2013 Kia Cerato New Release

The 2013 Kia Cerato is the new model in the Kia range. It replaces the previous models; Spectra, Shuma and Mentor. As well, it gives Kia a fresh contemporary entrant into the competitive small vehicle market segment that just about every manufacturer has a model on sale. The KIA Cerato is available as a four door sedan only at this point, a sporty hatch version is expected out later in 2012. There are plenty of vehicles to choose from in this competitive market segment. Some vehicles in this class have been on sale for a long time. and are from established manufacturers that build excellent value into their cars. This new vehicle from Kia is also excellent value. Its keen drive away pricing will win plenty of fans but importantly the Cerato adds a new fresh design to the mix. It is a comfortable, easy to drive vehicle that should be included to the shopping list of buyers looking at cars in this category.

The KIA Cerato is sold with a comprehensive list of standard features especially for a new vehicle in this class. The 2013 Cerato comes standard with air conditioning, electric windows with automatic down function on the driver’s window, electric external mirrors, power steering, cruise control, remote central locking and a CD player with six speakers. Cabin storage is good for this sized vehicle, and whilst it hasn’t got the largest interior space in its class front occupant space is generous, likewise the rear will sit three across with reasonable ease. Large drink bottles can be stored in the door pockets. There is a storage binnacle in the centre of the dash that can take small items. Though, the bottom surface needs to be non slip to stop items from rolling around.

The front seats in the KIA Cerato have a flat seat base that lacks any real support . The backrests are a little better offering slightly more support to shoulders. The rear seats could also do with some additional thigh support. The air conditioning vents provide plenty of volume especially at low speeds. When seated behind the wheel the Cerato feels like most small cars in its class. It has a user friendly layout with enough seat adjustment for all shapes and sizes. Front vision is especially good. There are a couple of annoying points though, the steering wheel isn’t central to the driver’s seat and the handbrake is in an awkward position in the centre console. If the handbrake is on and reverse is selected the gear lever can hit the hand brake. Instruments are large and easy to read; at first glance the engine temp gauge and the fuel gauge look the same and can be initially a little confusing.

The build quality and finish is average for this class of vehicle. The paint quality on major
panels on the test vehicle was consistent, although door opening apertures were less so with some openings a little patchy. The boot area was trimmed and well finished, the interior trim was let down slightly by the interior carpet which appeared to be of fairly low quality and may not wear well. The Cerato comes standard with driver’s and passenger’s front air bags. The seat belts have pre tensioners and load limiters fitted. Not having ABS brakes available even as an option is a disappointing omission. The Cerato has an engine immobiliser and remote central locking as standard, and receives a security rating of 52 out of 120 which is above average for its class.

The engine and transmission package has been around in various guises for a while now
it’s not the latest technology by any stretch and its fuel economy reflects this as well, on test
the Cerato returned 9.litres per 100kms on our city cycle and 8.litres per 100kms highway. The 2 litre engine develops 101kW at 6,000 rpm and 182Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm. The manual tested proved to be a willing performer, with the transmissions ratios suited to the engines torque characteristics. One minor criticism of the transmission was the narrow gear lever gate. Between first and third gear, on up shifts into third gear it felt as though first was being selected, not a desirable trait!

Power steering is standard on the 2012 KIA Cerato and is hydraulically operated. At low speeds it’s light enough to make even the tightest car park spaces a breeze. The downside is, that at speed there is no real feedback to the driver and when hurried along the soft ride becomes lurchy which makes the Cerato feel a little unbalanced and flighty especially through tight twisting sections of road. Braking is the one area that Kia’s rivals outpoint the Cerato. The lack of ABS meant that stopping distances recorded were greater than many similar sized vehicles tested recently. The Cerato has four wheel disc brakes, 275mm ventilated at the front and 258mm solid discs on the rear. The brakes were light in operation but unfortunately gave little indication of lockup during emergency stops.

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