Kia Cerato GT 2019 Review

We've lavished praise on the Kia Cerato in recent times and in a basic specification it has even given a hiding to the highly rated (but soon to be replaced) Mazda3.

But now Cerato faces its biggest test – finding a niche that eluded the much admired but ultimately flawed pro_cee'd GT. The new Kia Cerato GT is powered by the same engine as the three-door liftback, but it has one or two points of difference in its favour. For a start, the Cerato GT is offered to Australian buyers in the guise of very practical five-door hatchback or slightly less practical four-door sedan.

And then there's the major benefit of a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission in the new model. Where the pro_cee'd GT struggled to find an audience with just a manual transmission, the Kia Cerato GT will shift gear by itself.

This combination is not unknown to local enthusiasts; it has already been on sale in Australia through Hyundai, Kia's parent company. The recently discontinued Elantra SR and the ongoing i30 N Line have both featured this powertrain.

For the local launch of the new Kia Cerato GT, the importer let loose the Aussie motoring media in Victoria's picturesque Yarra Valley. The winding, hilly roads were the perfect setting to assess this promising new model.

Although the Cerato GT is technically close to both the pro_cee'd GT, and Hyundai's Elantra SR and i30 N Line, there are some differences.

Kia says that the Cerato GT rides firmer than the Hyundai i30 SR, which was benchmarked for local chassis tuning, and the result of that local input seems to have overcome any need for a limited-slip differential – on dry bitumen at least.

The Kia Cerato GT will exhibit signs of torque steer, but given the amount of torque running through the front wheels, it's hardly excessive. At times the traction control system did have to work hard to keep the Kia tracking true, but the system went about its business without emasculating the car's performance. Most of the time only the winking light in the dash gave the game away.

The steering was precise, direct and communicative, and the handling was basically fail-safe. On a trailing throttle the Cerato GT tips in very neatly, and with power applied on the way out of the bend it holds the line well. Backing off mid-corner will bring the nose in, but even then the multi-link rear end never so much as hints at oversteer and the change in attitude is very progressive and calming. The Cerato GT is also equipped with strong, dependable brakes that took a 30km hammering in their stride.

This is a car that will encourage the enthusiastic driver to press on harder, exploring the Cerato GT's limits. If there's one objection – and it's a minor one, given the nature of the car – the ride is firm. Some will find it too firm, but it is a sports/performance hatch after all.

In many respects, the chassis of the Cerato GT is a hot-hatch setup underpinning a warm-hatch engine. Not to knock the small-displacement turbo powerplant, but the Cerato GT could handle more engine output, such is the capability of the suspension, the Michelin tyres and brakes. On very rare occasions, when you're pushing hard, even the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission doesn't seem to have quiet enough cogs, or the ratios aren't spaced closely enough.

In point of fact, the engine's torque spread isn't perhaps as wide as hot-hatch owners have come to expect. The sweet spot seems to be between 3500 and 5500rpm, which is more than broad enough to meet the demands of most drivers. If you really want more output from a four-cylinder engine it's time to step up to a hot hatch. Simple as that.

The engine sounds sporty under load, although Kia does tell us that there is an electronic sound generator under the bonnet. Posting figures like 7.8L/100km in gentler moments, the turbo engine can be a fuel sipper, but during the 30km charge through the countryside the trip computer was briefly displaying an average fuel consumption figure of up to 28.5L/100km!

When it's not being flogged mercilessly, the engine can be as tame as a lap dog. In combination with the dual-clutch transmission it's up for anything – whether dawdling along in slow traffic or powering ahead of the pack when a gap opens up. The sheer depth of capability this powertrain offers has to be experienced to believe – especially for the money. There are quicker small cars around (the previously mentioned 'hot hatches', for example), but few can deliver such refined performance and power delivery at anything like the Cerato GT's pricing position.

Inside, the Kia Cerato GT hatch provides marginal headroom and legroom in the rear for adults of average height, but most will sit comfortably there, kept cool by the adjustable vents. The front seats are comfortable and hold the occupants fast even with high lateral forces imposed while cornering. They also come with seat ventilation, which was almost a Godsend during the drive program, as humidity and temperature rose outside.

The Cerato's controls are simple to use and the instruments are easily legible. There's a raft of advanced safety features fitted as standard – some of which help the Cerato GT achieve a five-star ANCAP rating – and the overall build quality meets the required standard, although some of the interior plastics below the line of sight will never win awards for looks and feel, but there's more than a smattering of leather upholstery and some piano-black gloss trim in this affordable car that's on the road for less than $32,000.

Other than the points already mentioned, the only other concern is the space-saver spare under the floor of the boot. It's kind of a necessary evil.

On balance though, there's very little to mark down on the debit side of the ledger for the Kia Cerato GT hatch. Certainly nothing that would deter an enthusiastic buyer from owning one.

How much does the 2019 Kia Cerato GT cost?
Price: $31,990 (drive-away)
Engine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 150kW/265Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch
Fuel: 6.8L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 158g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP, 2019)