2020 Kia Cerato – Value

The Kia Cerato hatch and sedan have stylish cabins, strong infotainment suite, and drive nicely, with all versions featuring some kind of autonomous emergency braking and seven-year warranty. The range is topped by a fun-driving GT version powered by a punchy 1.6-litre turbocharged engine.

Wishing Kia had installed a not-so sluggish engine in the non-GT versions than simply carrying over the old 2.0-litre powerplant from the previous model. The new model is 19kg heavier than its predecessor, resulting in reduced performance and fuel economy; up from 7.2 litres/100km to 7.4 litres/100km.

Feeling fatigued after long drives in a Cerato GT thanks to the hard suspension tune that makes it great for handling but a harsh over less than perfect roads such as country highways.

Five-door hatch, and four-door sedan.

The Cerato drives the front wheels, and are classed as a small car, lower priced.

• An 8.0-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone paring, and Bluetooth connectivity for phone calls and music streaming. Sound system with six speakers (except the GT which has eight speakers).
• Reversing camera with parking guidelines.
• Front and rear parking sensors that help you judge how close you are to obstacles.
• Autonomous emergency braking that detects, and prevents or mitigates a collision with a vehicle in front of your Cerato.
• Cruise control.

Kia Cerato S

• Lane-keeping assist that helps steer the Cerato within the lines on a highway.
• Dusk-sensing headlights, daytime running lights and rear fog lights.
• Height and reach adjustment for the steering wheel, and height adjustment for the driver’s seat.
• Controls on the steering wheel for the cruise control, the audio system and your phone.
• Seatbelt reminders for all five seat positions.
• Tyre pressure monitor.
• Space-saving spare wheel and tyre,
• Hill-start assist, which controls the brakes automatically to help you start from rest on an uphill slope.
• Anti-lock braking system (ABS) and electronic stability control (Esc), which can help control a skid or slide. All new cars must have these features.
• Six airbags: two at the front; one on each side to protect front-seat occupants in side crashes; and a curtain airbag down each side to protect heads in a side impact.

The Cerato has a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.

The 1.6-litre turbocharged engine in the Cerato GT hatch and sedan has an official economy rating of 6.8 litres/100km (city and country combined) through its seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Our real-world testing has seen that figure rise to about 8.4 litres/100km.

The main reason you wouldn’t choose this engine is that it’s only available in the most expensive Cerato, the GT, and you want to buy a more affordable version. This would bring you the 2.0-litre petrol engine that carried over from the previous model.

Because the new model is a little heavier it consumes slightly more than before – 7.4 litres/100km (city and country combined) with the six-speed automatic transmission and 7.6L/100km with the six-speed manual. In real-world driving, expect about 9.0 litres/100km on average.

While a little dated, the 2.0-litre is a flexible engine that performs well in the city and cruises comfortably on the highway.

The Cerato S and Cerato Sport come with a six-speed manual gearbox but offer a six-speed conventional auto as an option. All other Ceratos have the auto as standard.