Kia is now taking the fight to hatchback heavy-hands in the C-segment market like VW's Golf and Toyota's Auris.
The Kia Cerato five-door Hatch joins the neatly-priced Sedan and Koup models in the current Cerato range while also ushering in a few styling, equipment, refinement and technical improvements across the range of body styles.
Identical to the sedan in width, height and wheelbase, the only dimensional difference over the Sedan is that the Hatch's rear overhang is reduced by 190mm - yet despite this it still offers 135 litres more boot space, 550 litres in total.
Furthermore, the extended roofline of the 5-door creates an extra 20mm of rear headroom. Practicality is further enhanced by rear seats that can be split 60/40 and can fold to create a completely flat cargo floor.
Besides the obvious hatchback styling differences, the front end sees a new grille, lower air-intake and foglights. The door mirrors are also new, with LED repeaters, and footwear comprises new 'double five-spoke' 16-inch alloy wheels on the 1.6 and 17-inch alloys on the 2.0.
Priced and positioned in line with the sedan, the hatchback is available in 1.6 EX and 2.0 SX derivatives, using the same 91kW/156Nm 1.6- and 115kW/194Nm 2-litre petrol engines, both mated to a six-speed manual transmission or six-speed automatic - with steering wheel paddles in the case of the 2.0.
All Hatch models are equipped with a six-speaker CD/MP3 audio system with iPod and USB connectivity. The seats in the 1.6 are finished in black one-tone fabric while the 2.0 litre is upholstered in leather.
Safety items fitted across the range include front, side and curtain airbags, active headrests and ABS.
The entire Cerato range now benefits from improvements to the sound-deadening entourage, reducing NVH levels.
In closing, it might not be the most attractive hatchback on the market, but at the prices you see below, and given Kia's reputation for decent quality, it'll be hard to ignore the value on offer here.
PRICING:
1.6 EX - R185 995
1.6 EX AT - R195 995
2.0 SX - R205 995
2.0 SX AT - R215 995
Prices include a four-year/90 000km service plan and five-year/100 000km warranty.