2018 Kia Cerato in Australia – AEB standard, fr RM60k

Kia has revealed the new Cerato sedan for the Australian market, bringing with it the new style and features that were first unveiled in the United States early in the year.

What doesn’t get carried over from America is the revised version of the current 2.0 litre Nu naturally-aspirated petrol engine and the new Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT). Instead, the car soldiers on with the same engine as before, producing 150 hp at 6,200 rpm and 192 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm.

It’s paired to revamped six-speed manual and torque converter automatic gearboxes. Fuel consumption is rated at 7.4 litres per 100 km for the auto version and 7.6 litres per 100 km for the manual, with carbon dioxide emissions of 170 and 172 grams per kilometre respectively.

Pricing Down Under starts at AU$19,990 (RM60,600) for the base S variant with the manual transmission, rising up to AU$21,490 (RM65,150) for the automatic version and AU$23,690 (RM71,820) for the Sport auto before topping out at AU$26,190 (RM79,400) for the Sport+ auto.

Standard kit includes halogen projector headlights, fog lights, 16-inch steel wheels with hubcaps, an eight-inch centre touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, DAB+ digital radio, cruise control, front and rear sensors and a reverse camera. Safety kit includes six airbags, stability control, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane keeping assist and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

Stepping up to the Sport adds 17-inch alloy wheels, navigation, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gearlever and sports seats. The Sport+ throws in Porsche-style four-point daytime running lights, keyless entry, push-button start, leather upholstery, power-folding wing mirrors, dual-zone automatic climate control with rear air vents and adaptive cruise control.

For an extra AU$1,000 (RM3,030), the Safety Pack 1 for the S and Sport models add adaptive cruise control (auto only) blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, power-folding wing mirrors and a leather steering wheel. Blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert is also available for the Sport+ model as a AU$500 (RM1,520) Safety Pack 2.

As previously reported, the design is said to have taken many cues from the Stinger flagship, with sweptback headlights, slim “tiger nose” grille, a longer bonnet, sweeping glasshouse and short tail for that fastback look. On the inside, there’s a horizontal dashboard layout with the now-familiar floating infotainment screen and round air vents at the corners.

Measuring 4,640 mm long, 1,800 mm wide and 1,440 mm tall, the new Cerato is 80 mm longer, 20 mm wider and 5 mm taller, although the 2,700 mm wheelbase remains. Kia says that the increased dimensions improve both head and legroom, and boot capacity has been increased from 482 to 502 litres.

The structure features an additional hot-stamped components and 54% advanced high-strength steel content, and uses 105 metres of structural adhesive — five times more than before. Suspension is handled by a MacPherson strut front and torsion beam rear setup, and Kia Australia claims that the chassis has been tuned specifically for Australia within the parameters supplied by the factory.

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