2019 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.

You've got about $30K and you'd like to buy a sporty hatch. Don't. Not until you've read our invaluable sporty-hatch comparison, as we crown a winner based on performance, practicality and price.

Want a sporty-feeling family hauler, but don't want to go for a full hot hatch? Enter the Kia Cerato GT sedan. We put it to the family test.

The Sport Plus sits towards the top of the Cerato line-up with its list price of $28,840. At the time we published this Kia was offering the Sport Plus for $27,740 drive-away. Kia’s drive-away deals can stay in place for years, so check to see if this offer is still in place.The Sport Plus’s features list is extensive. Coming standard is an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, sat nav, six-speaker stereo, dual-zone climate control, leather upholstery, heated front seats, push-button start and proximity key, premium steering and shift knob, electric mirrors, cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, LED running lights. and 17-inch alloys wheels with 225/45 R17 tyres.The Sport Plus has a 112kW/192Nm four-cylinder petrol engine and six-speed automatic transmission.Scoring the maximum five ANCAP stars in 2019 the Sport Plus has AEB which can detect cyclists and pedestrians, blind spot warning, rear cross traffic alert and adaptive cruise control.

The Cerato Sport sits above the entry grade S in the model line-up and both the sedan and hatch list for the same price - $25,790. Standard features on the Sport includes an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, six-speaker stereo, sat nav, air-conditioning, cloth seats, 3.5-inch LCD instrument screen, electric mirrors, cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, premium steering and shift knob, and 17-inch alloy wheels with 225/45 R17 tyres.Powering the Sport is a 112kW/192Nm four-cylinder petrol engine with a six-speed automatic transmission.The Sport missed out on scoring the maximum five-star ANCAP rating in 2019 because its AEB system does not detect cyclists and pedestrians (the AEB on the Sport Plus and GT grades does).Still the Sport is equipped with lane keeping assistance and you can option the $1500 safety pack which adds the more sophisticated AEB along with blind spot warning, rear cross traffic alert and adaptive cruise control.

The Cerato S is the entry-grade into the model and both the sedan and hatch list for the same price - $20,990 if you get one with a manual gearbox or $23,790 for the automatic transmission.Coming standard on the S is an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, six-speaker stereo, air-conditioning, cloth seats, 3.5-inch LCD instrument screen, electric mirrors, cruise control, front and rear parking sensors and 16-inch steel wheels with 205/55 R16 tyres.Powering the S is a 112kW/192Nm four-cylinder petrol engine. This is the only grade in the line-up that’s available with six-speed manual gearbox and a six-speed automatic transmission.The S missed out on scoring the maximum five-star ANCAP rating in 2019 because its AEB system does not detect cyclists and pedestrians (the AEB on the Sport Plus and GT grades does).Still the S is equipped with lane keeping assistance and you can option the $1500 safety pack which adds the more sophisticated AEB along with blind spot warning, rear cross traffic alert and adaptive cruise control.

The Kia Cerato is the car that keeps the Toyota Corolla, Hyundai i30 and Ford Focus awake at night. Here's why.

The thing about traditional 'small' cars is that they're not so small anymore. Because there are other, smaller cars, and even cars that are masquerading as larger cars, that are also smaller. Confused? Just know that the Kia Cerato hatch is not as small as its exterior would have you believe and you will fit a family of four in there.

Know your Sport from your sport? No? Well meet the Kia Cerato Sport hatch.

Don't mind hubcaps and don't like to follow instructions, then the Cerato S could be the most affordable and smartest choice you've ever made.