THEIR slogan is ‘the power to surprise’ and the Kia Cerato S Premium certainly does that, offering a surprisingly nice car to drive that’s also easy on the eyes, and offers genuine value for money with a host of features – including a whopping seven year warranty.
The S Premium is a new model in Kia’s Cerato range, and is powered by a 1.8L petrol four cylinder engine that generates 110kW of power and 178Nm of torque, butted up against a six speed auto gearbox, drawing a fairly high 7.7L/100km in fuel from its 50 litre tank.
Although it certainly delivers on torque, we felt like we were wringing its neck every time it was forced to dig deep for power, and that the engine was going to pop a valve or something. Engine noise, rather than road noise, was certainly evident in the cabin space as a result.
Feature wise, you’ll find 16-inch alloy wheels as standard, along with ABS, electronic stability control and hill start assist, parking and reversing sensors all round, a reversing camera, speed sensing auto lock doors, and automatic headlights.
The Cerato S Premium is fitted with a full range of security features, including key less entry, immobiliser, alarm, and additional safety features including multiple air bags, impact sensing door locks, and child proof rear doors.
There’s a user friendly infotainment system, that while easy to use, is very reflective, and hard to look at with even the slightest bit of sun. Inside it is a little bland looking for a ‘next model up’ but this is a small criticism of an otherwise user friendly interior that offers plenty of practical features, including full Bluetooth and USB connectivity, satellite navigation, steering wheel audio controls for the six speaker stereo system, and a DVD player (which works while the vehicle is stationary).
Overall the 2015 Kia Cerato S Premium is an really good car, with plenty of room inside, even for the taller driver, and offers a comfortable ride, and reasonably good performance. At $25,500 drive away, it’s definitely worth considering if you’re in the market for a hatch (and it’s available as a sedan too) that’s better than a base model, but doesn’t sting you on price.
Our test vehicle was provided by Kia Australia. To find out more about the 2015 Kia Cerato S Premium, contact your local Kia dealer.
