2013 Kia Cerato sedan
Kia Cerato is a small-medium South Korean car that’s becoming ever more popular in
Australia.
This has been partly due to the stunningly long seven-year warranty, but the car itself
has been significantly improved since the first models arrived here in 2004.
Kia’s seven-year unlimited distance warranty is proving a masterstroke in that it is
attracting new buyers who may have had any lingering doubts about the quality and
reliability of Korean cars.
Originally, Cerato was rather plain it is shape but the third generation, launched here in
April 2013 has a lot more oomph its lines and sales were strong from day one. These
are the models we will be covering in this week’s Used Car Checkout.
Kia Cerato is sold as a four-door sedan and five-door hatch. The sedans were
sometimes introduced or updated before the hatches so there was an overlap of new
and old bodies at times.
Cerato has pretty good interior space for its class and can carry four adults without the
folks in the front seats having to compromise to any real extent.
2017 Kia Cerato hatch
Suspension is reasonably supple, though rough Aussie country roads can occasionally
trouble it. Noise and vibration are well damped.
These gen-three Korean models are almost up with the Europeans due to their driving
dynamics being uprated to suit Australian drivers’ tastes.
The Cerato from April 2013 has a new design 1.8-litre engine in place of the old 2.0-
litre. It provides more performance and as a bonus uses less fuel. A sort of about face
saw a new 2.0 replace the 1.8 in 2016. The latter is a good powerplant and we suggest
shopping for one if your budget is up to it.
2021 Kia Cerato S
Six-speed automatic transmissions are more common than the six-speed manuals in
this country. The latter well engineered unit with a good choice of ratios and is pleasant
enough in its feel through the gears. However, manuals are fast falling from favour in
Australia and may be harder to resell as the years go by.
The third generation, Kia Cerato sedan arrived here in June 2018 with the hatchback
due towards the end of the year. The biggest change is styling, with more than a hint of
the looks of Kia’s headline-grabbing Stinger sedan. It has a wide grille, sculpted bonnet
and coupe-like roofline.
Three models are offered: S, Sport and Sport+. Don’t get too excited about the use of
the Sport name, all three get the same 2.0-litre petrol engine with the same outputs,
indeed the S is the only one to get the option of a manual gearbox.
The latest, relatively minor, upgrade came in mid-2021 but there hasn’t been enough
time for many to reach the used car market yet so we won’t cover them here,
Ceratos have a simple mechanical layout and can be serviced and repaired by good
amateur mechanics. Having a workshop manual at your side is a smart move.
Unless you’re confident in yourself it’s smart to have your car serviced by a
professional. A full logbook showing all work has always been done by a Kia dealer is
likely to make it easier to sell the car, and probably get more money for it.
Kia dealers are mainly in metropolitan areas, but some of the bigger country towns now
also have multi-brand dealers with Kias on their lists.
Spare parts and professional repair costs are reasonably priced.
Insurance is usually in the lower half of the premium scale and we haven’t seen any big
variations from company to company. However, it’s worth shopping around, just make
sure you’re making a fair comparison.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Former crash damage usually shows up as ripples in body panels, colours that don’t
match correctly and even wheels out of alignment. If you’re in the least bit unsure call a
professional.
Look for body damage in areas such as the rear bumper which often gets scarred by
people carelessly resting stuff on it while loading the boot.
Check that the engine starts easily and idles smoothly pretty well straight away.
Ideally the engine should be started stone cold first thing in the morning to check on
this. Make sure the oil warning light goes off within a couple of seconds.
Manual gearboxes that are noisy and/or sticky in their changes may be due for major
repairs. It may be just that the clutch needs adjusting, if so, have that work done before
opting to buy the car.
Automatics should go into gear almost at the moment you move the selector.
Handbrakes can be over adjusted causing premature pad wear on the rear brakes. You
may feel and hear the pads rubbing slightly on the discs during your test drive.
HOW MUCH?
Expect to pay from $5000 to $9000 for a 2013 Kia Cerato S; $8000 to $13,000 for a
2014 SLi or a 2016 S; ; $9000 to $14,000 for a 2015 S Premium or 2017 S; $11,000 to
$16,000 for a 2015 SLi; $13,000 to $19,000 for a 2017Si; $15,000 to $22,000 for a
2018 Sport+; $17,000 to $24,000 for a 2019 Sport+; $20,000 to $27,000 for a 2019 GT;
and $22,000 to $30,000 for a 2020 GT.
RECALLS: To browse recalls on all vehicles go to the ACCC at:
www.productsafety.gov.au/products/transport/cars/
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