2020 Kia Cerato vs Mazda 3

What's the difference?

Kia’s Cerato GT looks great, feels great, and is a blast to drive. The drawback? It tries so hard to be a performance car but perhaps falls a tad short to be considered alongside something like Skoda’s RS range.

And that’s okay. Considering the price, it’s still a fantastic and well-equipped little sedan well worth your consideration, especially if you’re looking for a compelling drive experience.

The SkyActiv-X pushes the Mazda3 to new heights of refinement and reinforces the fact it’s still one of the best cars behind the wheel amongst its peers.

Mazda has made it subtle to a fault, so people will just have to believe you when you tell them this expensive little car pushes the bounds of how a non-turbo 2.0-litre engine can feel.

It’s great to see this new tech really does what it says it will do though, so we’re keen to see where Mazda can take it from here.

Korean cars have gone from poor imitations of Japanese rivals to the forefront of design in their respective price brackets. Kia is now well ahead of the curve, designing bold and dashing cars which are quite unlike others on the market.

The biggest surprise when it comes to the Cerato is the fact that the sedan, to my eyes, is miles more appealing than its hatch counterpart.

This is a vehicle with serious presence. It stands apart from rivals like the curvy Mazda3 and derivative Toyota Corolla by cutting a chiseled angular silhouette.

Everywhere you look there’s something interesting, be it the widening front spoiler with detailed grilles and air dams, its swept back LED eyes that rake up the bonnet, the fancy alloy wheels, or my personal favourite touch, that oh-so-resolved boot.

I’d say it’s better looking than Hyundai’s Elantra, and gives consumers something to think about before they settle on the once leading Mazda3.

Certainly, it cuts a profile far more appealing than most SUVs.

Inside is swish, too, the culmination of years of improvement emanating from the Korean brand’s design department now heavily staffed by Germans.

The chiseled look continues with strong contours running from the dash into the doors, and a satisfying sense of symmetry throughout.

The materials have taken a jump from the previous Cerato, too, now less clinical and hard-wearing, and a little more crafted to create an interesting and ergonomic environment. I'm a particular fan of the media set-up, flat-bottomed steering wheel, and rotary vents.

Look closely and you will find hard plastics and other little giveaways that this is still a car built to a strict price. Things like the holdover analog handbrake and padded but firm materials for your elbows show areas where improvements are yet to be made.

Still. Bravo. This is an excellent cabin design which I was more than happy in for hours on end.

There’s nothing interesting about the SkyActiv X’s design at all. In fact, from the outside, the only way you’d be able to tell this car apart from a regular Astina is the SkyActiv X badge on the back. There are no funky eco-look wheels, coloured pinstripes, or sticker-work as some other brands choose to go with.

I hope you weren’t trying to impress your neighbors with your damn-fangled engine tech then, because they’ll be none the wiser. Then again, they probably wouldn’t be able to tell a Hybrid Corolla apart from a regular one, so maybe subtlety is key here.

Inside is the same deal. There are no badges, alternate trims, or coloured highlights to let you know you’re in something a bit different.

The most significant change on the inside is buried two menus deep in the multimedia system. It’s a new energy monitoring screen to add to the fuel monitoring suite which shows you how power is being used in the car, and importantly, whether or not the engine is using the special combustion technology. There are some conditions on it which we’ll explain later.

So, it’s not special to look at, but does it need to be? Most people would say no. We all know the Mazda3 is a great looking car (arguably one of the best in this segment) whether you choose the sedan or hatch, so at least you won’t have to make a drastic style choice either way.

Cabin practicality is usually cooked into Kias, even with the effort applied to their ever-improving design.

Our Cerato GT had big cupholders in the centre console, a smallish armrest console box with no amenities in it, small trenches in the doors integrated with a small cupholder, and a large storage area under the climate controls.

This area was clearly suited to hold more than just a single phone, and our GT comes with another phone-sized shelf with a wireless charging bay to boot.

Full marks for connectivity, too, with dual USB ports, an auxiliary port and a 12-volt power outlet available. Notably missing is USB-C, but we think it will be a while before this standard becomes a requirement.

There’s a smallish glove box on the passenger’s side and a sunglass holder in the roof.

The Cerato’s driving position is generally very good and very adjustable, with an electric driver’s seat. You will have to crouch down a little to get in, due to this car’s relatively low ride height and roofline.

Rear seat passengers get more room than expected, with plenty of airspace for my knees behind my own driving position, and plenty of headroom, too.

The front seats have hard plastic backs on them (good for kids) although amenities are limited to four cupholders and directional air vents. There are no power outlets for rear passengers at all.

The boot is huge at 502 litres (don’t let anyone tell you an SUV has a bigger boot than a sedan – most don’t) and looks a bit basic with simple carpet trims.

There are two quick release leavers for the split-fold rear seats which is a nice touch, and a space saver spare wheel under the boot floor.

Again, no major changes to report here. The Mazda3 remains the same as before inside and out when it comes to dimensions. This means healthy space for front occupants, complete with lovely soft leather-clad trims on the doorcards and centre console for your elbows.

There are two smallish cupholders somewhat clumsily placed in front of the shift lever, a small binnacle in front of that, a large centre console box, and useful bins in the doors.

The pared back design makes for ergonomic button controls. Mazda’s dial-controlled media system takes a bit of getting used to, especially when using CarPlay or Android Auto, but some prefer it. Rear visibility is less compromised in the sedan as tested compared to the closed-in space which features on the hatch.

Back seat occupants get average legroom for the class, although they will benefit from the same relatively lavish soft leather-trimmed surfaces.

Boot space continues to be an issue for the hatchback with 295L, while opting for the sedan as tested here will well and truly solve the issue as it offers 444L.

The future isn’t cheap, and the new Mazda3 wasn’t a cheap car to begin with.

The new SkyActiv-X engine will be sold in just one trim level, the top-spec Astina, and will carry a $3000 premium over an identical car with the old naturally aspirated 2.5-litre ‘G25’ powertrain.

It makes for an MSRP of $41,590 in automatic form, as tested here. Mazda’s new premium push has compounded with the extra cost of the new engine to put the price dangerously close to premium car levels. A new BMW 1 Series, for example, can be had for $45,990.

It has to be said at this Astina grade, Mazda packs in the equipment. Standard fitment includes 18-inch 'gunmetal' alloy wheels, an 8.8-inch multimedia display (not a touchscreen) with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, built-in nav, digital radio, and Bluetooth connectivity, a slick Bose audio system, leather interior trim, full LED front lighting, heated auto-folding wing mirrors, push-start ignition, keyless entry, a sunroof, and a 360-degree top-down reversing camera.

There are some above and beyond additions, too, like a holographic head-up display, semi-digital dash, and a truly thorough safety suite. Alarmingly though, despite the electrical system overhaul, this Mazda is still missing advanced connectivity like USB-C and wireless charging. Seems like a petty complaint, but still one I’m going to make in the context of an over $40K hatchback.

The SkyActiv-X grade has a mild-hybrid system backed by a lithium ion battery which helps to power on-board auxiliary systems and "assist the engine." Unlike hybrid tech from Hyundai or Toyota, however, this system does not directly drive the wheels.

This is the clincher, really. The problem this car will face is being unable to take buyers away from hybrid Toyotas which are far more competitively priced, boasting even better fuel consumption.

The GT grade is the only Cerato in the range powered by a new 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine which produces an impressive-for-the-segment 150kW/265Nm.

It also does away with a six-speed torque converter auto, featuring a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic instead .

Here’s where it gets interesting. The SkyActiv-X X20 drivetrain is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder non-turbo petrol engine.

The trick? It blends the principles of spark plug ignition with that of diesel combustion ignition. Now to be clear, sparkless ignition would be the holy grail here, and that’s not quite what this engine does.

Mazda calls the tech spark-controlled compression ignition. It works by blending a lean mix of predominantly oxygen on the intake stroke in with a second injection of much richer fuel when the cylinder reaches close to its maximum compression. The spark plug then fires, and Mazda says this fuel mixture will then more fully combust thanks to the extra compression present.

According to Mazda at least, this means less wastage, more power, and cleaner emissions which are free of unburnt or partially burnt fuel.

Previous information had this engine feature a supercharger, and the brand's representatives confirm that some form of supercharging is present, however it is mainly "used as an air pump" for "ensuring an adequate supply of air is created" so that this new combustion cycle can take place.

Power has been boosted to 132kW/224Nm from the normal 2.0-litre’s 114kW/200Nm. Importantly, the peak torque figure arrives 1000rpm lower at just 2000rpm, getting close to the responsiveness of a turbo unit.

The SkyActiv-X is front-wheel drive only via an updated version of the brand’s six-speed torque converter automatic which is promised to be even more refined than its predecessor.

The new engine is also paired with a 24-volt mild-hybrid system which does not drive the wheels directly but assists the engine and auxiliary systems in the car.

The Cerato GT’s claimed combined cycle fuel consumption number is 6.8L/100km against which I scored an amazing 7.0L/100km.

To be fair, while I was driving it, there was very little traffic on the roads, and it did involve a solid freeway stint. Still, it’s impressive that the Cerato can score so close to its claimed consumption number after almost 600km of testing.

Kia says you can fill even this turbo Cerato’s 50 litre fuel tank with regular 91RON petrol.

All this new technology claims to cut 1.1-litres per 100km from the combined cycle fuel figure of an equivalent 2.5-litre Mazda3, down to a total of 5.5L/100km for the automatic (as tested).

Real world figures tell an interesting story. While my recent test of the 2.5-litre car produced a blow-out of 8.4L/100km, three days of driving the SkyActiv-X around in mixed conditions had it produce a much lower figure of 6.4L/100km.

So not only was the new engine more responsive, it was much closer to its claimed number on fuel, too. Emissions (often the real reason for advances in engine tech these days… ) have also dropped markedly from 152g/km of CO2 to 135g/km.

Interestingly, the SkyActiv-X engine requires 95 RON mid-grade unleaded petrol in Australia, contrary to previous information which suggested not only would the technology run on base 91, but it would actually run better.

Mazda says the 95 requirement is due to the high sulfur content of our entry-level fuel (a comment frustratingly echoed by other manufacturers), and it’s more a durability issue than one of octane. The brand’s representatives assured us 95 RON does not significantly affect the combustion ignition process.

As with all Mazda3s the SkyActiv-X has a 51 litre fuel tank.

With the Cerato GT’s newfound whiz-bang turbo engine comes dollops of driving engagement, but at a certain cost.

This is a fun car to accelerate in. The little engine makes a satisfying grumble when you put your boot into it and can make use of its peak torque from just 1500rpm.

It’s spritely enough to cause a break in traction off the mark, and with seven ratios available from the dual-clutch transmission, is more than happy to kick down a notch for an overtaking maneuver, even at freeway speeds.

The dual-clutch is fast, but has a few niggles at low speed. It can occasionally be indecisive, or get caught changing the wrong direction, but does well to keep up where it counts.

The steering seems immediately oddly heavy for a car this small, and it is to the point of being artificial. I'm not a huge fan.

It's direct and accurate in the corners, but constantly had me wondering how much of what I was feeling was real. At low speed the extra weight imposed by this electric system is a bit annoying.

The suspension, too, goes a little too far in the performance direction. I know a Kia warm sedan has something to prove to naysayers, but does it need to be so punishing?

The firmness inspires confidence when you’re in the corners but proved to be quite uncomfortable and noisy on poorly sealed roads.

Spend too long on this type of terrain, as I did, and you’ll start to notice the chassis constantly jiggling about, too firm to be settled at any speed.

Perhaps this is still what separates this Kia from, say, the Skoda Octavia, which I found to be firm but forgiving on similar surfaces.

Regardless, if you like driving to have fun, this is a car for you. The on-board tech proved to be wonderful for long freeway drives, too, with the adaptive cruise control and LED headlights surprisingly intuitive and easy to use. Full marks there.

I wasn’t sure what to expect. How does a different injection method feel?

After three days behind the wheel I can confidently say most people won’t really be able to tell the difference, but that’s not to say there isn’t one.

Quite the opposite in fact. This new engine’s bump in power and more readily available peak torque are notable.

I spent most of my drive time with the energy monitor screen set, so I could try to understand how this new engine reacted to my inputs. The combustion ignition (SPCCI) mode is working most of the time. It doesn’t run at idle, and Mazda says it won’t run at ‘high loads’, but it seems to always be on past about 1200rpm in normal driving.

Once it reaches that point, the revs surge up quickly, almost like a turbocharged engine. It’s not quite as full-on with its surge of power, but it is very noticeable.

It gives this car a kind of comfortable pulling power kick which is at least on-par, but probably better, than the equivalent 2.5-litre engine (without being able to test them side-by-side), despite its higher power figures.

I wish I could tell you there was some big ‘wow factor’ moment here. Like it sounds really great once it’s on song, or it has a snapping-on feeling like Honda’s once-lauded VTEC. But it doesn’t. This engine has a unique tone, sure, but it’s quiet and subtle, and the delivery of power is quite linear.

In fact, the whole drive is notably smooth and refined. A cut above the rest of the Mazda3 range. The engine sounds distant, even when pushed, and the transmission has been smoothed out further between gears and re-calibrated to better deal with the new powerplant’s readily available bump in power.

As always, Mazda’s 'i-Stop' stop/start technology is one of the best on the market, to the point where you won’t even notice it’s there. The efficiency of this system has apparently been given a boost by the new 24V hybrid system, but again, there’s little tangible difference in terms of how it feels.

The energy monitor really made me wish this car was just a traditional hybrid. I don’t doubt whatever comes next will be. it would be a truly fantastic step forward to blend the benefits of this engine with a true hybrid drive for even lower consumption.

The drive experience imparts a sense the SkyActiv-X simply does what it claims to do. It’s a shame there’s nothing particularly exciting for driving enthusiasts (apart from how cool the tech is), but it really lives Mazda’s current ethos of constantly tweaking and improving what it has to work with, without any radical changes to what consumers expect behind the wheel.

The same excellent suite of active safety items available on other Mazda3 Astina variants is offered here, meaning freeway-speed auto emergency braking (AEB), reverse AEB, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, rear AND front cross traffic alert (uses sensors to see around objects which might block your view when pulling out), traffic sign recognition, as well as adaptive cruise control with stop and go function.

On the expected side of things there are seven airbags, the expected brake, stability, and traction controls, as well as dual ISOFIX and three top-tether child seat mounting points across the rear seat.

Unsurprisingly, the Mazda3 carries a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating as of 2019.

Brand-new engines or not, Kia still covers its entire range with its leading seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty coverage.

We’re surprised no others have stepped up to the plate in this segment, with SsangYong exclusively offering SUVs and utes and MG seeing no business case to bring in its MG6 sedan for the time being.

Kia’s coverage also involves seven years of capped price servicing and up to eight years of roadside assist provided you stick to the brand’s servicing schedule.

The schedule involves servicing the Cerato GT once a year or every 10,000km whichever occurs first and costs between $282 and $640 for a yearly average over the seven years of $471 which is not particularly cheap.

All Mazda3s, including this new variant, carry a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty promise competitive with competitor marques, including five years of roadside assist.

Service pricing was not available at the time of launch, although Mazda told us it shouldn’t stray far from the current 2.5-litre engine option which costs between $315 and $359 on alternating years for the life of the warranty.

Service intervals should also remain the same at 10,000km or 12 months whichever occurs first.