Kia has revealed the new Cerato sedan for the
Australian market, bringing with it the new style and features. The car soldiers on with the same engine as before, 2.0 litre NA producing
150 hp at 6,200 rpm and 192 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm.
It’s paired to revamped six-speed manual and torque
converter automatic gearboxes. Fuel consumption is rated at 7.4 litres per 100
km for the auto version and 7.6 litres per 100 km for the manual, with carbon
dioxide emissions of 170 and 172 grams per kilometre respectively.
Pricing Down Under starts at AUD 19,990 for the base S variant with the manual transmission, rising up to AUD 21,490 for the automatic version and AUD 23,690 for the Sport
auto before topping out at AUD 26,190 for the Sport+ auto.
Standard kit includes halogen projector headlights,
fog lights, 16-inch steel wheels with hubcaps, an eight-inch centre touchscreen
with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, DAB+ digital radio, cruise
control, front and rear sensors and a reverse camera. Safety kit includes six
airbags, stability control, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane keeping
assist and a tyre pressure monitoring system.
Stepping up to the Sport adds 17-inch alloy wheels,
navigation, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gearlever and sports seats.
The Sport+ throws in Porsche-style four-point daytime running lights, keyless
entry, push-button start, leather upholstery, power-folding wing mirrors,
dual-zone automatic climate control with rear air vents and adaptive cruise
control.
For an extra AUD 1,000, the Safety Pack 1
for the S and Sport models add adaptive cruise control (auto only) blind spot
monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, power-folding wing mirrors and a leather steering
wheel. Blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert is also available for
the Sport+ model as a AUD 500 Safety Pack 2.
The design is said to have
taken many cues from the Stinger flagship, with sweptback headlights, slim
“tiger nose” grille, a longer bonnet, sweeping glasshouse and short tail for
that fastback look. On the inside, there’s a horizontal dashboard layout with
the now-familiar floating infotainment screen and round air vents at the
corners.
Measuring 4,640 mm long, 1,800 mm wide and 1,440 mm
tall, the new Cerato is 80 mm longer, 20 mm wider and 5 mm taller, although the
2,700 mm wheelbase remains. Kia says that the increased dimensions improve both
head and legroom, and boot capacity has been increased from 482 to 502 litres.