The facelifted 2021 Kia Cerato has arrived in Australia, bringing a fresh front-end design, more safety and tech features, higher prices across the board and – for the first time Down Under – the radical new Kia logo on its nose and tail.
In showrooms within days, the new-look Kia Cerato hatch and sedan replaces the Korean car-maker’s top-selling model and will once again be available in four variants – S, Sport and Sport+, with the new GT Turbo flagship to follow in mid-June.
No pricing has yet been announced for the top-shelf GT Turbo (pictured here in red) and once again pricing will be identical for the Cerato hatch and sedan, which was also revealed last month.
The biggest news here is the axing of all manual transmissions, meaning all three versions announced so far will be 2.0-litre automatics and the entry-level 2021 Kia Cerato S goes up in price by $3300 to $25,490 plus on-road costs (previously $22,190 plus ORCs) or $25,990 drive-away.
Similarly, the auto-only 2021 Kia Cerato Sport now costs $27,590 plus ORCs (up $3400) or $27,990 drive-away and the Sport+, which has always been auto-only, now costs $30,640 plus ORCs (up $600) or $31,690 drive-away.
A $1000 Safety Pack for the S and Sport (standard on Sport+) includes AEB Fusion II autonomous emergency braking with car, pedestrian and cyclist detection, an electric parking brake, 15-inch rear disc brakes, Smart Cruise Control, Blind Spot Detection, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, electric folding mirrors and a leather steering wheel and gear shifter (standard on Sport).
Punctuated by a new front bumper, grille, headlights and foglights, plus a new rear bumper, boot and tail-lights for the sedan, the 2021 Kia Cerato brings a range of new safety kit.
This includes Rear Seat Alert, LED Daytime Running Lights and Lane Following Assist across all models, while Sport + and GT variants gain Blind Collision Avoidance Assist and an electric parking brake.
Convenience and comfort upgrades include rear air-vents for all models and a sliding sunroof for the GT.
Other new features include a 10.25-inch infotainment touch-screen with SUNA and 10 years free MapCare plus 17-inch alloy wheels for the Sport.
The base Kia Cerato S continues to ride on 16-inch steel wheels but adds car/pedestrian AEB, Lane Following Assist, LED daytime running lights, a 4.2-inch colour TFT LCD Cluster, Rear Seat Alert, rear air-vents and an 8.0-inch AV unit with wired/wireless Android
Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay.
The 112kW/192Nm Nu 2.0-litre four-cylinder MPI petrol engine and six-speed automatic transmission will carry over in the S, Sport and Sport+, and the GT will continue to be powered by a 150kW/265Nm 1.6-litre turbo-petrol four.
The Kia Cerato has found 153,918 Australian buyers since it hit the local market in 2003, surpassing the Kia Rio’s cumulative total since 2000.
How much does the 2021 Kia Cerato cost?
S – $25,490 plus ORCs ($25,990 drive-away)
S with Safety Pack – $26,490 ($27,490)
Sport – $27,590 ($27,990)
Sport with Safety Pack – $28,590 ($29,490)
Sport+ – $30,640 ($31,690)