RELIABLE and efficient, Kia’s Cerato Sport Plus sedan is modern, loaded with tech features, driver-focused and safety rich. The sleek yet stylish offering from the Korean car maker offers LED daytime running lights and a distinctive Tiger Nose front grille.
Satin silver accents and the new KIA logo adorn the front end, with the bonnet hiding a 2.0-litre in-line 4-cylinder petrol engine, producing 112kW of power and 192Nm of torque. It’s paired to a smooth and respectable 6-speed automatic transmission.
Power delivery is linear, which is excellent for city driving, with the Sport Plus providing predictable, manageable drivability. While it’s only one spec below the power hungry GT, this isn’t the type of car that will have you racing the streets.
Nor will it have you knocking the tread pattern off the tyres that are fitted to 17-inch alloy wheels. The suspension is tuned on the softer side and this offers a comfortable ride over all of those speed humps, potholes and uneven surfaces.
It has an evenly balanced feel that provides respectable handling. The Cerato offers four driving modes, including Normal, Eco, Sport and Smart to suit your driving conditions. We experienced minor performance output changes across the modes.
That said, Sport mode is quite tame and generally feels a little underwhelming. Like we said though, this isn’t an animal on the road. It’s just a really good mid-range offering, with plenty of tech, particularly inside.
Here you’ll find a 10.25-inch HD touchscreen infotainment system, with wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth and in-built navigation. It’s functionality that works well on the big screen.
The driver’s instrument cluster is fitted with a 4.2-inch colour information display centred between two analogue gauges. It has a clear and easy to read design. We’d love to see an enhanced display option, perhaps with digital dials.
The dual-zone climate control is outstanding and with actual rear air vents, passengers in the front and rear were comfortable, even on shorter cross-city trips. On cold winter mornings, the heated front seats will take the edge off too.
We enjoyed the cabin layout, which has a real practical and considered feel to it. There are multiple cubbies and parcel trays for your phone and other items, as well as two cup holders in the console, between the front seats.
Kia has also thrown a host of safety features at the Cerato Sport Plus sedan, including autonomous emergency braking, blind spot collision avoidance and rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assist.
Also included is the clever safe exit warning, which detects and warns you when vehicles are approaching from behind, with an audible sound and visual warning if you attempt to open the door into oncoming traffic.
Other Sport Plus safety features include lane keep and follow assist, smart cruise control, parking sensors, and a rear-view camera. There’s push button start as well.
The 2022 Kia Cerato Sport Plus comes in Clear White, Snow White Pearl, Silky Silver, Aurora Black, Platinum Graphite, Steel Grey, Runaway Red, Mineral Blue and Horizon Blue (as tested).
Kia offers a 7-year unlimited kilometre warranty, with 7-years capped price servicing (up to 105,000km). It’s priced from $31,690 drive away.
You can build and price a new Kia Cerato Sport Plus on the Kia Australia website.
Our test vehicle was provided by Kia Australia. To find out more about the 2022 Kia Cerato Sport Plus sedan, contact your local Kia dealer.
