2018 Kia Cerato Reviews

The Toyota Corolla Ascent Sport won our previous budget-hatchback comparison, so we've brought it back to see how it fares against two newcomers in the market - the Mazda3 G20 Pure and the Kia Cerato S. All of these models represent the respective entry points to their ranges, and while you might think that'd mean bargain motoring, the prices you'll see can be surprisingly high.

The all-new Kia Cerato sedan range has hit Aussie showrooms, and James Lisle spent a weekend in the mid-spec Sport model to see what it was like to live with.

The Kia Cerato Sport+ is a five-seat, four-door small sedan that's offered in a single mechanical specification. It sits above the S and the Sport.

The Kia Cerato S is a five-seat, four-door small sedan that's offered on one platform with two gearbox choices. It sits below the Sport and Sport+.The front-drive sedan comes with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine that produces 112kW/192Nm, and offers a six-speed manual as standard for $19,990. A six-speed automatic transmission costs $1500 extra.All Ceratos are equipped with AEB, lane departure warning and forward collision warning as standard. The S is equipped with a reversing camera and front/rear sensors, along with standard air conditioning, 16-inch steel rims, cloth trim, a six-way adjustable driver’s seat and an 8.0-inch screen with, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.

The Kia Cerato Sport is a five-seat, four-door small sedan that's offered in a single mechanical specification. It sits above the S and below the Sport+.The front-drive sedan costs $23,690, and comes with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine that produces 112kW/192Nm, matched to a six-speed automatic transmission.All Ceratos are equipped with AEB, lane departure warning and forward collision warning as standard. The Sport is additionally equipped with a reversing camera and front/rear sensors, along with standard air conditioning, 17-inch alloy rims, sports cloth trim, leather-wrapped steering wheel, an six-way adjustable driver’s seat and an 8.0-inch screen with sat nav, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.

Kia's best selling car is the Cerato, and the third generation sedan will go up against category-leading rivals like the Toyota Corolla, Mazda3 and Honda Civic in the shrinking small car category.

If there's any car that proves that Korean automakers have thrown off past stigma, it's the Cerato.

The cut-price and cool-looking Kia Cerato punches well above its price in the fashion stakes, which is at least partly why it's Kia's best-selling model. So is there substance to go with the style?

The S is the entry point to the slimmed-down Kia Cerato range, kicking off from $19,990 (manual) and stretching to $22,290 (automatic).

The Sport+ is the new top-of-the-range Cerato, following a rationalising of the range for 2018 and beyond. It sits atop the Sport and entry-level S in the three-model family.