Kia Cerato

Kia Cerato at a glance

The Cerato is a monocoque compact car with a transverse front engine and front-wheel drive. Its exterior design has been shaped by Kia's design studio in California. More Kia models are listed in our Kia catalogue.

Kia Cerato generations

The second generation (Forte in North America) went on sale in Korea in August 2008 and shared its platform with the Hyundai Elantra. A Korean-market LPI hybrid combined an 85 kW LPG engine with a 15 kW electric motor. The third generation introduced the K3 name in its home market, and the Koup two-door followed for 2015. According to published figures, more than 2.5 million Ceratos had been sold worldwide by 2014.

Fourth generation (2018–2024)

The fourth Cerato grew in size and gained a more mature look, a new interior, updated technology and many new features. It was built in Korea, Mexico, China, Vietnam and elsewhere, and a facelift arrived in April 2021.

Exterior

The fourth generation offers a striking design for its price, aimed especially at younger buyers who want to stand out in traffic. The front is more assertive and slightly raked, with a bonnet whose large central section is recessed between raised ribs. Beneath them sit stylish headlights, and in the middle is Kia's traditional "tiger nose" grille with a chrome surround and a coarse gloss-black mesh. The lower bumper is dominated by a large trapezoidal intake with gloss-black trim, flanked by round fog lights and side openings with black mesh and LED daytime running lights. The front design resembles that of the Kia Stinger, which was also designed under Peter Schreyer.

In profile the Cerato is stylish without much decoration: the window line has chrome or gloss-black trim, the pillars are always black, and the triangular mirrors have indicators even in base versions. The sides are sculpted, the wheel arches are flared, and wheels range from 15 to 17 inches. Ground clearance is about 150 mm, according to published figures. The short, high rear has a small decorative lip on the boot lid, aggressive tail lights, chrome badges and a sporty bumper with triangular fog lights, stepped surfaces, a gloss-black diffuser and a single chrome exhaust outlet.

Interior

While the exterior still resembles the previous model, the cabin is almost entirely new, with a different dashboard and seats. Cloth upholstery is standard and leather optional, though most other surfaces are plastic. Sound insulation is generally good, but noise rises at high revs. The driver faces a three-spoke steering wheel with chrome buttons on two spokes, a column adjustable for height and reach, and a largely analogue Supervision instrument cluster with a large trip-computer display. The front seats are mildly sporty with light support, a firm filling and a wide adjustment range; higher trims have power adjustment.

The main change is a free-standing 8-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, with a row of physical buttons below it and duplicated controls on the steering wheel. Below are the climate controls with their own display and a shelf for wireless phone charging; the uncluttered tunnel holds USB and AUX ports, 12-volt sockets, the gear lever, seat-heating buttons and two cupholders. Carbon-look inserts, metal sill plates, round side vents and red illumination give the cabin a sporty feel. The rear bench is comfortably shaped and has a fold-down armrest, but it is best for two because of the raised transmission tunnel. The boot holds 502 litres and can be extended by folding the rear seats, and a full-size spare wheel is fitted under the floor.

Engines and transmissions (fourth generation)

The naturally aspirated engines are in-line four-cylinders with aluminium blocks and heads, multi-point injection, a quiet timing chain, a variable-geometry plastic intake manifold and variable intake and exhaust valve timing. According to published figures, the 1.6 and 2.0 MPi reach 100 km/h in 9.8–10.6 seconds and 200–203 km/h, with urban consumption of about 9 and 10 l/100 km. All versions are front-wheel drive.

Chassis

The fourth Cerato uses an upgraded version of its predecessor's front-wheel-drive platform with a transverse engine; more than half of the body structure is high-strength steel. The front suspension uses MacPherson struts with an anti-roll bar, and the rear a torsion beam with hydraulic dampers. Rack-and-pinion steering has integrated electric assistance. Brakes are 280 mm ventilated discs at the front and 262 mm discs at the rear, according to published figures, with ABS, EBD and brake assist as standard.

Safety and equipment

The Cerato has six airbags, a strong body designed to resist high torsional loads and to distribute crash forces to protect occupants, hill-start assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, parking sensors and integrated vehicle stability management. Base versions have air conditioning, cloth seats, heated front seats, power windows and mirrors, a basic audio system without the 8-inch screen, 15-inch wheels, six airbags and ABS. Higher trims add climate control, the 8-inch infotainment system, cruise control, keyless entry, a rear camera, leather, power seats with memory, heated rear seats, LED headlights, fog lights, 17-inch alloys and a hands-free boot opener.

Strengths and weaknesses

Owners praise the Cerato's attractive styling, responsive performance, size, price, reliability, roomy cabin for its class, economy, undemanding nature, good equipment and large boot. Complaints include low-hanging suspension components, build quality and sound insulation that could be better, and soft dampers that let the body roll. Rivals over its life included the Hyundai Elantra, Toyota Corolla, Volkswagen Jetta, Mazda3, Honda Civic, Skoda Octavia and Chevrolet Cruze.