2004 Kia Cerato Reviews

Kia Cerato is a small-to-medium South Korean model that has been overshadowed in the past by its big brother Hyundai's i30 and Elantra (Kia is controlled by Hyundai these days). However, when the ultra-stylish third-generation Cerato was launched in Australia in April 2013 buyer interest increased. Sales lifted immediately and quite a few of the third generation cars are starting to appear on the used-car scene.The South Korean car makers are coming up with some excellent lines, and the Cerato is arguably up with the best of them. Interestingly, much of the design work is being done by Europeans.The Cerato first arrived in Australia in July 2004, these earlier models were the first to really benefit from Kia's determination to improve build quality and are generally trouble free if they have been driven and serviced correctly.As well as improving quality, Kia Cerato also continued the Korean marque's emphasis on the sort of good on-road behaviour that appeals to Australian drivers. The first two generations were good without being great, the third generation car is almost up with the Europeans' driving dynamics. The suspension is reasonably supple, although rough Aussie country roads can occasionally trouble it. Noise and vibration are well damped, particularly in the latest model.Kia Cerato is sold as a four-door sedan and five-door hatch. The sedans were often introduced before the hatches so there was on overlap of new and old bodies at times.Though it's technically listed as a small car in Australia, the Cerato is actually pretty large and interior space is good. There are no headroom problems front or rear. It also passes the four-adult test for rear legroom without those in the front seats having to compromise to any real extent. As is usually the way in this class in Australia, the Cerato is generally used by families with small children, something it handles with ease.Most Kia Cerato models are powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. This gives it enough power and torque for most owners, but some would like a bit more grunt to match the dynamics of the chassis, particularly on the most recent model.The Cerato from April 2013 has a new design 1.8-litre engine in place of the old 2.0. It provides more performance and uses less fuel whilst doing so. Definitely our pick of the powerplants if your budget is up to it.Five-speed manual gearboxes were used until they were replaced by a modern six-speed unit late in 2010. The latter is an excellent unit with a good feel through the lever and a wise choice of ratios.Four-speed automatic transmissions, fitted prior to March 2011, do a reasonable job, but you will find them hunting up and down for the best ratio at times. Far better is the six-speed auto, installed from 2011.Kia Ceratos have quite a simple mechanical layout and can be serviced and repaired by good amateur mechanics. Don't forget to buy a workshop manual.Spare parts and professional repair costs are reasonably priced.Kia dealers are mainly in metropolitan areas, but some of the bigger country towns now also have agents.Insurance is usually costed in the bottom third of the premium scale and we haven't seen any big variations from company to company. However, it's always worth shopping around, just make sure your making a fair comparison.While the Kia Koup, introduced in September 2009 carries Cerato badges it is generally regarded as a different model. It's an interesting car with an unusual shape and we love the fact it's called a Koup rather than a Coupe.Former crash damage usually shows up as ripples in body panels, colours that don't match correctly and even wheels out of alignment. If you're in the least bit unsure call a professional.Look for body damage in areas such as the rear bumper which often gets scarred by people carelessly resting stuff on it while loading the boot.Check that the engine starts easily and idles smoothly pretty well straight away. Ideally the engine should be started stone cold first thing in the morning.Gearboxes that are noisy and/or sticky in their changes may be due for major repairs.Automatics should go into gear almost at the moment you move the selector.Handbrakes can be over adjusted causing premature pad wear on the rear brakes. You may feel and hear the pads rubbing slightly on the discs during your test drive.Fuel remote release cables can stretch making it difficult to open the flap.Some Ceratos had audio unit failures, check the full range of modes in the system to be sure everything works correctly.Incorrectly serviced variable valve timing units can fail due to poor oil quality blocking the oil passage. As always, we suggest having a vehicle serviced by a professional, preferably one with people trained on the vehicle type.

Kia Cerato has become more visible on buyer radars in the last year or so, primarily because of its excellent new styling.

It's unusual given the Hyundai Elantra has been with us for some time now and is looking a little bit old hat especially when compared with Cerato.Elements of the body are vaguely familiar in VW Passat and other Europeans and the overall effect yields one of the better looking cars this side 30 of grand.The same applies inside which is light and airy two tone and easy to use apart from a misplaced handbrake that tangles with reverse gear selection.Even the audio system came as a surprise in a car that sells for less then 19 grand drive away with air. It's pretty good offering solid bass, sharp treble and a good radio range, eclipsing audio in cars costing more than twice the money.But then, the same applies to most aspects of Cerato – engine performance, ride and handling and quality of finish.I have to say, Cerato took me by surprise after years of low expectations from this end of town.Underneath the stylish skin is basically a generic Hyundai Elantra engine and gearbox but the Cerato seems better behaved than Elantra in terms of ride and handling due no doubt to a newly developed suspension.The twin cam, 2.0-litre four cylinder engine cranks out a handy 101kW/182Nm with a five speed manual as standard and optional four speed automatic.As you'd expect from a Korean product, standard equipment is prodigious with airconditioning, cruise, remote central locking, power and heated mirrors, power windows, mirrors and aerial and a six CD audio system all included in the package.There isn't any ground breaking technology in Cerato but Kia has obviously expended plenty of time refining the car's various elements leaving little room for criticism but plenty for praise.The ride and handling for example isn't sports car sharp but is a good compromise for everyday driving. The steering is well weighted, has a smallish turning circle and is not too direct while the chassis feels solid as a rock on rough roads.There's plenty of room for four adults and the boot is large, housing a full size spare under the floor.Fuel economy on test was about 9.0-litres/100km in mixed driving.With a new Sportage just around the corner and Sorento already in the public domain, Kia is putting together a powerful argument in terms of quality products, to be a must consider on buyers shopping lists.

The man's dog was set upon by this beast and it was nearly impossible to lever open the creature's jaws to extract his pet.The victim suffered flesh wounds but has fully recovered to return to the evening walks with its master.The other dog was less fortunate, though its unerring concentration to the task at hand and its tenacious grip on its subject is to be commended.Similar to a Kia dealer.Back six years ago, few would have been brave enough to take on an agency with some pretty basic products.Dealers who took Kia on board would have sweated furiously in the past six years but are now reaping the rewards.The latest good-news product – joining the well-sorted Sorento 4WD – is the Cerato small car that sits above the Rio and below the Optima.To summarise, the Cerato is one of the nicest small cars on the market, pushed up the ladder by pleasant road manners, a willing little engine, good features and – more importantly – a sub-$19,000 entry price that includes airconditioning, electric windows and on-road costs.Its appearance is neat, if not a bit bland, and owes a lot of styling to the Corolla sedan.The interior is excellent, fitting four adults with ease and enhanced by a monster boot.Build quality is well up on its predecessors, thanks to better quality-control supervision by parent company Hyundai.The dashboard is neat and predictable though more importantly, everything appears to work – so important on these icy mornings when demisting the human body is more important than a clear windscreen.On the road the Cerato surprises with high road/tyre/engine suppression.At 100km/h its two-litre engine hums along at a modest 2800rpm in the manual box's fifth gear.Engine power is smooth rather than strong, though the Cerato gets off the mark smartly and will give some bigger cars a run for their money.There's a positive gearchange in the manual and a Japanese-style light clutch pedal action. The steering is a bit vague, though the wheel is easy to twirl and the brakes are welcome four-wheel discs. There is no ABS listed as an option, though Kia agents Ateco Automotive will fit the system by special request at the factory if you pay extra dollars.I can't work out that non-optional ABS option deal.But I can live with standard airconditioning, electric windows and mirrors, cruise control, dual airbags and six-speaker CD player.The seats are comfortable but have little lateral support. The terry-towelling finish is unusual and may be comforting to some buyers used to dressing gowns made of that material.The Cerato is an easy car to live with and suits its market down to the ground.It's cheap, functional and well equipped but don't ask too much from it in terms of handling and general chassis dynamics.

Kia showed its hand in Sydney when it ran the worldwide dealer preview of the Cerato, flagging the importance of Australia to the brand and the car itself.It also highlighted a rise-and-rise performance that has made Kia Australia's fastest-growing car company, with a massive 57 per cent sales jump in the first half of 2004.Taking over from all Spectra, Mentor and Shuma models, the Cerato has a bigger engine and more features than previous Kia models in the class. It also comes with a smaller $18,990 driveaway price tag.The first all-new model to be rolled out in Australia this year, it sits between the four-cylinder Rio and flagship Optima V6.The Cerato fits into the small-car class, which has overtaken big sixes as the most popular shopping ground for Australia buyers, and is worth around 180,000 cars a year.It is a breakthrough model because it shares the Hyundai Elantra's mechanical package, the first time Kia -- which is now owned by Hyundai -- has had a shared model with the Korean juggernaut.But the engine isn't as strong, and the Cerato also has a very different suspension tune.Its 2.0-litre engine only generates 101kW of power and 182Nm of torque, with a fairly standard 0-100km/h sprint time of 10.5 seconds. Gearboxes are also the standard deal, with a five-speed manual and four-speed automatic.The Cerato design was done entirely at Kia, and while bland, it's not nearly as ugly as some earlier efforts.The sedan is the key model for Australia, with a five-door version under consideration when right-hand-drive production starts at the end of this year.The Cerato has twin front airbags and four-wheel disc brakes, but anti-skid control is an extra.There is only one level of equipment, but the car comes loaded with cruise control, power windows, remote central locking, heated electric mirrors, CD sound, and a cupholders.The cabin includes power sockets for phones and computers, as well as a battery saver system that turns off any lights that are accidentally left on.The Cerato is longer, wider and heavier than Kia's earlier mid-sized compacts, while the boot has been boosted by nearly 56 litres for impressive carrying capacity.Kia is taking a cautious approach to sales forecasts, predicting just 400 cars a month will be sold.Toyota sold 4031 Corollas in June, while Holden did 2650 Astras and Mitsubishi sold 2083 Lancers.But Kia managing director Ric Hull isn't under-estimating the work to be done on a car in this category."Bringing an unfamiliar name from a relatively minor brand into the marketplace is certainly going to take a little time, but we think we will get there," Hull says.Kia also admits the Elantra will be a tough target.Hyundai claimed June as an all-time record month with 1856 sales, but even that has been tough work and there is potential for trade-off sales between the brands."There is no doubt the Elantra is a competitor. Kia and Hyundai have never said they wouldn't compete in the marketplace," Kia sales manager Edward Butler says."But the success of Hyundai is our success, because the more people who buy Korean products experience the reliability and the quality of Korean products."The Cerato is aimed at city people, aged 25-45, who want comfort and features, as well as value.The Cerato is no sports car, but it is likely to be good at its job.It has a comfortable drive, and while the suspension is set softly, it handles reasonably well and feels pretty solid on the road.The five-speed manual is the best gearbox choice as it allows you to get the most out of car and engine.The auto is no slouch, and Kia claims it equals the manual in the 0-100km/h dash, but on a few cornering occasions the auto left the right foot flailing momentarily waiting for the box to pick its gear.The manual, however, was able to match torque delivery, keeping the car more stable through bends with better pick-up for straights and during overtaking.The back seat comfortably fits three across, and the space makes it more like a sedan than a small car.As a value deal, it is hard to fault the Cerato.And the price tag and features list make an appealing combination.Kia's Ric Hull is confident and says the Cerato should do much better than the Spectra, one of the models it is due to replace.He points out the Cerato is all-new and has a better bottom line."There is nothing in common with the Spectra at all, this is an infinitely better car," Hull says."In fairness, it is much more competitively priced, and for $1000 more you have a much better-equipped 2.0-litre car, much more modern."We are incredibly currency dependant. Frankly, we were nervous at putting it (Cerato) into the marketplace at say, $19,990 driveaway."There are too many entries there and it seemed to us we wouldn't have anything particularly unique to offer, so we decided to give it a good hit and put it in at that price ($18,990)."The Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun