Kia Cerato Sport Plus looks and drives better than price indicates

Kia’s Cerato Sport Plus sedan feels more expensive than the price suggests — you get a fine package for just over $28K drive-away.

Grant Edwards

2 min read

November 2, 2019 - 5:00PM

VALUE

The Cerato feels more expensive than the price tag suggests. You can get into the Sport sedan or hatch for $22,490 plus on-roads but the Sport Plus gives you a pretty fine package for a little more than $28K drive-away. For that outlay, there are leather seats (heated up front), dual-zone aircon, radar cruise control, 17-inch alloys, satnav, digital radio and an eight-inch colour LCD touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Kia Cerato Sport Plus: Among the best value buys on the market.

The only standard colour is white, so you’ll pay an extra $520 for the metallic colours on the palette. Kia’s capped price servicing isn’t the cheapest available but the warranty is class-leading at seven years/unlimited kilometres. Most mainstream brands have five years’ cover.

SAFETY

When it launched in 2018, the Cerato had most of the bases covered for driver assistance features. In January Kia added a couple of standard features to the Sport Plus model that previously cost $500. The car’s autonomous emergency braking, which can avoid or mitigate nose-to-tail crashes, now recognises pedestrians and cyclists. Other driver aids include blind spot detection, parking camera and sensors front and back, rear cross-traffic alert and lane keep assist, which will guide the car back between the lines if the driver loses concentration.

COMFORT

You get big-car real estate on a small platform. Supportive seats and well-designed dash provide an environment that’s comfortable and easy to navigate. The leather trim adds a touch of class, while the touchscreen sits high on the dash for better vision. Smartphone mirroring apps also make life easier. The Cerato’s firmish ride can mean you’ll feel the bumps and corrugations on rougher surfaces — but overall it is a comfortable set-up for eating up the miles.

DRIVING

The Sport Plus nomenclature is somewhat of a misnomer. Under the bonnet is the same engine found in the base model. It’s a competent four-cylinder that does the job without fuss but it’s no rocket ship.

Not a rocket: The 2.0-litre engine is shared with the base Cerato

The top-spec GT gets more firepower courtesy of a turbocharged engine, as well as a sportier tune for the suspension, so that’s the one for the revheads. The Cerato is assured through the bends, with accurate steering and suspension tuned specially for local roads.

ALTERNATIVES

HOLDEN ASTRA LTZ SEDAN, $23,990 D/A

This price applies to demonstrators, with
1.4-litre turbo (110kW/240Nm) and six-speed auto. Leather trim, eight-inch touchscreen and five-year unlimited kilometre warranty. Misses out on autonomous emergency braking but has forward collision alert.

HONDA CIVIC VTi-L SEDAN, $31,297 D/A

Four-cylinder turbo (127kW/220Nm) makes enough for reasonable if not rapid progress. No leather trim but strong inclusions list. New safety equipment added this year brings it up to speed with rivals. Latest deal includes free servicing for two years, plus five-year warranty.

VERDICT

4 stars