Kia Cerato Si
Road Test
The Kia Cerato sedan has a stylish look to it which belies its humble origins. Adding premium technology and features to the standard Cerato fare, the Si model represents good buying. But a couple of issues saw it come up a little shorter than expected...
The Kia Cerato range has been updated for 2016 with more technology, greater features and additional safety extras which, until recently, have been found on larger, more expensive vehicles.
There are four models in the Cerato line-up, S, S Premium, Si and the range-topping SLi. Keeping the range super simple, the engine and transmission choice is not really a choice at all.
Each model features Kia’s competent 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine which creates 112kW. A six-speed manual transmission is offered only in the base S model and each other model comes standard with a six-speed automatic.
The Si model on test is offered at a drive-away price of $28,990 (our test vehicle included premium paint at a cost of $500).
In sedan form, the Cerato Si is a stylish looking car and in profile at least, it is certainly hard to pick as a Kia.
It sports 16-inch alloy wheels, a revised rear bumper design and updated taillights. At the front, the Cerato gains the newly revised Kia family front-end, with newly designed bonnet, headlights, bumper and foglights.
Its shark fin GPS gives a Euro edge to its silhouette, but more on that later.
For its drive-away price, the Cerato Si offers a good level of standard features. Like all Cerato models, it benefits from six airbags, front and rear parking sensors, cruise control, keyless entry and Bluetooth audio streaming. The Si model adds reversing camera as standard, in addition to Android Auto (and Apple CarPlay later this year) and dusk-sensing headlights.
Useful driver assist technologies including blind-spot detection, lane-change assist and rear cross-traffic alert are also included on Si variants.
Inside, the Si steps up from the utilitarian cloth seats of the S model with leather trimmed upholstery. Push-button ignition and electric folding mirrors add additional details that give the Cerato Si a more premium feel.
Despite the elevated level of features in the Si, there’s no variation in the Cerato line-up when it comes to suspension settings or performance. The Cerato Si shares the same underpinnings as the rest of the range, including the tuned-for-Australia suspension set-up that delivers a composed ride, even on the choppiest of country roads. Where the ride quality shines, just like it did in the Cerato S, the Si also suffers.
Steering still suffers on-centre at highway speeds where the car is impacted by cross winds and requires continual slight corrections; while cruise control is also sketchy on inclines and declines where the car fails to be held at the selected speed.
The inclusion of the shark fin GPS antenna has presumably necessitated the location of the radio aerial in the rear window of the sedan model, whereas the hatch is equipped with a standard mast. FM radio reception on the Si sedan was very poor in country areas, ironic considering the focus that the Kia has received in these very areas when it comes to ride and handling. While the signal had not been particularly strong on the hatch model driven in the same area the prior week, it was not nearly as sketchy as that of the sedan.
The HVAC system on the Si model also gave cause for some head scratching as it did not operate as expected. On cold mornings the front windscreen fogged up and took an age to clear. Today we’re used to clearing windscreens instantaneously, but not so in the Cerato which required several minutes to fully demist.
On the 100 kilometre drive to return the Kia, at temperatures under 10 degrees Celsius, I spent the majority of the journey with the ventilation directed to the windscreen, even though, given it was so cold, I would have preferred the heating to be directed into the cabin.
Each time I turned the heating up and switched the blower towards the face and/or feet, it caused the car to fog up in the windscreen, front windows and rear quarters. Only switching back to the demist function seemed to keep the windows clear. On a cold morning, this was less than ideal.
Much has been written about Kia’s continual focus on its suspension tuning for our roads. As I drive myself through the range, I have to concur that that focus has really paid off. The Kia’s are more accomplished on Australian roads than many vehicles that have not had the benefit of a local tune. If that same focus is not given to the rest of the vehicle, however, then does it really suit Australia as much as it could?
A radio that doesn’t deliver reception and a heater that’s less than ideal would be deal breakers for me, if I were in the market for a new small car. Yes, the Cerato rides wonderfully but the Si sedan fails to deliver the whole package, making it harder to recommend.
Price as tested: $28,990 (drive-away)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 112kW/192Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.1L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 169g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP
Also consider:
>> Holden Cruze Z-Series (from $24,840 plus ORCs)
>> Mazda 3 Touring (from $28,290 plus ORCs)
>> Volkswagen Jetta 118TSi Comfortline (from $29,990)