Kia Cerato 2-litre LTD 2016 new car review
The Kia Cerato is sporty, stylish and quick. It quite simply blows my mind.
Parents will attest to this, the development of a child between birth and school age is literally mind-boggling, from a babbling mess to an agile, clever and focused human being in no time. It quite simply blows my mind. This new Kia Cerato is a lot like that.
Six years ago, my first daily driver as a Mum was a Kia Koup, a sportier, two-door iteration of the Cerato of that time. I liken that car to a newborn, adorable to look at, albeit awkward and with some unfortunate smatterings of...well, Mums can fill in the blanks. Retrospectively, it wasn't the most practical car for a family.
Fast forward to present day and the current Cerato, especially this highest spec LTD model, demonstrates just how quickly Kia has developed, in what seems an extraordinarily short amount of time.
Light me up
Design-wise the Cerato is delightful, it's taken the previous Cerato shape and stretched out prominent features including the headlights and signature tiger nose grill to take it from something utilitarian to now altogether quite sleek, LED daytime running lights and (LTD Spec only) LED taillights to add some class over the run-of-the-mill Asian hatchbacks, too. Likewise, the puddle lights and exterior door handle illumination that's as pretty as it is useful at night. There's plenty of ambient light inside with the LTD's standard electric sunroof. Nice.
All Cerato models have ditched the 1.8-litre of old in favour of a 2.0-litre engine and six-speed automatic transmission, with the LTD spec adding paddle shifters behind the wheel, should you want to imagine yourself as Lewis Hamilton. Probably a great for enthusiast drivers, less vital for the school run I primarily used the car for. That said, the switchable Eco, Normal or Sport driving mode was fun to play with and in sport mode, the car was really peppy.
On the open road, it had no problem overtaking slower traffic when I needed it too. A week in and the full-colour trip computer was reading 8.4 L/100km. Factory economy figures are 7.1 L/100; maybe I channelled my inner racer more than I realised?
The electric steering has been honed for improved responsiveness, to me, it was a bit too heavy but with special ANZAC-tuned suspension, the car is notably sharp and direct, again evidence of the Korean brand developing capabilities rapidly, and it's genuinely fun to drive.
This is the droid you're looking for
The level of technology in the Cerato is a million miles from what Kia was offering a few short years ago, with the LTD providing all the vital information through two vibrant colour displays - the trip computer within the instrument cluster is clear and easy to navigate. Meanwhile, a 7” touchscreen in the centre of the dash controls your media needs with a contemporary smartphone feel about the interface.
Not surprising then, the Cerato LTD includes Android Auto, a system that connects to your android smartphone, allowing drivers to use the phone's voice recognition functions through the in-car infotainment system.
Most probably expect a built-in navigation system, but the Android Auto feature can fill this void nicely and with Google's robust navigation infrastructure and regular updates it is still awesome. Android Auto also lets users stream music from Google Play, and can be controlled safely via a suite of controls located on the steering wheel. Cue potentially hefty mobile data bill. Apple CarPlay is not available at this stage of the car’s life.
Safe and sound
There's plenty of smarts keeping you safe too - radar collision detection to help avoid nose-to-tails, lane departure warning which alerts you when you're venturing out of the lane and blind-spot assistance to inform you of impending traffic out of view.
The driver aids really improve your confidence at the wheel. We have a top-spec Volvo in the family and I can confirm the Kia safety features are on par with the Swedish equivalent. Combine that with a good solid feel about the car, and you feel well prepared to tackle the mad, mad world that is Auckland rush hour.
Not just hot air
It's a spacious and comfortable hatch, with impressive legroom for rear occupants, quality leather upholstery (the wipe-clean factor of leather is a huge benefit with six-year-olds), dual-zone climate A/C, clever compartmental storage and particularly fantastic lumbar support in the front seats.
Heated seats in the morning are well and truly my automotive happy place and the Cerato LTD doesn't disappoint here either, offering not just heating for driver and passenger, but also fan cooling for the driver. Cooled seating isn't a new concept, but refreshingly in the Cerato it really works. Sooo good after the gym.
In summary
So Kia has moved on from walking and is now running with the most mature players in the market, with a very respectable and well-specified hatchback. The sub $40k price tag is an equally attractive drawcard as is the long list of standard features. But what makes the car for me is the level of technology and advancement the carmaker is making available to the masses here. Kia is no longer in the shadows of parent company Hyundai and is rapidly evolving to a brand with real premium and tech credentials.
Ahh, they grow up so fast.
Price: $39,990
Note: this car was reviewed as a new vehicle.
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