real-time traffic are also part of the package.

At the top of the tree – until the Cerato GT swaggers over – is the Cerato Sport+ ($26,190 drive-away), which upgrades the AEB system to scan for pedestrians and cyclists as well as cars.

Adaptive cruise control and LED daytime running lights also join the equipment list, as does keyless entry and push-button start, power folding mirrors, dual-zone climate control, leather accented seat upholstery and rear seat air-vents.

The Kia Cerato S and Sport models adopt adaptive cruise control (except on manual models), rear cross-traffic alert, blind spot detection, power folding mirrors and leather steering wheel as part of an optional safety pack ($1000).

Cerato Sport+ models can add rear cross traffic alert and blind-spot monitoring for $500.

Despite being in runout phase, sales of the Kia Cerato (sedan and hatch) have barely changed year-on-year, down just 0.2 per cent over almost a full year in 2018, to 17,414 sales.

Meanwhile the top three selling small cars in Australia -- Corolla (33,009 sales), Mazda3 (28,780) and i30 (26,416) -- all recorded mild sales falls of 4.9, 3.7 and 3.3 per cent respectively.

How much does the 2019 Kia Cerato hatch cost?
S manual – $20,990 ($19,990)
S auto – $23,790 ($21,490)
Sport auto – $25,790 ($23,690)
Sport+ – $28,340 ($26,190)

How much do the options cost?
Safety Pack S and Sport: $1000
Safety Pack Sport+: $500

*All prices include on-road costs (drive-away)

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