Kia Cerato Koup Car Review

HerCar Rating: Styling FamilyFriendly Value EcoFriendly Overall  Model Reviewed: Kia Cerato Koup 2.0 litre petrol 4 speed auto $25,690* Other models priced from 2.0 litre petrol 5 speed manual $23,690* Why You’d Buy It Looks great, easy to drive, good value Why You Wouldn’t Lacks power, noisy when foot planted

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The Cerato Koup is Kia Australia’s first offering in the 2 door sports segment. It’s based on the 4 door sedan, but looks a lot sportier, thanks to sloping rear lines, dual exhaust pipes and very cool alloy wheels. Choosing which model is simple, there’s a manual or an auto everything else about the car is the same. We test drove the 4 speed auto, and while it looks great, the 2.0 litre engine just didn’t provide the power to match the look.

Driver’s View

It’s a really easy car to drive with responsive steering and all the instruments in easy reach. Everything feels good to drive, it’s just that it didn’t meet exceptions in terms of the power. Visibility is great out of the front and side windows but is a little limited at the rear sides, due to the sloping roof. There are rear parking sensors with an added bonus of an in dash display that shows you what part of the car is closet to an object. This came in really handy when I was squeezing into a tight spot.

The sports styling continues on the inside of the car with cloth bucket style seats with red trim and silver trim on the door and dash. The instrument panel is easy to read and also fits the sporty theme. The steering wheel, hand brake and gear knob are all leather bound.

The sound system is pretty decent with 6 speakers, a single CD player, MP3 compatibility with a USB and iPod audio input. Audio controls are mounted on the steering wheel, which is great.

Safety

There is whole host of safety gear including 6 airbags, ABS brakes, Electronic Brake Distribution and Electronic Stability Program with Traction Control. The good news is that they are all standard on both the manual and auto.

Storage

There are lots of storage options for a small car including a sunglasses holder, 2 cup holders in the front centre, 2 in the rear and a bottle holder in each door. The glove box and centre console box are a decent size and there are also small storage nooks for the rear passengers.

The rear seat is 60/40 split, which is a bonus for a sedan style car. It took me a while to work out how to get the seat down to fit in a large rolled up painting. Once I worked it out it was really easy. (It’s a button on the back of the seat, so you need to open the boot to put the seat down.)

Also, the boot space is actually quite generous for a small car. We got in 4 kids back packs and a couple of grocery bags.

Family Friendly

Let’s face it, a 2 door car is not as practical as a 4 door one, but just because you have kids, doesn’t mean you can’t drive a car that looks great. I don’t recommend this car for families with new borns as it will be difficult to get them in and out of the back seat. For older kids, it’s OK as there is reasonable head, shoulder and legroom in the rear.

EcoFriendly

There’s not much difference in the fuel consumption between the manual and the auto, consuming 7.8 and 7.9 litres per 100kms respectively. Carbon emissions are OK at 187 grams per kilometre. While not awesome numbers, it’s certainly above average.

Overall View

The car certainly looks great-both stylish and sporty. In fact, I had a pile of people ask me what kind of car it was and were very surprised to find out it was a Kia. Most thought that it was Honda. It’s got plenty of features and is good value for money. It’s only down side is its power. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a slug by any stretch but it’s not a sports car either.

Features of Model Reviewed

*Manufacturer's Recommended Price. Excludes dealer delivery and statutory on road costs.

# All new vehicles sold in Australia (up to 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle mass) are tested to determine the level of fuel consumption and CO2 emissions (Greenhouse rating), which are displayed on the fuel consumption label attached to the windscreen of the car. The Green Vehicle Guide rating combines the Greenhouse Rating and Air Pollution Rating and awards a star. 5 stars is the best rating.  For more information, click here.
Information is correct at the time of the review. Please check with your Kia dealer for the most recent information.

Review Date: November 2009

Reviewed By: Melissa Pye