Kia Cerato 2020 Review

Kia Cerato 2020 - Now With Manual Option for Mid-spec Trim

One of the top-selling cars in Australia, the Kia Cerato has suffered a 25% down in sales last month compared to the same period last year. This is not surprising, however, as all the other car brands in the country have also experienced a decrease in sales because of the pandemic-induced recession.

Nevertheless, Kia remains one of the top car brands in the country and its small, economy car Cerato continues to take the lead in driving sales for the South Korean company. Available in identically priced sedan and hatchback body styles, a manual option for its mid-spec Sport trim is now available for its 2020 lineup.

Safety-wise, the car has earned a split rating from ANCAP in 2019. All models in the range received 5 stars except for the S and Sport variants, which only have 4 stars.

The car generally carries over the standard specifications from its previous model year. Nevertheless, Kia Australia has increased the pricing of Cerato to $500 higher for all variants due to the exchange-rate pressures caused by the troubled economic climate.

Kia Cerato 2020 Aggregated Reviews

WhichCar.com.au - 4/5
CarsGuide.com.au (GT Auto Sedan) - 8.1/10
CarAdvice.com.au (Sport Manual Sedan) - 7.7/10

We Love

• Well equipped for its price range
• Modern infotainment suite
• Plenty of active safety system features
• Auto emergency braking is standard on all models
• Class-leading 7-year unlimited kilometre and fully transferable warranty

Pain Points

• Harsh engine sound
• Rudimentary engine performance
• Automatic transmission variants are slow
• Fuel consumption in non-GT models is higher than key rivals
• 4-star ANCAP rating for S and Sport models

Exterior

The Cerato features a chiselled angular silhouette, which makes it stand out from other prominent rivals like Toyota Corolla and Mazda 3.

Available in identically priced sedan and hatchback body styles, the car comes in nine different exterior colours while a tenth colour option called Sunset Orange is exclusive to GT. All colours except for the standard clear white comes with a special paint surcharge.

Interior

Designed in stylish black accents, the Cerato’s interior design is clean, elegant, and ergonomically friendly.

Even the storage system is great for a small car. Plenty of storage spaces can be found inside the car, but the glove box with illumination and passenger-side seatback pocket are exclusively available in the top-spec Sport+ and GT.

Smart Cruise Control with steering mounted controls is available in the Sport Automatic with Safety Pack, Sport+, and GT trims.

All models have satin silver interior door handles except for GT, which has a brushed silver interior door handles. GT exclusively has alloy sports pedal, flat-bottom perforated leather sports steering wheel, and wireless phone charging (Qi).

The high-spec Sports+ and GT also provide the most relaxing environment with their heated front seats, rear air vents, auto defog system and dual-zone climate control. Being the top-spec, GT has an exclusive ventilated front seat among all models in the lineup.

Infotainment and Connectivity

Cerato has plenty of modern infotainment features that are standard across the range, including:

• MP3 compatible audio player with AM/FM tuner
• DAB Digital Radio
• 8” LCD Touchscreen
• Android Auto and Apple CarPlay with Voice Recognition
• AUX/USB input with iPod compatibility
• Bluetooth functionality
• Steering Wheel Mounted Audio/Bluetooth controls
• Speed Dependent Volume Control
• Plenty of Advanced Active Safety Systems

The top-spec GT has 8 speakers JBL premium sound system located in the front door, rear door, front tweeters, boot and centre consoles while the rest has 6 speakers located in the front door, rear door, and front tweeters. A Sat Nav Multimedia System with SUNA is also exclusive to GT.

What's it like to drive a Kia Cerato 2020?

The top-spec GT is fun to drive with its punchy 1.6-litre turbocharged engine. However, the rest of the models have reduced performance and fuel economy because of the combination of the old 2.0-litre petrol engine and the car’s 19 kg heavier-than-its-predecessor weight. Nonetheless, even the petrol engine provides a generally smooth driving experience in the city and on the highway because of Cerato’s local suspension calibration.

The car also has plenty of modern comforts, entertainment and safety features that provide a relaxing cabin experience for both driver and passengers.

All models in the range have an Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) and lane support functionality that supports safer driving. However, the camera-only AEB system fitted to S and Sport variants cannot react to vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists unlike in higher-spec models that have more an advanced camera and radar fusion AEB system.

This is the main reason why Cerato has a split ANCAP 2019 rating: 5 stars for all models except S and Sport.

Who’s the Kia Cerato 2020 for?

With plenty of modern infotainment and active safety features to enjoy even in its entry and mid-spec level trims, the Cerato is undoubtedly ideal for urban dwellers who drive a car for work or school.

There are also a lot of accessories that can give the car a personalise, more lifestyle-friendly touch, including cargo organiser, pet seat cover, windshield sunscreen, and iPad cradle.

The fuel economy, however, is not that great in the non-flagship trim as it uses a 2.0-litre petrol engine.

If you have the extra money, it is best to go with the GT model that’s powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine and has an impressive official economy rating of 6.8 litres/100km city and country combined.