KIA CERATO GT

You get a lot of car for the $36,990 Kia asks for its Cerato GT.

Its 10.25-inch central touchscreen is the biggest here, loaded up with satnav, a premium JBL stereo and smartphone mirroring.

There are also leather trim, heated and cooled front seats, a sunroof, dual-zone climate control and more.

Based on older tech, the Kia makes do with a conventional driver display. It also has just six airbags, but modern driver aids are present.

Kia’s cabin materials feel the cheapest here and it’s the noisiest car on the road. We would also argue its safety aids are more intrusive than the more subtle systems on its Euro rivals.

The Cerato’s GT badge is backed up by a 1.6litre turbo engine that needs 6.8L/100km to make a stout 150kW/265Nm. Highperformance Michelin sports tyres join 18-inch wheels, a sports exhaust and suspension that’s firmer than you’d find in VW’s Golf GTI hot hatch.

Petrolheads will like the GT’s throaty exhaust, heavy steering and firm responses. But it feels heavy on bumpy roads, with a harshness to the suspension that could be hard to live with day-to-day.