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Kia Cerato vs Mazda 2

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Kia Cerato
Kia Cerato

$20,990 - $39,999

2022 price

Mazda 2
Mazda 2

2024 price

Summary

2022 Kia Cerato
2024 Mazda 2
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Turbo 4, 1.6L

Fuel Type
Unleaded Petrol

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Fuel Efficiency
6.9L/100km (combined)

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Seating
5

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Dislikes
  • Harsh ride quality
  • Unrefined, noisy cabin
  • Ageing interior design

  • Interior is dating
  • Engine noise under load
  • Pricing not quite 'first-car'
2022 Kia Cerato Summary

Three years after the fourth-generation Cerato small car rolled into Australian dealerships, Kia launched a mid-life facelift for the sedan and hatch range in mid-2021.

It ushered in styling tweaks including new headlights and Kia’s new logo, as well as more safety tech and a multimedia upgrade.

At the top of the range sits the warmed-up Cerato GT. It’s not quite Hyundai i30 N-level performance, more i30 N-Line. In other words, more than enough performance to keep most people satisfied and enough poke to get away quickly at the lights.

But is the updated version of Kia’s Cerato trying to be something it’s not, or is it a performance bargain?

Read on to find out.

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2024 Mazda 2 Summary

The entry-point into one of Australia's most popular brands has been around for almost 10 years in its current generation, but the Mazda2 has had a refresh.

Possibly for the last time in its current lifespan, the small hatchback gets a facelift to remain appealing, Mazda hopes, to first-car-buyers.

Mazda's up against not only direct rivals, like the Suzuki Swift and Toyota Yaris, but also the shifting market.

Mazda has sold just over 3500 Mazda2s so far this year, but almost 11,000 CX-3 small SUVs, the latter based on our friend here's platform.

It's a name with a little over two decades behind it, but can it be a first-car-favourite in an increasingly difficult small car market?

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Deep dive comparison

2022 Kia Cerato 2024 Mazda 2

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