Kia: Spec-driven SX

The Kia Cerato SX drew plenty of admiring looks. Photo / Jacqui Madelin

When Kia's Cerato launched, it came as another breath of fresh air for the Korean brand. The new model is handsome, the 115kW/194Nm 2.0-litre engine pitched well for the class and the price delivering value when compared to the specification list.

My only real reservation - other than a lack of reach adjust for the steering wheel - was that the engine felt over-relaxed when mated to a four-speed transmission, a "failing" easy to excuse given the engine was still running in.

So I was curious to try this up-spec SX model on my daily commute, a fairly demanding, hilly affair.

Sadly for Cerato I've since driven Holden's new Cruze, on sale July 1. It's also Korean, also smart, also well-priced and well-specced. But there's a choice of petrol or diesel, a choice of manual or auto, and the latter gets six ratios to the Kia's four. And you feel it.

Mind you, many buyers won't care. If you don't have a lead foot and dreams of road-race stardom - and if you don't regularly negotiate steep terrain - you may not notice. But if you do ...

The SX is heavier than the base level car. Brisk progress requires unseemly insistence, and the result is increased thirst. Kia claims 7.9litres/100km from both the SX and lighter LX, and to be fair that's close to what I got on motorway and midday, round-town pottering. Factor in my hilly commute, however, and we were well up over 9 litres - not pretty.

But the car is. It drew plenty of admiration for its looks, for its smart cabin, and for its many extras. It may be a touch shorter than class sales champ the Toyota Corolla or the excellent Mazda3 sedans, but it's wider and lower with a longer wheelbase, imparting an attractive on-road stance.

Yes, it's heavier than those cars - by a hefty 74kg over the 1.8-litre GLX Corolla - but it also delivers more power and torque. It costs six grand less, yet has the same airbag tally, climate-control air-con in place of the manual of the others; the same power windows and mirrors, and cruise control. It has ABS and stability control too - but it adds leather seats, iPod ports, and other fruit the Corolla can only dream of, including extendable sun visors!

Sure, the Cerato's a bread-and-butter car beneath its tidy handling and smart skin. But so is the personality-challenged Corolla.

Once I'd learned to relax, and not ask too much of this powerplant-auto combo, I found the Cerato easy to live with.

But I'll still reserve judgement until I've also driven Cruze on home ground, for I suspect it matches the Kia in most areas, and trumps it with those extra cogs. And even the most relaxed driver will benefit from the improved fuel economy imparted by a better-matched engine and transmission.

KIA CERATO SX

We like
Handsome looks inside and out, well-thought-out cabin, decent specification for the money.

We don't like
Four-speed transmission not well matched to this engine.

Powertrain
2-litre DOHC petrol, 115kW at 6200rpm, 194Nm at 4300rpm, four-speed transmission drives front wheels.

Performance
0-100 not available, 7.9litres/100km.

Safety
Six airbags, stability control, ABS brakes.

What it's got
Rear park sensors, leather, power sunroof, climate-control air-con, cruise control, iPod/USB ports.

Vital stats
530mm long, 495-litre boot, 52-litre tank.