2014 Kia Cerato Reviews

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 Kia Cerato Koup as a used buy.

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.

Chris Riley road tests and reviews the 2014 Kia Pro_cee’d GT with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Peter Barnwell road tests and reviews the 2014 Kia Cerato S Premium.

Look past the generic small-car silhouette and the Kia Cerato deserves some love. The basic torsion beam rear suspension is common to most of the cars in the segment but Kia spent months tuning it for local conditions. Only the more sophisticated setups on the likes of the Mazda3 and Ford Focus - which are more

Peter Barnwell road tests and reviews the Kia Cerato S Premium, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

The turbocharged version of Kia’s second-generation Cerato Koup promises a healthy dose of performance substance to match its undeniable style.You can also get the Cerato Koup as a naturally aspirated 2.0-litre, but the 1.6-litre Turbo is the one to get your tongue wagging.The Koup Turbo represents pretty impressive value, and even with the automatic transmission on this one, it’s $30,190 price tag is within a whisker of the cheapest $29,990 Toyota 86 GT. It also costs about the same as the little hot hatches like the Clio RS, Fiesta ST, and 208 GTi, but the Koup Turbo promises similar thrills in a more mature package.It’s also $5100 cheaper than the $35,290 Veloster Turbo auto, so it’s a bit of a style and performance bargain.The Koup Turbo comes with cloth sports seats, a 4.3-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth phone and audio, reversing camera with front and rear parking sensors, proximity keys, heated folding wing mirrors, LEDs at the front and rear, and 18-inch alloys.An optional Touring Pack is also available, which adds leather trim, climate control and a 7-inch screen with satnav.The Koup Turbo shares its driveline and underpinnings with the Hyundai Veloster Turbo and the new Pro_cee’d GT, but the Koup is wrapped in a slightly-longer, more suave coupe body.On the inside, it’s a lot like the Cerato sedan and hatch, and there’s an impressive amount of room in the back and seating for three, plus a surprisingly large 433L boot and split-fold, and a full-size spare wheel. The Koup Turbo’s 1.6-litre engine pumps out the same 150kW/265Nm as the Veloster Turbo and the new Pro_cee’d GT, and carries an 8.0L/100km combined fuel consumption figure with the six-speed auto. Significant to the Koup Turbo’s ownership experience is the fact that it is happy running on Regular 91RON unleaded fuel, and comes with Kia’s capped price servicing plan and five year warranty.Like all current Ceratos, the Koup Turbo comes with a five star ANCAP rating, with dual front, side and curtain airbags, ABS, EBD and stability control.The Cerato Koup Turbo is a bit of a surprise out on the road, with a great balance of performance and refinement.The 1.6-litre turbo engine helps it complete the 0-100km/h sprint in 7.4 seconds, but this is only half the story. There’s fantastic urge available just off idle, with max torque from 1750rpm giving the “fast car” sensation at every flex of your right ankle.The six-speed auto is a great match even without using the paddle shifters, and it makes a nice muted rort from the twin exhausts.The Koup’s handling is nice and composed through corners, and with a torsion beam rear end it will rear-steer like a like a hot hatch when you’re really pushing it.The official fuel figures are tough to match when you’re enjoying the performance, and the steering can be a bit dull when twirled enthusiastically.Despite this finesse through the bends and its low profile 18-inch tyres, the Koup Turbo is surprisingly comfortable over bumps, and it’s nice and quiet at highway speeds.If you’re after a great blend of value, style, performance and comfort, the Kia Cerato Koup Turbo is an excellent option, and it’s easier to live with than a hot hatch. 

The Kia Cerato started out as a cheap and cheerful alternative to the established players in the small segment, such as the Toyota Corolla and Mitsubishi Lancer.

As the name suggests the Koup is a coupe, a two-door version that's based on the Cerato four-door sedan.

We don't get it. Why would Kia introduce the Cerato Koup and then a few months later, the Proceed GT three-door hatch essentially the same sort of car? One's out of Korea, the other is out of Europe but they both fit in the same segment competing for the same customers. And there are two variants of the Koup in auto and manual.Go figure. But regardless, we like Cerato Koup on a number of levels -- the styling, technology, equipment, price and performance.ENGINE / TRANSMISSIONWe drove the turbo manual version but there's a naturally aspirated model as well with a 2.0-litre engine. The turbo is more desirable if you like an engaging, sporty drive more kick, better dynamics, racier styling and a choice of six-speed manual or dual clutch auto (also available in the 2.0-litre).Like most models in Kia's Aussie line-up, the Koup has undergone local ride and handling calibration that delivers a sporty/Euro feel. Though only a 1.6-litre direct injection petrol engine, its turbo helps generate a handy 150kW/265Nm output which translates into strong performance. Our manual test car offered up slick gear changes and about 7.7 litres/100km fuel economy to achieve a Euro 4 emissions rating on regular unleaded.DESIGN / STYLINGThe Koup is a cracking good looker with the so called "Schreyer" look to its flanks. Touches of carbon fibre look material set off interior and exterior styling as does subtle use of LED lighting.It's a fairly weighty coupe at 1334kg, bigger than you think and with a large boot and generous rear seat room. Access to the rear seat is commendably easy. Additional luggage space is provided by a 60/40 folding rear seat.VALUEThere's plenty of kit, adding value to the $27,990 ask. You get leather sports seats with a carbon fibre weave look. The driver's seat has six way manual adjustment while the steering wheel has rake and reach adjustment.Standard kit includes cruise, paddle shift on the auto, premium seats, trip computer, Bluetooth phone and audio, alloy pedals, judicious use of chrome garnishes, two 12V outlets, and numerous storage compartments. Wheels are 18-inch in a particularly fetching pattern alloy and the spare is a full size alloy.The audio/infotainment pod is comprehensive and includes SUNA satnav but the screen is a tad small on the regular Turbo. A Touring Pack adds a 7-inch screen. But metallic paint adds an annoying $520 to the bottom line.SAFETYKoup turbo scores a five star crash rating as well as a swag of driver assist kit like hill start assist, front and rear parking sensors, reverse camera auto headlights and wipers auto door locks and other stuff but none of the sophisticated driver assist electronics found on some of the Euro models at more money.DRIVINGAll good here, sporty, adequate get-go, reasonable fuel economy, impressive cornering, great looks and practical for a coupe. The Koup has just enough sporty edge to make it stand out from a crowd and is priced right with plenty of features to sweeten the proposition.The drive experience is enhanced by Kia's clever multi-mode power steering system called Flex-steer with normal, comfort and sports settings. It rides on a strut front and torsion beam rear suspension with decent size discs front and rear. They've done an excellent job on local calibration and the car is genuinely fun to drive.Overall, we like the Kia Cerato Koup. It has honest performance, looks a million bucks and isn't too heavy on the juice.VERDICTJust needs a slight polish in certain areas to make it really good. Kia Cerato Koup Price: from $23,990, ($27990 Turbo)Engine: 2.0 litre four-cyl petrol; 129kW/209Nm (150kW/265Nm Turbo)Transmission: 6-speed manual or auto; FWDThirst: 7.3L/100km (7.7L/100km Turbo)