Kia Cerato

The Kia Cerato amazes onlookers with its modern cabin, which reflects all the latest trends of in-car designing and equipment, some of which are first in the segment to which it belongs.

The Kia Cerato gets a flat bottom multi-functional steering wheel, which it shares with the Kia Seltos,  and also gets an instrument console with simple fonts for the regular looking analog dials as well as a comprehensive MID in between. A sleek silver line flowing across the width of the dashboard makes the all-black dashboard look very premium.

The silver line divides the dashboard into two layers. The upper layer of this dashboard has a trapezoidal-shaped free mounted touchscreen infotainment system along with a slew of buttons placed just below it. Whereas, the lower layer of the dashboard has trapezoidal AC vents and a panel for the automatic climate control positioned below them.

When it comes to comfort and convenience features, the Kia Cerato is leading the pack in midsize sedans, with the car getting amenities like touchscreen infotainment system with Apple Carplay and Android Auto, cruise control, push-button start with keyless entry, wireless charging, powered driver’s seat, heated and ventilated front seats, leather upholstery, rear AC vents, electric sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, and paddle shifters. However, for its size and big wheelbase, the rear seat space could have been slightly better.

The Kia Cerato is not too exuberant or outlandish when it comes to design. However, the simplicity of the Kia Cerato definitely makes it look subtle and premium.

At the front, the Kia Cerato gets the traditional Kia’s tiger-nose grille, which is slightly rounded from the outer edges. The chrome bordering around the grille does give the Cerato a premium looking front fascia. The sedan gets sweptback headlamps which are stretched quite long, and for good illumination, it gets projectors in them.

The fog lamps are uniquely placed in the inner corners of the lower air dam. Along with this, there are horizontally laid turn indicators placed on the outer corners of the bumper, positioned just above the large air dams.

The Kia Cerato looks quite simple and sober when considered from the sides. While it lacks any typical prominent character lines or curves, the slightly rounded roofline and rounded wheel arches with sporty alloy wheels make up for it.

At the back, the Kia Cerato has a quite pronounced stance, which looks only enhanced by the presence of long LED tail lamps. These are shaped in a trapezoidal manner, flowing outwards with rounded edges on its outer corners.

The top-spec GT line variant gets few styling add-ons like side skirts, rear diffuser, rear boot lip spoiler, chrome-tipped exhaust, LED projectors, smart welcome lights, and red accents on all-black front grille.

The Kia Cerato delivers a great balance of sporty driving and comfort on offer, something which is only enhanced by the three different driving modes on offer – normal, eco, and sport. These modes do help the Cerato in switching between various kinds of driving situations.

Powering the Kia Cerato is a 1.6-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine, which is coupled to a 6-speed automatic transmission as the only gearbox option. The engine here belts out a maximum power output of 128 PS and a peak torque output of 155 Nm.

The Kia Cerato gets a comprehensive list of safety features, which include front, side, and curtain airbags, ABS with EBD, front and rear parking sensors, emergency stop signal, vehicle stability management, reverse camera, hill start assist and electronic stability control.

The Kia Cerato is slightly short on visual drama, however, the balance of sportiness and elegance is what makes it a good looking car. Apart from that, a powerful engine, an extensive list of features, and a good balance of ride and handling make the Cerato a desirable car for its price.