Car reviews

Introduction

The Cerato is spacious and comfortable on the inside and comes with plenty of equipment as standard. However, it’s full of cheap dull plastics that detract from the overall feel of the car. It comes as both a hatchback and saloon model, but the hatchback comes with added versatility. The saloon is the only version of the car that offers the more powerful 2.0-litre petrol engine. Kia has improved the ride quality compared to its predecessor the Shuma, but it still has imprecise steering and there is too much body roll in the corners.

Exterior & Interior

The Cerato comes as either a hatchback or saloon with the body offering plenty of interior space. All four occupants will have plenty of head, shoulder and legroom and the seats are fairly comfortable if not that supportive. The driver shouldn’t have any problems getting comfortable either with the steering wheel and drivers seat being fully adjustable. The boot is a good size too and the back seats split and fold for any larger objects. The trim spec doesn’t quite compare to that of its European rivals, but Kia is getting better in this area and the car overall is pleasant enough. As mentioned the kit levels are pretty good in the Cerato, even the entry level GS comes with a CD stereo, front electric windows, air-con and central locking. Don’t worry about going for the higher LX trim level though as all it adds is alloy wheels and front fog lights.

Drive

The Cerato’s ride is one of the areas that Kia has concentrated on improving and as a consequence has improved the overall performance of the car compared to older models. It’s still nothing special though and is far from being a class leader with its imprecise steering and large amounts of body roll in the corners. The insulation does a good job, but it could do with more as wind and road noise is still evident. The suspension does a good job of ironing out most of the bumps in the road and delivers a good level of comfort.

Faults & Repairs

Kia’s build quality and reliability has steadily increased over the years, however, there are still a couple of areas that keep cropping up with problems. You should thoroughly test the clutch and gearbox in the Cerato and if the clutch peddles and gearstick movement aren’t perfectly smooth getting into first or reverse gear when the gearbox is cold, then walk away from the vehicle as it could point to very costly problems in the near future. Servicing costs are cheaper than its rivals and with it only needing to see a mechanic every 10,000 miles you won’t have to splash out too much cash on services.