Audi S3 vs Kia Cerato
What's the difference?

Audi S3

$73,980 - $98,888

2025 price

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Kia Cerato

$14,984 - $31,990

2022 price

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Aston Martin Vanquish

Mercedes-Benz A-Class

Mercedes-Benz A35

Mercedes-Benz A45

Mercedes-Benz AMG GT

Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

Mercedes-Benz CLA250

Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class

Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Mercedes-Benz E53

Mercedes-Benz EQS

Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Mercedes-Benz SL-Class

Summary

2025 Audi S3

2022 Kia Cerato

By Emily Agar

By Tim Nicholson

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Turbo 4, 2.0L

Turbo 4, 1.6L

Fuel Type

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Unleaded Petrol

Fuel Efficiency

7.9L/100km (combined)

6.9L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Athletic and sporty in all the right places
Improved engine outputs
Gorgeous cabin space

Peppy turbocharged engine
Modern simple multimedia system
Massive boot

Dislikes

Tiny back seat
Missing some premium features
Lots of road noise

Harsh ride quality
Unrefined, noisy cabin
Ageing interior design

2025 Audi S3 Summary

In a world where car upgrades often feel like saying, “Can I upsize that?”, it’s refreshing to hop into the updated Audi S3 Sportback.

The flagship RS 3 may still be the holy grail of hot hatch dreams, but with boosted engine outputs and upgraded tech, the S3 is stepping up.

Is the S3 Sportback the smarter pick over pricier rivals? It delivers serious performance and polish without stretching into RS 3 territory. With fierce competition in the segment, let’s see what this contender brings to the table.

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2022 Kia Cerato Summary

Three years after the fourth-generation Cerato small car rolled into Australian dealerships, Kia launched a mid-life facelift for the sedan and hatch range in mid-2021.

It ushered in styling tweaks including new headlights and Kia’s new logo, as well as more safety tech and a multimedia upgrade.

At the top of the range sits the warmed-up Cerato GT. It’s not quite Hyundai i30 N-level performance, more i30 N-Line. In other words, more than enough performance to keep most people satisfied and enough poke to get away quickly at the lights.

But is the updated version of Kia’s Cerato trying to be something it’s not, or is it a performance bargain?

Read on to find out.

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Deep dive comparison

2025 Audi S3 2022 Kia Cerato

Verdict

The updated Audi S3 Sportback is a fun-sized dynamo with impressive outputs and athletic road manners. It’s missing a few premium features, but its compact size paired with a gutsy engine makes it a compelling option for drivers who don’t want to compromise on performance (just space).

Verdict

Kia has value and packaging on its side with the sleek and spunky Cerato GT sedan. There’s no shortage of standard gear, it comes with the latest multimedia and safety gear and the cabin and cargo area are spacious and practical.

The powertrain is a winner too. Which is why it’s such a shame that it’s let down so badly by the ride quality.

If you’re going to be driving on various road surfaces, or regularly driving long distance, check out the far more compliant Hyundai i30 N-Line instead.

But if you’ll only ever drive in urban areas – or enjoy the occasional back-road blast – and you can handle the firm ride, there’s still plenty to like about the Cerato GT.

Audi S3 vs Kia Cerato What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Audi S3 vs Kia Cerato
What's the difference?