Kia unveils new sharper looking Cerato

Korean brand launches new version of its top-selling sedan and hatch — but will it be able to keep the price down?

Kia’s new Cerato has a sleeker look and revamped cabin. Pic: Supplied.

Kia has taken the wraps off the new Cerato sedan — and it has clearly been inspired by the power-packed Stinger fastback.

Creases on the longer bonnet, a short bootlid along with the signature “tiger nose” grille are among the hallmarks of the new compact offering unveiled at the Detroit motor show this morning.

There’s a strong front-end resemblance to the Stinger, particularly through the headlight shape and design.

Kia has given the Cerato a sharper look for 2018. Pic: Supplied.

Expected to arrive by June, the Cerato will come in four specifications: S, Sport, Sportplus and by year’s end a range-topping GT along with hatch derivatives.

The car has increased in length by 81mm to 4641mm, which makes it the longest of key rivals (the Toyota Corolla sedan is 4620mm, Hyundai Elantra 4570mm and the Mazda3 Sedan 4580mm).

Width improves 18mm, while height increases about 13mm for increased headroom. Sit the new Cerato alongside its predecessor and the windscreen starts 127mm further rearward.

Inside looks more up-market with a horizontal design and jet turbine-looking vents, along with an 8-inch colour touchscreen that will come with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Both can read and receive dictated messages.

The interior has received a makeover. Pic: Supplied.

Boot space is about 430 litres, a slight increase on the outgoing model.

The same powertrain will feature across the three core models, a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol generating 112kW and 192Nm with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission.

Kia is yet to confirm full specifications for Australia, but the sporty GT is expected to have independent rear suspension for improved cornering and greater control.

It could also pave the way for the introduction of a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder powertrain, also already used by sister company Hyundai in its SR variants.

The Cerato GT hatch will be based off the European-focused Cee’d, which is being honed by Kia’s performance guru and former BMW M division boss, Albert Biermann.

Cerato is a star for Kia in Australia. The small car is the brand’s top seller thanks to $19,990 drive away price-tag for the auto.

The new car bears a family resemblance to the Kia Stinger. Pic: Supplied.

Whether that price point remains could be decided by safety features. The two top-spec variants of the recently released Kia Stinger received five star safety ratings from ANCAP, but the base models only received three stars due to the absence of autonomous emergency braking, which can slam on the brakes if a frontal collision is detected.

“We’ll try very hard to have a Cerato in at $19,990. We haven’t finalised our pricing strategy,” Kia Motors Australia chief operating officer Damien Meredith says.

“It has been fantastic for us giving us clear air against the competitors,” he says.

But he admits the car needs more safety equipment than the current model.

“I think the market demands all levels of all vehicles need AEB.

“We believe $19,990 is important, so is AEB. If we can get both, that would be fantastic. I’m not sure if we can do that.”

Kia was Australia’s fastest growing mainstream brand during 2018 with 28.3 per cent year on year growth.