Hints of Stinger style in Kia Cerato
Performance-oriented GT models join the new Kia Cerato range of front-drive hatchbacks and sedans now on sale.
Kia Motors NZ says the fourthgeneration Cerato models have more style, space, technology, and performance.
They are longer, lower and sleeker, with styling similar to the larger Kia Stinger performance sedan.
The Cerato will range in price from $31,990 plus on-road costs for the entry-level LX models, to $41,990 for the top-end Cerato GT hatchback.
In between are four- and fivedoor versions of the EX model ($35,990), and a GT Line hatchback ($39,990).
Kia says Cerato has undergone suspension tuning suited to this part of the world, and offers features such as the latest autonomous emergency braking system that has enabled the Cerato to gain a 2019 ANCAP 5-star safety rating.
With the exception of the GT, hatch and sedan models are powered by a 4-cylinder 2-litre MPI engine, developing 112kW of power and 192Nm of torque, and mated to a sequential six-speed automatic transmission.
The GT hatchback has a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine that produces 150kW at 6000rpm and 265Nm of torque, delivered through a 7-speed DCT gearbox.
Apart from the autonomous emergency braking system, all models have adaptive cruise control, driver attention alert, lane keep assist, tyre pressure monitoring, smart key with engine stop/start button, rear view camera with front and rear parking sensors, alloy wheels, speed limiter, an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with voice recognition, and a sixspeaker DAB digital radio with Bluetooth connectivity. The GT also gets an eight-speaker JBL premium audio system.
The new Cerato was designed at Kia’s American design centre in California, with input from the Namyang design centre in Korea.
Kia Motors NZ says the long roof line of the hatchback echoes the 1950s “shooting brake” style.
Its increased cabin length is balanced by a longer bonnet, which helps to give the car a more athletic appearance, enhanced by a sharp crease line from the front headlight to the rear tail light.
From a sporty view point, the GT sits 10mm lower than the outgoing Cerato hatch, while the other models are 5mm lower.
Creases in the bonnet accentuate the Cerato’s muscular appearance, while its distinctive “face” features a revised interpretation of Kia’s signature ‘tiger-nose’ grille and aggressively shaped lower air intakes.
Cerato’s front overhang has grown by 20mm (to 900mm) and the rear overhang by 140mm, with much of the additional space going into the boot, claimed to be the largest in its class with 428 litres (VDA) with the rear seatback and luggage cover in place — that’s an 11 per cent increase over the previous Cerato hatchback.
Meanwhile, the sedan’s long bonnet and roofline that slopes gently into the short rear deck creates a fastback sedan silhouette reminiscent of the larger Stinger; further carried over by the daytime running light design, with separate turn-signal indicators integrated into the air curtain below.
Like the hatchback, a strong, straight shoulder line runs the length of the sedan, parallel to the road surface. At the rear, the sedan features separate reverse and turn-signal indicators beneath the rear lamps, that are connected by a single piece of trim. The design of the rear bumper is more powerful, giving the 1800mm-wide body a commanding presence.
The wheelbase of the new hatch and sedan is unchanged, at 2700mm.
Like the hatchback, the sedan has grown, with the overall length extended by 80mm, to 4640mm. Matching the longer front overhang, the rear overhang grows by 60mm to 1040mm, with the longer appearance enhancing its sports sedan proportions.
The new Cerato is more aerodynamically efficient, with the coefficient of drag improving to 0.27Cd (previously 0.28Cd), thanks to improved air flow along the roofline and beneath the body. Adding the GT’s character is a subtle yet distinctive body kit, dual exhausts, paddle shifters, alloy sports pedals and a flat-bottomed leather sports steering wheel.
All models feature alloy wheels, 16in for the LX, 17in for the EX and GT Line and 18in for the GT.
Nine colour choices include Clear White, Snow White Pearl, Silky Silver, Platinum Graphite, Gravity Blue, Aurora Black Pearl and newcomers Steel Grey, Horizon Blue, Runway Red, plus Orange Delight on the GT.
Cerato’s dashboard is 18mm wider than that of its predecessor. Drawing from the Stinger, the horizontal layout’s clean lines and fewer buttons help reduce visual clutter.
There are eight-spoke circular air vents on the dashboard, while there are plenty of soft-touch surfaces in the cabin.
Like other recent Kia models, the new Cerato adopts the same floating human-machine interface (HMI) at the heart of the centre console. Positioned 68mm higher than in the second-generation Cerato, the new HMI is more easily visible at a glance.
Standard USB and auxiliary-in ports enable occupants to connect mobile devices to the audio and infotainment system, as well as recharge batteries on the move, including a wireless charge in the GT and GT Line models. All grades also feature Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard.