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By
EWAN KENNEDY
25 July 2005
Kia is finally making an impression on the sales sheets in the
small-medium car market in Australia. Previously it has struggled in
this segment as buyers have traditionally preferred Japanese cars once
the price rises above the rock-bottom area. But Cerato is selling around
400 to 450 cars per month and the numbers look as though they will
increase.
A major reason for the success is that Kia gives
you a huge number of ‘extras’ in the Cerato. You not only get
power windows and door mirrors, a six-speaker CD stereo, but also
air conditioning and, something special in this class, cruise
control. Getting items like this in an $18,990 car is unusual and
buyers are impressed with the sales strategy. That price is for
the five-speed manual, a four-speed automatic will set you back a
further $2000.
Kia Cerato is sold only as a single model, with
one engine and a four-door sedan body. A five-door hatch may come
later. Styling is conventional without being bland, some may say
that its too conservative for this market segment, but many buyers
like it like that and there's little doubt that the shape, too, is
having a positive effect on sales.
Cerato is taller than average for a small-medium
sedan, yet doesn’t look overly high to the eye. Interior space
is enhanced by the extra height as the front seats don’t have to
be adjusted all the way back by tall travellers. So there's very
good legroom and headroom in the back for two large adults. Three
pre-teen children can be carried with a minimum of inter-sibling
argument.
Boot space is good and the rear seat backs are
released for folding by using levers at the front of the boot,
avoiding the usual leaning into the back door and fumbling around
amongst rear seat headrests and seatbelts. However, as is the way
in many current designs the short tail of the Cerato makes for a
tight boot opening and getting bulky items in can be all-but
impossible at times.
Build quality in Korean factories is improving
all the time. The body of the Cerato is generally tight in its
margins and smooth where lines converge. The paint job is good.
The interior still shows a few blemishes, but nothing like those
you would have come across five to ten years ago.
It’s not only the standard convenience
features that impress. Cerato comes with plenty of performance
courtesy of a 2.0-litre engine when many in the class come with
1.8-litre, or even 1.6-litre units.
As is often the way, a bigger engine doesn’t
necessarily mean increased fuel consumption. Unless you push the
car along, that is. Our test manual Cerato used seven to nine
litres per hundred kilometres in the country and 10 to 12 litres
per hundred around town. Motorway driving at 110 to 120 km/h
routinely saw the consumption drop below seven litres per hundred
kilometres.
There’s a more solid feel to the car than from
any previous small-medium Kia. It cruises comfortably at motorway
speeds and rough roads don’t knock it around overmuch.
Handling is safe and predictable although far
from sporty in its feel. The steering is rather light and
understeer starts to set in at speeds not much more than those
achieved by the average driver. Better tyres would probably help,
but as the Cerato is definitely aimed at the normal driver, not
the driving enthusiast, the dynamics are probably fine just the
way they are.
The new Kia Cerato is not only cheaper and
better equipped than most of it’s rivals, it also has the big
benefit of spaciousness, not always a common factor in cars in
this segment. It deserves a careful look at by anyone operating in
the tough sub $20,000 market.
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
Cerato 2.0-litre four-door sedan - $18,990
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Not offered
Air Conditioning: Standard
Automatic Transmission: $2000 option
CD Player: Standard
Central Locking: Standard
Cruise Control: Standard
Driver Airbag: Standard
Passenger Airbag: Standard
Front Side Airbags: Not offered
SPECIFICATIONS (Kia Cerato 2.0-litre
four-door sedan)
ENGINE
Capacity: 1.975 litres
Configuration: Four cylinders in line
Head Design: DOHC, four valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio: 10.0:1
Bore/Stroke: 82.0 x 93.5mm
Maximum Power: 101kW @ 6000rpm
Maximum Torque: 182Nm @ 4000rpm
DRIVELINE
Driven Wheels: Front
Manual Transmission: Five-speed
Automatic Transmission: Four-speed
Final Drive Ratio: 3.842:1
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES
Length: 4480mm
Wheelbase: 2610mm
Width: 1753mm
Height: 1470mm
Turning Circle: 10.1 metres
Kerb Mass: 1294kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 55 litres
Towing Ability: 453kg (850kg with braked trailer)
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: Independent, MacPherson struts, anti-roll bar
Rear Suspension: Independent, twin link, coils, anti-roll bar
Front Brakes: Ventilated disc
Rear Brakes: Disc
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: 10.5 secs
Standing 400 Metres: 17.1 secs
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
City Cycle: 11.2 L/100km
Highway Cycle: 8.1 L/100km
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Three years/ 100,000km
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Marque Publishing Company
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