With design guru Peter Schreyer behind the pens at Kia, it’s no wonder that we are seeing some very striking designs coming from the Korean automotive company. Truth be told, the new Kia models are probably some of the best looking vehicles on our roads today.
Kia is on a role and, to prove their determination to continue as a key player in the SA market, they have just introduced the all new Kia Cerato just a few months after its international launch in Dubai. The Cerato sedan leads the way for the hatch and the Koup derivatives, which can be expected to arrive during the year.
To be honest, Kia models from a few years ago were generic and boring to look at. Kia spent countless hours improving reliability and as a result have succeeded in that regard. The company offers one of the best service and maintenance plans available today, yet the design elements of their vehicles were clearly lacking. Kia then decided to offer Peter Schreyer, former VW designer a rather large sum of money for his artistic skills. This too has paid off, with Kia now turning out some very aesthetically pleasing products to match their reliability credentials.
The latest Kia to arrive is the all new Cerato, Kia’s answer to the Toyota Corolla and come on, if this was a beauty pageant it’s pretty clear who would walk away with the crown, however, it’s not a beauty pageant and we have to find out if the new Cerato has what it takes to compete in the tough C-segment market; a market that not only includes the Corolla, Mazda 3 and Ford Focus, but the Hyundai Elantra as well, which won the title of South African car of the year not so long ago.
Kia says that they have moved from “desirable reliability” to “reliably desirable”. The decision to employ the skills of Peter Schreyer has most definitely benefited the company. The Cerato has been sculpted to portray ‘dynamic muscularity’ and provoke an emotional response.
The sleeker new Cerato has a lower coupe-like roofline, distinctive eye-catching concave door contours and a rising beltline with a chrome window moulding extending into the C-pillar which, in my opinion, adds an elegant touch to the car. The Cerato has borrowed some design cues from other models, such as the Rio, which also happens to be a good looking car. The Cerato’s ‘‘Tiger Nose” is framed by diode headlights, which incorporate LED day-time running lights.
At the rear, the impressive styling continues. The rear light clusters incorporate LED technology for improved visual alertness under braking. Overall the exterior of the new Cerato does not disappoint and Kia continues its bold styling as seen on its other models.
Inside the new Cerato it’s easy to see that Kia has upped its game with regards to quality and refinement. The dashboard is angled towards the driver and incorporates soft touch leather, high-grade plastics and some metallic inserts to add a rather classy and elegant feel throughout.
Front and rear overhangs have been reduced by 15 mm and 5 mm respectively, giving the newcomer a truly sporty appearance. Despite the shorter rear overhang, boot capacity has increased by 67-litres from 415- to 482-litres. Rear occupants will find it rather roomy in the back. The rear seats are angled backwards slightly and I found there to be ample leg and head room.
Kia will be offering two model derivatives, EX and SX, with a choice of two engines, a 1.6-litre (95 kW) and 2.0-litre (118 kW). The entry level 1.6 EX has manual air-conditioning, auto headlights, Bluetooth, cruise control, front and rear power windows and a 6-speaker CD/MP3/iPod/USB compatible audio system. Even the base model has rear air vents.
The 2.0 EX builds on the 1.6 EX spec and adds leather seats, as well as an optional sunroof. The 2.0 EX also receives the flex-steer system. The range topping 2.0SX model which I drove also benefited from a 10 cm LCD display incorporated in the instrument cluster, which over and above trip information, provides access to other infotainment info. The 2.0SX model also benefits from xenon headlights, smart key with engine stop/start and a reversing camera with front and rear park distance control.
On a relatively short test route I found the Cerato surprisingly good to drive. It was comfortable, had a solid feel to it and a quiet cabin. Sure, some might argue that the smart flex steering, which allows you to choose between three different driving modes: Comfort; Normal; Sport, is not as good as it could be, but it is certainly noticable. I doubt the average Cerato driver will be too concerned with the level of steering feel anyway. The 2.0-litre SX model, which was fitted with an optional automatic transmission, has 118 kW and 194 Nm of torque and is no slouch at the coast.
Overall the new Cerato is a great little car, its comfortable, visually appealing and offers great value for money. David Sieff, national marketing manager of Kia SA, said: “We have the design and the quality, but we need to enable buyers to form an emotional connection with our vehicles.” He also went on to say that the new Cerato is “a bloody good car”. I tend to agree with him on that. What’s more is that Kia is most definitely doing something right, because although they don’t publish their new vehicles sales figures in NAAMSA’s monthly reports, but it’s widely known that they’re struggling to meet growing demand, both locally and abroad.
| Prices (incl. VAT & CO2 tax) | |
| Kia Cerato 1.6 M/T | R219 995 |
| Kia Cerato 1.6 A/T | R229 995 |
| Kia Cerato 2.0 M/T | R249 995 |
| Kia Cerato 2.0 A/T | R259 995 |
| Kia Cerato 2.0 SX M/T | R279 995 |
| Kia Cerato 2.0 SX A/T | R289 995 |
Prices include a 5-year/150 000 km warranty, 5-year/90 000 km service plan and 24-hour roadside assistance.
