Kia Cerato hatchback + GT launched in Australia

Kia Motors Australia has added two important pieces of its new Cerato range with both the hatchback and sporty Cerato GT variants now on sale locally. Joining the Cerato sedan, which has been on sale June 2018, the Cerato hatchback is priced from an identical $19,990 drive away as its sedan sibling.

Kia Australia has also launched the sporty Cerato GT, which is powered by a 150kW/265Nm 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine and mated exclusively to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Positioned as the top spec local Cerato, the GT has a long list of equipment and is available from $31,990 drive away.

“Australian drivers are like few others in the world,” Kia Motors Australia Chief Operating Officer Damien Meredith said.

“They know what they like … and what they like is that rare combination of style, value and performance which doesn’t come along all that often.

“With the Cerato GT they have one additional opportunity to find what they are searching for _ and this time it is wearing a badge which comes with proven value and reliability.”

Measuring 4,510mm long, 1,800mm wide and 1,445mm high with a 2,700mm long wheelbase and a 428-litre boot, the Cerato hatchback is one of the larger cars in the small hatchback segment – its boot is 48-litres bigger than a Volkswagen Golf, for example. Based on the same platform as the current Hyundai i30, the Cerato hatchback offers the same 112kW/192Nm 2.0-litre petrol engine with a six-speed manual on the S base model, or a six-speed automatic on all other models. It uses a claimed 7.4L/100km on the combined cycle – identical to the sedan.

The Cerato hatchback’s Australian lineup is identical to the sedan. The S ($19,990 drive away for the manual and $21,490 for the automatic) is equipped with autonomous emergency braking with forward collision warning, automatic headlights and an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Sport ($24,190 drive away) then adds 17-inch alloy wheels, a leather steering wheel and inbuilt satellite navigation. The Sport+ ($27,740 drive away) then adds dual-zone climate control, leather upholstery with heated front seats, adaptive cruise control, LED daytime running lights and keyless entry and start.

For 2019, Kia has also added the Cerato GT to its lineup. As previewed by Chasing Cars in October 2018, the Cerato GT features a number of sportier elements to distinguish it from lesser Cerato models such as LED headlights and tailights, 18-inch alloy wheels, sportier styling with red details, an eight-speaker JBL sound system, heated and ventilated sports fronts seats with leather upholstery and electric adjustment with driver’s memory functionality, independent rear suspension with a sportier tune and wireless phone charging.

Centrepiece of the Cerato GT transformation, however, is a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine which produces 150kW of power and 265Nm of torque. In Australia, it’s unfortunately matched solely to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission – the six-speed manual from the Korean domestic market K3 GT has been left at the docks. In GT spec, the Cerato uses 6.8L/100km and emits 158g/km of CO2.

2019 Kia Cerato pricing (drive away):
S manual: $19,990
S automatic: $21,490
Sport automatic: $24,190
Sport+ automatic: $27,740
GT dual-clutch automatic: $31,990

Options:
Safety Pack (S and Sport only): $1,000
Metallic paint: $520