Articles by Tim Nicholson

One of the most affordable small SUVs on the market will benefit from another major facelift. The Kia Stonic went on sale in many markets in late 2017, but didn’t land on Australian shores until early 2021.

The Kia Cerato-replacing K4 is bigger and bolder than its predecessor and comes to market with a lot more standard gear and safety equipment.From launch the only body style is the sedan, but a hatchback is coming before the end of 2025. It’s also petrol power only for now but expect a hybrid soon.Pricing for the Sport has increased by more than $6000 over the equivalent Cerato grade, but Kia says the uptick in price can be put down to an increase in in-car and safety tech, greater levels of refinement and more.The Sport is powered by a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine offering up power and torque of 112kW/192Nm. This drives the front wheels via a six-speed torque converter automatic transmission.The carryover 2.0-litre unit consumes 7.4 litres per 100 kilometres on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle and emits 167g/km of CO2.The K4 comes with a lengthy safety features list across all grades, including auto emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control (with stop & go functionality), lane keep assist, lane follow assist, multi-collision braking, ‘Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist’, driver attention warning, ‘Intelligent Speed Limit Assist’, a front centre airbag and more.

The Kia K4 replaces the long-running Cerato and the new model has increased in size to the point that it’s straddling small and mid-size car dimensions.From launch the only body style is the sedan, but a hatchback is coming before the end of 2025. It’s also petrol power only for now but expect a hybrid soon.Kicking off the range is the base S, which has gone up in price by more than $3500. Kia says the uptick in price can be put down to an increase in in-car and safety tech, greater levels of refinement and more.The S is powered by a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine offering up power and torque of 112kW/192Nm. This drives the front wheels via a six-speed torque converter automatic transmission.The carryover 2.0-litre unit consumes 7.4 litres per 100 kilometres on the combined cycle and emits 167g/km of CO2.Standard gear in the S includes a 4.0-inch LCD driver’s instrument cluster, a 12.3-inch multimedia screen, over-the-air updates, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, rear-seat air vents and USB-C ports, digital radio, customisable driver profiles and manual air conditioning.You can opt for a 'Safety Pack' ($2100) that adds a 12.3-inch instrument display, a 5.0-inch air con display, dual-zone climate control and an expanded AEB system with junction turning and crossing and direct/oncoming lane change detection.

The Cerato became a huge hit for Kia in Australia with more than 200,000 sold over 20 years. But Kia is replacing it with a new global small car, dubbed the K4. It is larger than the Cerato, and gets a big uptick in in-car and safety tech. Not to mention the radical redesign. But can it divert attention away from the still popular Mazda3 and Toyota Corolla?

If you are keen on buying a Kia Cerato, you’d better get your skates on because the ageing small hatch and sedan range is just weeks from selling out.Kia has just replaced the long-running Cerato with the new K4, adopting a new global nameplate for its small passenger car range.That model is rolling into dealerships right now and instead of being produced in Korea like the Cerarto, and most of Kia’s other models, the K4 hails from the carmaker’s Mexican facility.Kia Australia said K4s are being shipped from Mexico to South Korea then onto Australia. That trip takes approximately a month.The K4 ushers in a new design inside and out, an updated platform, tweaked ride and handling, fresh multimedia and safety tech and an uptick in standard gear over the Cerato. But it also comes with a price increase of between $3530 and $6130 compared with equivalent Cerato grades.As the K4 starts to enter showrooms, Kia Australia Chief Operating Officer Dennis Piccoli said the Korean carmaker has “about six weeks worth” of Cerato stock remaining in Australia.“We expect to have a full suite of cars in market by February 1, across the country, not withstanding the issues that have occurred with logistics across the eastern seaboard, particularly Brisbane and Sydney.”He’s referring to strikes at the docks that have impacted deliveries of vehicles from multiple brands.The Kia website is showing drive-away deals on the outgoing Cerato S of $28,790, or the GT from $39,290.Piccoli says the new K4 small car probably won’t reach the sales highs of its Cerato predecessor, at least for this year.The ageing Cerato clocked up an impressive 15,502 sales in 2024, its final full year of sales. Piccoli said, given only the K4 sedan is on sale now with the hatch arriving later in 2025, the new model will have a “slower start”.“But then when we come through with the hatch in quarter four, we think that we will probably round out around 9000 cars - eight to 9000 cars.”As well as the hatch, expect a hybrid version to land soon — although Kia Australia refused to confirm it just yet — as the brand grapples with the NVES (New Vehicle Efficiency Standards) legislation.The K4 is yet to be tested by ANCAP for crash safety, but Kia Australia’s General Manager of Product Planning Roland Rivero said he is hopeful of a maximum five-star rating, “but the goal, or the target, is four/five.”That rating should be revealed in the next two months. There is some concern, however, given the K4’s mechanical cousin — the Hyundai i30 Sedan — only achieved a three-star rating late last year. It lost marks in the assessment areas of Vulnerable Road User Protection and Safety Assist assessment areas.With the new K4, the GT-Line replaces the Cerato GT hot hatch and sedan as the range flagship, but the GT-Line lacks the performance bite of the GT.“The GT versus GT-Line is really a global branding position, and in effect, with the likes of EV6 GT and even Stinger GT, before, to earn the GT badge required some serious performance,” explained Rivero.He said the GT-Line, however, was benchmarked for ride and handling against impressive rivals including the Honda Civic hybrid and the Volkswagen Golf R-Line.And if you are hanging out for a K4 performance grade, don’t hold your breath.“There's no plans for a GT at this stage,” Rivero confirmed.

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If you’ve seen a lot of BMWs on the road lately, there is a reason for it.The Bavarian giant is officially Australia’s favourite premium automotive brand.According to 2024 sales figures, BMW capped the year with 26,341 sales. That represents a modest 0.6 per cent bump over its 2023 results, or in actual figures, BMW sold 157 more cars last year than the year before.For years BMW was the number two marque in Australia behind archrival Mercedes-Benz. But that shifted a few years ago and now BMW is the dominant force in the premium segment.Mercedes splits its sales between two business units — Mercedes-Benz Cars and Mercedes-Benz Vans. Given none of its premium rivals offer commercial vans or utes, we will focus on cars.BMW was the 14th best-selling brand overall in 2024, wedged between Volkswagen in 13th and Suzuki in 15th.But how did it do so well last year? A couple of factors — SUVs and EVs.Sixty two per cent of BMW sales were for its ‘X’ SUV range. And the leader of that pack was the X1 small SUV with 4536 sales. Despite these solid numbers, it was beaten by the Audi Q3 for sales in the small SUV segment.The X3 was BMW’s next best seller, capturing high sales in runout ahead of the new-gen model arriving, and X5 was third best, while the X7 and 7 Series saloon had their best sales results ever.BMW’s EV sales were also a strong point, with just under 30 per cent of its total sales coming from electric cars. The iX1, i4, iX2 and iX3 made up the bulk of deliveries.Mercedes-Benz recorded 19,989 units in 2024, which was down by 17.8 per cent compared with 2023. Despite having a broader model range, the Stuttgart-based manufacturer saw double-digit sales declines for some of its most popular models including the C-Class (-26%), CLA (-32.7%), A-Class (-16.5%), GLC (-19.3%) and GLE (-41.4%).Benz fared better with some of its EV range, with the EQE medium SUV up by more than 200 per cent to 759 sales and the EQS large SUV also in positive territory (+126.7%). The GLA small SUV was the brand’s best seller, recording 3103 sales, up a healthy 65 per cent year on year.Coming third in the premium car sales race was Audi with 15,333, which represented a 19.5 per cent drop on its 2023 result.The decline can in part be put down to the delayed launch of the Q4 e-tron electric SUV, which now arrives in February, as well as some ageing model lines like the A4 and Q5 mid sizers. Both will be replaced in 2025 with new-gen models.The end of sales for the A1 hatch and TT sports car have also likely had an impact.Like Mercedes, Audi’s sales were a mixed bag. The Q3 was the brand’s star performer, capturing 5497 sales (+23.3%) to top the premium small SUV segment.The only other Audi model in positive sales territory was, interestingly, the A6 (+12%). Large sedans aren’t super popular these days so it’s a great result for a solid offering.On the flipside, the Q7 and A3 went backwards, but the SUV is about to get a big refresh in February, and the A3 has just been updated, too, so they should pick up in 2025.Aside from BMW, Porsche was the only premium brand to achieve sales growth in 2024, with 7029 units up 16.1 per cent. Every model line except the Panamera (-5.7%) and Taycan (-47.3%) saw double or triple-digit growth.Other premium contenders Lexus (13,642, -10.2%), Genesis (1400, -26.9%) and Volvo (8898, -20%) all had sales drops in 2024.

The replacement for Kia’s long-running Cerato small car has finally arrived and it’s a pricier offering than before.But the new K4 small sedan adds a number of features over the outgoing Cerato that arrived in mid-2018, including updated powertrains, more safety and multimedia tech, comfort features, a new platform and design.The newly named K4 will face off with the segment-leading Toyota Corolla, as well as the Mazda3 and the related Hyundai i30 Sedan, and the budget focussed MG5.Only the sedan is available from launch, with the hatchback expected late in 2025. Spec and pricing for the hatch will be revealed closer to launch, according to Kia.The model grades are much the same as before, with the exception of the GT that has been renamed GT-Line, in line with other Kia models, and likely reflective of the detuned version of the warmed-up GT’s turbo engine.So, how much is the 2025 Kia K4 sedan?It kicks off in base S guise from $30,590 before on-road costs, which represents a $3530 increase over the previous base grade.The Sport and Sport+ are are also up in price, as is the GT-Line which at $42,990 cops the biggest hike, up $6130 over the old GT.Pricing for the Mazda3 sedan runs from $30,470 to $42,470, the Corolla is $32,320 to $40,260 and the i30 Sedan is $29,000 to $41,500 - all before on-road costs.All grades except the GT–Line come with Kia’s existing 2.0-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine, delivering 112kW and 192Nm, and driving the front wheels via a six-speed torque converter auto.The GT-Line uses the group’s 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol unit, matched with an eight-speed torque converter auto. With power and torque outputs of 142kW and 264Nm, it is down slightly compared with the outgoing GT’s 150kW/265Nm figures.As a result, fuel consumption on the combined cycle is down by 0.2L to 6.7 litres per 100 kilometres. The 2.0L unit maintains the Cerato’s fuel use figure of 7.4L/100km.As well as a sleek new exterior design with a fastback silhouette, the K4 adopts a new platform, and the GT-Line gains multi-link rear suspension where the 2.0L grades use a MacPherson strut front and torsion beam rear setup.The K4 also benefits from an “extensive” ride and handling development program to ensure it is better suited to Australian roads.In terms of standard gear, the K4 comes with a lengthy safety features list across all grades, including auto emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control with stop & go functionality, lane keep assist, lane follow assist, multi-collision braking, ‘Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist’, driver attention warning, ‘Intelligent Speed Limit Assist’, a front centre airbag and more.A Safety Pack can be added to the S for $2100 and that adds a 12.3-inch instrument display, a 5.0-inch air-con display, dual-zone climate control and an expanded AEB system with junction turning and crossing and direct/oncoming lane change detection.While the S comes with a 4.0-inch LCD driver’s instrument cluster, it does get a 12.3-inch multimedia screen (along with all other grades), over-the-air updates, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, rear-seat air vents and USB-C ports, digital radio, and customisable driver profiles and manual air conditioning.Each subsequent grade adds more kit, and the flagship GT-Line gains the most, including a premium Harman/Kardon eight-speaker audio system, a three-spoke premium steering wheel, artificial leather seats, eight-way power driver’s seat, paddle shifters, ambient lighting, heated steering wheel and a wireless charging pad.The boot can take 508 litres of cargo, more than the model it replaces, and its dimensions are longer, wider and lower than the Cerato sedan.The 2025 Kia K4 sedan is on sale from late January. Keep an eye on CarsGuide.com.au in late January for our first impressions of the new Kia K4.Prices listed are before on-road costs