The air-conditioning system is not critical to the car’s operation, only its comfort. As such, if you can find a belt that still drives all the ancillaries like the coolant pump, alternator, power-steering pump and whatever else is belt-driven on this model, then it’s certainly possible. What you have to ensure is that the shorter belt is the correct length and is still properly tensioned by the existing tensioning pulleys. You may have to change pulleys and brackets to achieve this. If you’re lucky, it will only be the air-conditioner itself that is driven by an auxiliary belt, with everything else running off the primary drive belt. If that’s the case, you simply remove the air-con belt and drive on.

In the old days, you simply bought the appropriate belt for the same make and model without factory air-con and fitted that. But more modern cars with standard air-conditioning can be trickier to bypass. But it should be possible, even if you have to take a piece of string the correct length to an auto parts store and go through the various belts to find one the right length. Either that, or find the same make and model at a wrecking yard that was not fitted with factory air-conditioning and use the drive belt pulleys and tensioners from that car. Never use a second-hand drive belt, however.

Test drive the Cerato, see how it compares with your Jetta and then decide if you can make the change.

The Kia gets The Tick from me, because it’s better value but also because of the excellent suspension work done by Aussie guru and Carsguide friend Graeme Gambold.