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What's the difference?
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.
Ah, the Toyota Camry. A beloved sedan that has been the benchmark for reliability and family-hauling ever since the nameplate arrived on our shores in the early 1980s.
Adored by grandparents and commercial drivers everywhere, the newest iteration upholds the traditions while carefully positioning itself for a modern market.
I'm very happy that the champagne paintwork of my dad's 2001 Camry is no longer in fashion but that the practicality remains.
In an SUV-heavy market, sedans seem few and far between but it still has some strong competition from the Honda Accord, Skoda Octavia and Volkswagen Passat.
I've been driving the Camry SL Hybrid with my family of three to see how it stacks up. Keep reading to find out!
Kia has value and packaging on its side with the sleek and spunky Cerato GT sedan. There’s no shortage of standard gear, it comes with the latest multimedia and safety gear and the cabin and cargo area are spacious and practical.
The powertrain is a winner too. Which is why it’s such a shame that it’s let down so badly by the ride quality.
If you’re going to be driving on various road surfaces, or regularly driving long distance, check out the far more compliant Hyundai i30 N-Line instead.
But if you’ll only ever drive in urban areas – or enjoy the occasional back-road blast – and you can handle the firm ride, there’s still plenty to like about the Cerato GT.
The Toyota Camry SL Hybrid offers good practicality for families and has a handsome road-side presence. It's well-specified but some of the tech is being outshone by its rivals now. I love the price tag and the ongoing costs because in this day and age, every penny matters! But it's the driving experience that's the highlight for me and this earns an easy 9.0/10 from me.
My son loved the blue colour but was a little annoyed that our morning school run conversations were constantly interrupted by those school zone alerts. He still enjoyed this one though and gives it a 7.0/10.
When the fourth-gen Cerato sedan was revealed in US-market Kia Forte guise at the 2018 Detroit motor show, the design was praised for taking inspiration from the sleek Stinger performance sedan.
The facelift has arrived at just the right time to keep the Cerato fresh against the dominant Toyota Corolla, Mazda3 and new Volkswagen Golf.
The sharpened front-end styling features an eye-catching daytime running light signature and the headlights now connect with the redesigned, slimline Kia ‘tiger-nose’ grille in gloss black.
It’s a subtle, yet successful design refresh.
Inside, the Cerato is starting to look its age against rivals like the Golf and Mazda3. Those GT themed additions definitely lift the ambience of the cabin, but the dash layout feels a bit generic and the overall interior design is nothing flash. Especially when you consider the interior of some of Kia’s latest models, like the impressive Sportage medium SUV.
The Camry is easily recognisable on the road. It has that 'Toyota-ness' with panelling and lights managing to look sharp and curvy all at the same time.
The full LED exterior lights and cool faux intake vents at the rear makes it look steadfastly handsome.
It has a lot of road-side presence due to its sheer size. It's 4885mm long, 1840mm wide and 1445mm high. That translates to roomy cabin space, where practicality rather than sexiness has taken the design reins.
The dashboard's centre curves towards the right, making it feel very driver-centric but not necessarily passenger friendly when it comes to accessing the charging ports or utility tray.
There are a multitude of soft touchpoints which combine with the panoramic sunroof to add a sense of refinement to the cabin.
As mentioned, the red stitching throughout, chunky steering wheel and sports seats are welcome additions to the GT cabin.
There are soft-touch materials on the top of the dash but hard plastics on the dash fascia.
There’s no fully digital instrument cluster, but it has a 4.2-inch LCD display in the cluster showing fuel economy and the like. No complaints with the analogue dials and there’s a digital speedo if required.
The update ushered in Kia’s latest multimedia system to the Cerato and it’s a winner thanks to cool graphics, logical menus and its ease of use.
There’s quite a sizable central storage bin and glovebox, while the console houses a key slot, two sizeable cupholders and a second spot for devices adjacent to the charging pad.
The front sports seats look sexy, have excellent side and body bolstering and they’re firm, but comfortable.
A 600mL bottle will just fit into the doors, bit it’s tight.
Sitting behind my six-foot (182cm) frame in the rear, legroom is adequate but toe room is tight. My head was about an inch away from the headliner due to the sloping roofline. The rear seats are also firm.
The Cerato has lower rear air vents, one USB-C port, a map pocket on the passenger side, a central rear armrest with two cupholders, and bottles slot into the doors easier than they do up front.
Kia offers a temporary spare wheel housed under the boot floor. The boot is long, offering an impressive 502 litres (VDA) of cargo space, which is more than other small sedans like the Subaru Impreza (460L VDA) and the Hyundai i30 (474L VDA).
Lower the rear 60/40 seats via the levers in the boot and that space increases further, but they don’t fold completely flat.
The interior is quite practical and boasts a roomy cabin. I have plenty of head- and legroom in both rows, so taller passengers will feel comfortable.
Up front, the leather-accented seats are well-padded and are electric with heating and cooling functions, but the trim can feel a bit too synthetic for my liking.
It's easy to clean, though, which is always handy when you have kids or pets around.
Individual storage options are quite good with a 7.3-litre middle console, a glove box, plus two cupholders and a skinny drink bottle holder in each door.
The phone utility tray is great as it hides a second storage area underneath that's large enough for a wallet and keys.
The 9.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system is simple to use but is starting to look a bit old compared to its rivals.
There is wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as, built-in satellite navigation which is always a bonus.
The 7.0-inch digital instrument panel is very easy to read and the coloured head-up display is clear, too.
Charging options are okay but not awesome for a top-model. You get a single USB-A port and 12-volt port up front and two USB-C ports in the back.
But there's no wireless charging pad or USB-C port in the front, which would provide faster charging speeds.
In the back seat, individual storage is average with two map pockets, two cupholders in the fold-down armrest and skinny drink bottle holders in the doors.
The amenities are a bit bare for a top-model and there are no additional luxe factors to add some comfort for older kids or adults, like heated seats or climate control. I do like the directional air vents and reading lights, though.
There are ISOFIX child-seat mounts on the outboard seats and three top-tether anchor points but two seats will fit best.
There is plenty of room for front passengers when a 0-4 rearward facing child seat is installed, too, but with the lower height of the car, you may get a sore back bending down all the time to buckle in an infant.
The boot is large at 524L but typical for a sedan, meaning the aperture is narrow. You might struggle to fit bulkier items.
There's a temporary spare wheel under the floor and while there's no powered tailgate, you probably won't mind because it's so light to open.
The GT is priced at $35,290 before on-road costs regardless of whether you opt for the four-door sedan (as tested here) or the five-door hatchback, though be aware that Kia Australia regularly runs drive-away pricing campaigns.
There’s not a lot of competition in the warmed-up small car market these days. A number of carmakers have slimmed down their small-car line-ups in the face of falling sales.
Kia’s closest rival is also its mechanical sibling, the Hyundai i30 N-Line sedan and hatch. The Hyundai is cheaper by more than $2500, but the more generously equipped i30 N-Line Premium sedan is a little over $2000 more expensive than the Cerato GT.
The Mazda3 GT sedan and hatch could also be considered a rival and pricing is about on par with the Kia.
Other lower grades in the Cerato range run from $25,490 to $30,640 (MSRP).
The GT benefits from the more premium powertrain offering in the Cerato line-up – the 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine shared with the i30 N-Line and the recently discontinued Veloster Turbo.
The GT bodykit adds sporty styling flourishes like a black front and rear diffuser, boot spoiler, dual exhaust, black external mirror caps, red highlights and 18-inch GT alloy wheels.
This theme carries through to the cabin too with features like alloy sports pedals, flat-bottom perforated leather sports steering wheel and leather-appointed seats with red stitching and embossed GT logo.
As the range flagship, the GT also has the most standard equipment. It comes with a sunroof, eight-way power driver’s seat, wireless device charging, an eight-speaker JBL premium sound system, heated and ventilated front seats and dual-zone climate control air conditioning.
The only option fitted to the test car was Snow White Pearl premium paint for $520.
There are four models in the Camry line-up and the SL sits at the top, with a price tag of $50,320, before on-road costs.
That makes it more affordable than equivalent versions of its rivals, with the Skoda Octavia 180TSI being the closest at $53,090, the Volkswagen Passat 162TSI Elegance coming next at $57,790 and the Honda Accord Ti-LX Hybrid blowing them all away with a $61,900 price tag (all before on-road costs).
As you'd expect for a top-model, the SL is well-specified. Both front seats feature eight-way power adjustments, plus heating and cooling functions, as well as adjustable lumbar support.
A panoramic sunroof and JBL sound system with nine speakers rounds out the luxe factors while comfort gets a good look in with amenities like dual-zone climate control, electric tilt/telescopic steering wheel, keyless entry and leather-accented trims throughout.
You do have to fork out a bit extra ($590) for all but one paint colour but otherwise, you get a lot for your cash here.
While all other Cerato grades use a 112kW/192Nm 2.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, the GT benefits from a spicier powertrain.
Under the bonnet is the Hyundai Group 1.6-litre T-GDI four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine delivering 150kW of power at 6000rpm and 265Nm of torque at 1500-4500rpm. This is the same tune as the Hyundai i30 N-Line.
This is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that drives the front wheels. Lower grades use a six-speed torque converter auto. Kia dropped the manual from the S and Sport grades as part of the update.
The GT differs from the rest of the Cerato range as it has multi-link rear suspension, instead of a torsion beam setup. Both the suspension and steering have been tuned for dynamic driving. More on that later.
This model has a 2.5-litre, four-cylinder hybrid engine with a maximum power output of 160kW but Toyota doesn't quote a combined torque figure.
I was very surprised by the power – it's got some serious grunt when you need it.
The SL is a front-wheel drive and has a continuously variable auto transmission, which is so smooth as to be almost undetectable for gear changing!
According to Kia, the Cerato GT sedan uses 6.9 litres of fuel per 100km on the combined cycle. The GT hatch uses 0.1L less.
After a week of mixed driving in the Cerato GT, we recorded a combined fuel consumption figure of 9.0L/100km – a fair bit more than Kia’s claim.
The GT emits 157g/km of CO2 (official combined).
So, how's that hybrid efficiency? The official combined fuel cycle figure is 4.7L/100km and my real-world usage came to 5.5L/100km.
That's great for this size sedan! I covered a combination of open-road and urban driving this week, so I'm very happy with my result.
Based on the combined fuel figure and the 50L fuel tank, you should be able to get a driving range of around 1064km, which is stellar.
Toyota recommends a minimum 95 RON petrol to be used for the Camry.
The 1.6-litre turbo engine is a ripper and it’s been put to good use in Hyundai’s i30 N-Line and Veloster Turbo.
It’s just as willing and responsive under the bonnet of the Cerato GT, but they each perform quite differently.
Accelerating from a standing start, there’s mild turbo lag in the Cerato, and some torque steer when accelerating hard.
Once up and running it’s quick, and the seven-speed dual clutch snaps through the gears smoothly while still allowing it to rev freely.
It’s the type of powertrain that is utterly unbothered by things like steep ascents. The Cerato GT just keeps pushing on, without losing momentum.
The downside of that is that the engine is super noisy when pushed and the Kia just doesn’t have sufficient noise suppression materials to counter that. Because of this, it lacks the refinement of its i30 N-Line cousin and the Mazda3.
Steering is weighted on the heavier side but it’s direct and the car goes where you point it.
Like many Kia models, the Cerato GT benefits from an Australian-specific steering and suspension tune. Kia doesn’t have a full performance hot hatch to line up with the i30 N, but the engineers seem to have tuned the suspension to be just as capable as the full-fat i30 N.
That certainly aids dynamic driving in the Cerato GT. It hugs corners and grips the road, avoiding any skipping and with only a hint of body roll.
However, we think Kia’s engineers have made the damper settings too firm, because the Cerato GT’s ride is harsh in virtually all driving environments.
A new, freshly laid road surface in an urban area without any speed bumps was the only time the ride was comfortable during our week with the car.
It crashes over potholes and it’s loud and jarring when you unexpectedly encounter a sharp rut. There’s a bit of vibration through the steering wheel too.
This is disappointing, especially when you consider that the i30 N-Line has a much more supple ride and is the sort of warmed-up hatch or sedan you could easily live with day to day.
We briefly drove the i30 N hot hatch just before we got into the Cerato GT and even that has a more tolerable ride quality than the Kia.
I fell in love with this car once I started driving it because it's got to be one of the smoothest cars I've driven! It totally has your back when it comes to ride comfort, too.
The suspension feels well-tuned for Aussie roads but doesn't feel springy. It will still hug the road in a hard corner, making it a pleasure on my winding coastal journeys this week.
As I've mentioned, the power delivery surprised me and I had no trouble keeping up with traffic or overtaking. It's also very responsive accelerating from a full stop, which isn't always the case for CVTs.
The cabin is whisper quiet, even at higher speeds and the engine noise around town is all but mute.
The visibility is good from my driving position and despite its larger size, it's super easy to park. It has a 360-degree view reversing camera but I was disappointed with the image quality. Serves its purpose, though.
The Cerato GT achieved a five-star ANCAP crash safety rating in 2019 and it applies to all Cerato variants built after June 2021, except the S and Sport which have four stars because the autonomous emergency braking system offered as standard in those grades can’t detect vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists.
Standard safety for the GT includes auto emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, forward collision warning, rear occupant alert, driver attention assist, rear cross-traffic alert with collision avoidance, blind spot detection and collision avoidance assist, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist with lane follow assist steering, safe exit warning, front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera.
At one point, the AEB kicked in pulling out of a parallel street parking spot because it detected a vehicle that had already driven past the car and was several metres ahead.
Kia’s lane keep assist system is generally impressive and functions without issue, but it pulls on the wheel a little. It’s not jolty like systems offered by some other brands.
When lane keep and follow assist are active, it can be fiddly to switch them both off. If you hold the steering wheel-mounted button down, the follow assist stays on but the lane keeping deactivates, so you just have to keep holding the button down until the lane and steering wheel icons in the digital display eventually disappear.
The safety features are extensive on the Camry and I really like the automatic collision notification. If airbag deployment or a serious collision is detected, Toyota's emergency call centre is notified and if you need assistance or if you don't respond, they will notify emergency services to your situation and location.
Other standard safety features include daytime-running lights, blind-spot monitoring, SOS emergency call button, stolen vehicle tracking, forward collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane keeping aid, lane departure warning, AEB (with car, pedestrian and cyclist detection), adaptive cruise control with stop and go, intelligent seatbelt reminders, traffic sign recognition, 360-degree view camera, as well as, front and rear parking sensors.
The Camry was awarded a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating but it was done ages ago in 2017. There are seven airbags but it's missing the front centre airbag we're starting to see on newer cars.
This also has a lot of road alerts, for example when you are approaching, in and exiting a school zone (yep, an alert for each scenario) or approaching a speed/red light camera.
The settings are buried deep in the menu and I ended up turning most of them off given of how intrusive they are.
My Dad likes this feature on his Prado but I'm not a fan at all.
The Cerato, like all Kia models, is offered with a seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, and one-year free roadside assist which extends year by year if you service with Kia (up to eight years).
It also comes with a seven-year capped-price servicing plan that costs approximately $3234 over the seven-year period.
Servicing intervals for the Cerato GT are every year or 10,000km, whichever comes first.
The on-going costs are great on the Camry Hybrid. It comes with a five-year/unlimited km warranty, but you can get up to 10 years warranty on the hybrid battery if you service the car at a Toyota dealership.
It has a five-year capped-price servicing plan and services are a flat $255 per service, or $1275 over the five-years – which is cheap compared to its rivals.
Servicing intervals are every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.