Kia Cerato SLi 2009 review

Cruelly, we can't all afford Porsches and Lamborghinis.

But to people wanting a car for purpose, not passion, the little Cerato has it all over a Porsche or a Lamborghini.

First up is the bleeding obvious. This doesn't look like anything with a Kia badge.

Explore the 2009 Kia Cerato range

• Kia Cerato 2009 review
• Kia Cerato SLi 2009 review
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• Kia Cerato Koup 2009 review

It's shapely, cute and perfectly balanced and is devoid of Korean trends of gross over-indulgence in the use of chrome.

Not surprisingly, it wasn't a Korean but a German — Peter Schreyer — who penned the car. Schreyer also designed the first Audi TT and the New Beetle.

Purposeful and pretty in looks, the Cerato is also well styled and sensible inside.

It uses cloth for the upholstery and a pleasing mix of black plastic and alloy-look trim to create aesthetics and ergonomics. Not a patch of light grey plastic to be seen. What a relief!

Then there's the price. Fully kitted, the test Cerato SLi gets an automatic gearbox, electronic stability control, six airbags, alloy wheels, an audio that accepts iPods, CDs and USBs and climate airconditioning.

All that costs $24,990 (plus on-road costs) and has a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty.

In any book, that's a bargain.

There's also other things to like about this sedan. It seats four — five adults at a squeeze — and has a big boot.

I loved the little details like the levers in the boot to flip down the rear seats — although unfortunately, they didn't work too well — the automatic door locking when the car gets underway; plentiful personal storage spaces; and the USB and iPod connections to allow full mobility for my music.

I was sitting in the car quietly forgetting about all those cheap tags once associated with Kia and its sister company, Hyundai.

But when I left the cabin and closed the door, the aura of quality disappeared in a clang.

Clunky, tinny-sounding doors don't deserve to be on a car like this. The last time I heard such a rattle was on a Peugeot 207.

I would hope that the noise made by the doors — and boot — will disappear with a factory fix.

The Cerato is undoubtedly a light car — it weighs about 1250kg — and is on par with most of its rivals.

It can move around a bit in sidewinds, but no more than some others in its class.

That relatively light weight helps its performance and, ostensibly, its fuel economy.

Even with an outdated four-speed automatic transmission — granted, it does have a sequential mode — the car gives every impression of getting off the mark quite spiritedly.

The 2-litre engine is willing, though it prefers working in the lower end of the rev range rather than running hard up towards 6000rpm.

While it's willing, it's no powerhouse. Its strength should lie in its durability, given its preference for low engine revs.

But it was not particularly fuel efficient. Kia claims 7.9 litres/100km but modest city and suburban driving cost me 9.2 l/100km. More highway running would have reduced my consumption.

General handling was good but more notable was the suburban road ride comfort and freeway quietness.

This is a car for the gentle commuter and not for any lead foots, so I didn't expect sensational handling qualities — and so wasn't disappointed.

As a family car it should serve the owner well. The long warranty and the low purchase price are boons, with the icing being the extensive feature list and the high safety levels.

Certainly it's a surprise.