2009 Kia Cerato here, Koup coming

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By David Twomey | January 23rd, 2009

Update: Kia Cerato Koup review.

Kia Motors Australia has revealed the details and pricing of the all-new Cerato sedan, the first of a series of new models it will launch over the next two years leading a product revolution for the Korean brand.

The Cerato leads the Soul, the funky city car that Kia hopes will reinforce its new youthful image, and the Koup, a two-door version of the Cerato, that the company today confirmed will be released in Australia later this year.
Kia Product Manager, Nick Reid, said the final details of the Koup were still to be confirmed and he also declined to give indications of pricing.

Mr Reid said the Koup, which is a strong part of Kia’s youthful image push, would in effect replace the Cerato Hatch, which had been marketed on and off in Australia.

The all-new Cerato sedan is keenly priced with a starting figure of $18,990 for the five-speed manual base spec S model, which is also available with a $1000 Option Pack that includes Electronic Stability Program (ESP), traction control, cruise control and remote audio controls on the steering wheel.

All these features are included in the top-spec SLi model, which is priced at $22,990 for the five-speed manual and 24,990 for the four-speed automatic.

Kia has conservatively estimated it will sell 3000 Ceratos this year, while also claiming that the car is capable of challenging the market leaders in the small car segment, all of which sell in much larger numbers.

Kia national marketing manager, Steve Watt, said the company realised it needed to change the perception of the Kia brand from just a price conscious brand to one that embodied both good value and good design.

The Cerato uses an all new chassis and introduces a new styling look for Kia that has been developed by the company’s global design officer, Peter Schreyer, who joined the Korean company from Volkswagen in 2006.

Most significant is the new ‘Schreyer Line’ grille that will become a corporate identity for all Kia vehicles going forward.

The grille design, a Schreyer feature that he developed with previous companies, including VW and Audi, is said to embody the roaring mouth of a tiger.

The Cerato range is equipped as standard with dual SRS front airbags; side front SRS airbags and full-length curtain SRS airbags; active headrests and seatbelt pretensioners for front seats; and four-wheel disc brakes with ABS (Anti-lock Braking System), EBD (Electronic Brake force Distribution) and Brake Assist.

The range-topping Cerato SLi comes standard with ESP and traction control, which is also available as a low cost option pack for the Cerato S.

Longer and wider than its predecessor, the new Kia Cerato has a spacious and comfortable interior with room for five occupants and a bigger boot.

New Cerato features an all-new, efficient 2.0-litre engine with Continuously Variable Valve Timing (CVVT) for class-leading power and torque, delivering the pulling power and responsiveness of a 2.2-litre engine without the fuel consumption of a bigger engine.

The engine, previously seen in the larger Magentis sedan and the Rondo7, revs smoothly to produce 115kW of power at 6200 rpm and 194Nm of torque at 4300 rpm to take the mantle of class-leader in the power stakes.

The class-leading, Euro IV-compliant Theta II engine is mated to a short-throw five-speed manual for optimum driver control as standard, or can be optioned with Kia’s gated, four-speed automatic gearbox for a smooth and relaxed drive with the choice of Sportsmatic manual-shift capability.

The 2.0-litre Theta II engine delivers good fuel economy with an official combined fuel consumption of 7.8 litres/100kms.

The all-new Kia Cerato is larger than its predecessor in both length and width and can rival all small segment competitors in overall size.

Kia says the chassis has been tuned to deliver the European feel favoured by many Australians, with excellent steering response, roadholding, ride comfort and braking the aim.

The combined result is precise steering and sure-footed roadholding, matched with a composed and supple ride, that offers driving enjoyment without compromising passenger comfort.

We’ll be better able to comment on this after tomorrow when we will get to drive the all-new Kia Cerato for the first time, look out for our First Steer on Saturday.

Aussiecar

I dont know what there putting in the water over there in KIA & Hyundai`s design studio but they should keep doing it! That coupe looks awesome
Aussiecar

Take note Suburu. Thats what the latest WRX Impreza should have looked like
Ryan

Very impressive stuff! Not only do they look good, have plentyfull features, but they’re still keeping that low kia price tag.
Very nice!
ZoomZoom

Very nice car. Great work KIA.

Glad to see that option offer so affordable
vtec

Love the look of the Koup. Also, this article repeats numerous points several times, pretty dodgy I think.
FrugalOne

good value

cheers

f-0
Erien88

Having seen the Soul at a dealer (A LHD unit.), I’m sure that it can be a hit with the young & trendy, techie crowd (After all, that is the Soul’s target market in Korea & the US, where it will compete with Scion’s xA/ xB & Nissan’s upcoming US-market Cube in the latter market.).

If you go to the Korean (In Korean, but it is actually very easy to navigate through.) Kia Soul mini site, you can customize your own Soul (No pun intended.). I wouldn’t recommend visiting it though, if you have a slow connection (Flash heavy site.).

It is like the Korean version of funky JDM cars like the Nissan Cube, Toyota bB & the Suzuki Lapin.

Wouldn’t mind replacing the RAV4.2 with a 1.6 diesel Soul (If the diesel model makes it down under, that is.).
Alex

That looks very good, but I’d much rather a Cee’d.
phillip

I must admit it looks pretty good, but I am dubious about what the cabin quality would look/feel like in person. Plus, there’s the issue of the Kia badge on the grill which screams “i’m a massive tight-@rse!”.
Horse

I can’t see any reason you would buy the cerato over a lancer. But that coupe looks rad.
The kia badge wouldn’t bother me.
gary

the koup looks great, the design looks as though it came from the house of ford. very ford design front end treatment. still a cabriolet version would be awesome.
http://. Naughtyius Maximus

Real well done and looks massively better and the design is hot…..just hope they nailed suspension, interior trim and quality (as appears they have!)
Andrew

I saw the car at the AIMS last year and was very impressed. The level of fit and finish is a long, long way from previous Kias and as you can see in the photos it looks great.

Although I noticed in the article that the 2.0L engine has been seen in the larger Magentis. I am fairly confident the Magentis is and has always been a 2.4L 4cyl/2.7L V6 affair.

It deserves to do well not only because of it’s superb price but also the fact it is designed to appeal to people with a pulse for once, and meet expectations garnered from the styling and presentation.
Kc

As soon as I saw that thing all I could think was Accord Euro
RD

Very VERY nice car and ‘Koup’ indeed. Korean manufacturers are have made massive strides over the last couple of years, and seem best placed to weather the current economic woes by having well designed, economical, safe and well equipped cars at a Korean price.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the KIA/Hyundai badges are regarded on equal, if not better terms than some of the Japanese badges and nearly all European and American badges within a year or two. Keep the great stuff coming guys!!
Erien88

Andrew: In some markets, the Magentis has the option of a 2.0 engine.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=674330849 lazybones

Looks very very Honda. It certainly looks good, but being a KIA probably has the ride and handling of a wooden go kart and build quality of a squeaky toy, even the engine looks like its made of plastic, whats under the hood? a 100Kw rubber band?
JEYKL & HYDE

love the look of the car.not to sure about the centre of the dash and steering wheel.kinda looks stuck on…
Realcars

All hail another Alfa 156 knock off but thats ok!
That’s why it looks like a Euro.

This Cerato SHOULD blast Corolla out of the water!
U gotta lift Toyota,u gotta lift.LOL

Those comatose lemmings that buy your Corolla year after year regardless of how ordinary are going to stray into a KIA dealership if they haven’t already bought an I30.LOL

Another reason not to buy a Corolla and look at the price son, look at the price!
RoFlmaTiC

Looks like a honda civic type r from the front!
o

That looks great much better than the lancer.The interior alo is pretty much best in class and considering you get esp on the top spec for the cost of a low spec corolla.Also is climate control standard on the base model aswell? still should have been called forte
RD

I agree JEYKL & HYDE on your comments RE the dash.

Looking closely, the whole centre HVAC and audio controls have been lifted straight from the i30, albeit with a different (less successful and ‘stuck on’) fascia design. Even the larger LCD screen is identical, although it has orange rather than blue lighting. Same with the smaller screen as well.

The alloy pedals (ala i30 SR), some of the switchgear and handbrake have come straight from the i30 as well.

I’d go as far as saying the whole dash is the same as the i30 underneath, which is very similar to the Elantra (the dash mat for the i30 and Elantra is interchangeable).

Not surprising I guess considering Hyundai owns KIA, and also the i30 dash is very well designed, so why mess too much with a good thing?

As for people comparing the Cerato with the styling of Hondas, Alfas etc…Who cares? Car designers will often borrow ideas from other makers. The Cerato sedan looks fantastic and the Koup is downright sexy!!
Richo

The interior looks good, but have a close look at the main part of the dash, doesn’t look all that good as far as the quality of plastics goes.

The styling looks great, it looks very good value with the equipment on offer for the price, but looking over the specs I can’t help but think its very much a case of “keeping up with the competitors” rather then offering anything particularly outstanding.

Hyundai i30 would be a MUCH better option for the money I would have thought, and considering the cerato and i30 are built off the same platform I frankly don’t think that’s good enough for KIA.
Richo

I personally don’t see it troubling the segment leaders which according the Vfacts is the Corolla, Mazda 3 and Lancer. It probably will come quite close to matching the Corolla as far as a driving experience goes, but I’m GUESSING because no one has actually driven it yet, but I’m guessing it won’t match the 3 and Lancer as an overall package.

Also any word yet on safety ratings? Frankly I think with the likes of the Lancer and i30 getting 5 stars, that has to be just about the standard now days. I know the Mazda 3 is a 4 star car but that is about to be replaced and the corolla… well it isn’t 5 stars (please correct if wrong) which frankly isn’t good enough considering its such a new design!!!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=674330849 lazybones

With you on the interior Richo, A closer look makes me think in the flesh it would look very cheap.

My gut feel is KIA are trying too hard to copy other manufactures rather than innovate themselves. This is very noticable with the Chinese copycat cars.
Adam

Regardless of whether or not they cut a corner or two with interior plastics and other cosmetics, at $18,990 this car appears to be excellent value.

The looks are good, standard kit levels are high, and the engine, while not proven, still has the goods as far as numbers are concerned.

In such a price sensitive market, the Cerato is $2,500 cheaper than an entry level Ascent Corolla, which is an extremely baron vehicle in terms of features and performance.

I had my eyes on a new Mazda 3 this year, but I am certainly going to have a look at this one before making a final call.
o

i had a look on kias website and with out the taky silver dash it improves alot.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=674330849 lazybones

Thats a valid but different argument altogether Adam. I’ve got a good mate who is very happy with his Rio, it runs him into work with no troubles, good on fuel, cheap to run and when the lease is up. He gets another one.

If your in it for cheap and hopefully cheerful then this is the car for you.
But if bits start falling off it after 50K or you start getting thoses annoying rattles and squeaks you may start re-thinking the 2-3 grand saving you made earlier. I think the Mazda 3 is a more expensive choice, but a better quality one.
Richo

Adam – I can see what your talking about from a price / value perspective. KIA’s have always been good value in terms of price vs standard equipment, but in the past there has never been any substance to go with it. Now the new cerato appears to have some substance to go with the value that’s for sure. I reckon it will pick up a lot of sales to more price sensitive customers, but I just don’t think it will challenge the segment leaders for overall appeal
Alan

Probably just me, but the styling really reminds me of the soon to be released honda city, especially the tail styling.

Good effort from Kia though, it really is getting close the japanese and still holding a price advantage. Still don’t understand why wouldn’t they bring the Cee’d here, i think it’s a solid and good looking car.
Adam

Oh I have no doubt that Corolla and 3 will continue to dominate that category, they have the brand equity and will continue to appeal to their core supporters.

However, I think this new Cerato will certainly get people interested, and become a short listed vehicle when people narrow down their options.

This is a good result for Kia, because it will make them competitive. People like me, and I assume many others, would not have put the previous Cerato in their options list. (Unless it was a Cerato vs Proton vs Elantra type scenario)

I think from what we have seen so far this one has much more potential to compete with the Japanese rivals.

Also gotta say I really like the TV ads! They are being pumped out regularly because of the Kia association with the tennis.
Mark

Honestly, I think this will be a great “bang for your buck” vehicle. Monitoring sales at the moment and general customer enquiry, they are making a great name for themselves, especially with the 5 year unlimited km warranty which is practically unbeatable.

People can say it looks like a bunch of other branded vehicles all mixed into one, but for Kia Motors, it’s just something different, and I think that’s all the general public would expect from Kia. Still being an exceptional jump up in finish, quality and features from the initial Kia quality like the Kia Rio’s between 2000 and 2005, the new Cerato will definitely be on the list of anyone wanting their first new car, affordable, and just being able to get the job done.

Against other rivals, yes you may expect a few hiccups here and there, it being a “Kia”, but no one expects that from a Corolla or a Mazda 3, but when it does happen, you’re only covered by a 3 year warranty.

All in all, this car will sell! Better than expected. That’s all Kia Motors and I can hope for.
ComradeVodka

It still s**ts me when people see the headlights on the new Cerato, and automatically say, oh its a Honda rip off, copy, imitation… if it had any other style headlights, morons like that wouldn’t even think it was anything like a Honda, get over yourself. Guess what, heaps of other cars have similar headlights as well, but when KIA have similar headlights, oh no, it must be a knock off.
Richo

ComradeVodka – calm down sooky, its not just KIA, people accuse all sorts of manufacturers for copying not just KIA. Everyone said the VE’s headlights where BA falcon rip offs for example, its nothing new and its not singled out for KIA
Alan

ComradeVodka – i’m not saying kia copied honda, i’m just suggesting the similarity in the styling. Car companies always copy each other or get inspiration from each other, after all with aerodynamic, safety regulation and packaging requirements, how much can you style cars differently anyway?

Either way i still think this is a good effort from Kia and i really believe that in 10 years time, Hyundai/kia would be right up there with Toyota in terms of annual car production
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=674330849 lazybones

ComradeVodka – Are you seriously telling me you can’t see a civic type-R in the koup? Then look how different this car is to anything KIA have done before, it not just headlights. Its taken design cues directly from Honda. But this doesn’t mean it won’t be a good car, but it just doesn’t work for me.

And yes you need to chill out just a tad. Maybe a vodka or 2 might help
Yoho

The concept looked good but the final product looks too watered down that it looks derivative.
tack

Adam, you wrote
“I think from what we have seen so far this one has much more potential to compete with the Japanese rivals.”

Have you heard resale value?
Mark

Brands mean so much in the world today. I bet if you took the Kia badge off and put something like a Toyota, Mazda, or Honda badge on it, it would be worth a whole lot more, and would sell a lot more too… Just from a badge. Today’s society needs to do a bit more research before jumping to conclusions.
Realcars

Agree Lancer is probably the best overall buy in this class at the moment but if the Cerato is anywhere near as good as the i30 it may have the potential to be a class leader.

To the people making comments about the interior peer into a new Corolla next time u are out and the Cerato doesn’t look all that bad by comparison.Interior plastics quality in most of this class is dubious. Lancer plastics along with Corolla fairly hard and brittle el cheapo with the Mazda 3 better but at a premium price.

Also don’t forget this Cerato is going to be approximately 30% cheaper than equivalent Corolla taking into account obvious price difference and extra standard fruit in the KIA.

Rattles and things falling off. All I can say KIA must be far more confident that their product will go the distance than Toyota offering an unlimited klm/5year warranty!

In the States the Hyundai/KIA range is covered by a 10 year warranty!!!

Come on Toyota if your cars are so good why do people have to pay a premium price for a 3 year 100,000klm warranty?
Amounts to a ripoff or lack of confidence in their product.Which one is it?
Alex

I still think that if you want a car in this class, get a Golf or a Focus and if you want something slightly different, go for a C4 or a Megane or something.

Realcars, why do you think everything looks like an Alfa Romeo 156? I could just see a little bit of the 156 on the Accord after you wrote it but this time you are simply wrong. It is a different shape, it has different lights, different bumpers, the back is square and chunky, the front is pointy. I don’t see and 156 on this car at all. What parts do you think look like the 156?
http://hyundai kia?

realcars what are you smoking? a corolla buyer going over to kia in your dreams never will happen! never! never! never!
http://hyundai kia?

come on realcars tell us what the toyota salesmens name was who took off with your wife? we all want to know? if you believe kia is better than toyota you need HELP “real fast” not “real cars”!
Spitfire

The grille design, a Schreyer feature that he developed with previous companies, including VW and Audi, is said to embody the roaring mouth of a tiger.

Am I missing something here.
Alan

I’m not saying Toyota makes the best car, but i don’t get why many people on this site like to post negative comment about Toyota. Sure it may not be class leading, but it can’t be as bad as some people here say. Otherwise, how can Toyota be the biggest car manufacturer in the world in 2008, unless you’re saying those 9million people are all idiots.
Duck

Eeeewwwwwwww!!!! That steering wheel is disgusting!!!!!!

YYYUUUUUUUUCCCCCCKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Realcars

IMO Toyotas are overpriced and overrated.

People that are dismissive of Hyundai/Kia need help!

These people are usually Toyota owners.

People that mostly have no automotive knowledge what so ever will buy Toyota and assume they have bought the best money can buy.

It’s just bizzare!

Even motoring writers lament about superior Toyota build quality. It’s as if the masses are in some kind of hypnotic trance.LOL.

Put an i30 up against a Corolla and please show me this fabled build superiority!

If KIA/Hyundai are wrong about offering a five or 10 year warranty then they should be broke pretty soon.

To me the warranty length speaks volumes as I am sure manufactures test their vehicles to establish MTTF for most components in their vehicles before offering extra generous warranty..
zahmad

Agree with Realcars’ above comment! Toyota is perceived to be “quality” and “reliable” for the cars they used to produce in the 90′s that ran throughout bush Australia and still do for 500,000+ km’s….however, they had no ‘features’ so nothing could go ‘broke’. Now that they have to have standard features in order to compete, there are more ‘things’ that can stop working….

…..that’s why toyota is no class leader in such stakes as quality and reliability….its peoples perception from past models!!!
RD

Alex says: “I still think that if you want a car in this class, get a Golf or a Focus and if you want something slightly different, go for a C4 or a Megane or something.”

ALL of which are not as reliable as today’s Hyundai or KIA. Don’t believe me? Just have a look at the ‘Dog and Lemon guide” at your local newsagent.

Also none of them can match Hyundai or KIA for features/safety you get for the price. Or warranty. Are you a badge slave perhaps?

Kia says: “come on realcars tell us what the toyota salesmens name was who took off with your wife? we all want to know? if you believe kia is better than toyota you need HELP “real fast” not “real cars”!”

Where did he say KIA is better than Toyota? Answer? He didn’t.

*insert snide reponse from Kia here*
Realcars

If u are very very particular about”finish” u would buy a Honda or Mazda or even Subaru over a Toyota as they are all “finished” better than Toyota.

Yes agree most people living in the past in relation to the reliability of various vehicles.

If new kia/Hyundai models prove to be unreliable then the warrantee claims on their industry leading warrantees will soon put them out of business.

In the States KIA/Hyundai offer 10 year 100,000mile warrantee!!!!!

Toyota 3 year 100,000klm.

My money is on the car guaranteed to last 10 years!
BONES

Alex, the Golf is the most over-rated car on the road. Seriously, I test-drove a 2.0 FSI Sportline when I was buying a new car a couple of years ago and not only was it inferior to the Astra SRi I bought in most areas, it was about 5 grand more. There was an Australian reliability survey leaked to the media in 07. VW finished last in every category in which they had a car. Most of them are made in Sth Africa and the quality and reliability is so bad even VW have acknowledged it and promised the Mk VI Golf will be up the standard people expect.

Anyway, if the new Cerato offers anything like the step-up that Hyundai managed with the i30, which it should as they are both built on the same platform, then it will be a cracking car for the money. Reviews of the i30 have commented very favourably on the interior quality and they both look very similar, so I think you can expect them to compete with the likes of Astra and upper spec Corolla, and be well ahead of Lancer or Impreza.
With 115kW, it should offer class leading performance, too. That’s as much power as an SP23 for less than 20 grand!

I will definitely be seriously considering a Koup as a replacement for my Astra Coupe if the chassis lives up to expectations and they offer a turbo 4.
Alan

I will say hyundai/kia’s reliability is up there with toyota and honda, but they need the longer warrenty to lure people into the show room. This is due to the image that people associate with hyundai of the past being unreliable, hence the need to assure people that their car is reliable enough for them to offer such a lengthy warrenty.

I have no doubt that hyundai/kia is catching up to the japanese, but i don’t think toyota’s quality is a myth like people here would say. They still consistently rank near the top in reliability surveys around the world.

As for buying Honda or Mazda for better finish, couldn’t agree more, both have much better presentation and percieved quality than toyota. Not so sure about Subaru though, Liberty has a nice interior, but i would say that the interior finish and switch gear of imprezza and forester is below those offered by toyota. The switch gears have too much play and doesn’t feel solid enough, and the plastic used is as bad as those on Lancer.

As for Golf being over rated, i wouldn’t say it’s over rated as it really does feel more luxury than cars in this class, but that luxury german feel comes at a price, which is too much for a economy box for daily run around.
Alex

To RD, Ford and Volkswagen are certainly up to the Korean standard of reliability. I have never had any problems with any Golfs that I have owned. As for my Citroen C4, well I haven’t had any problems with that either, but I will acknowledge that the French are not known for their reliability.
What do you mean am I a badge slave? You did read the brands didn’t you? Renault, Citroen, Ford? Maybe Volkswagen has an air of (well deserved) superiority but the other three are just standard family brands. Unless, you don’t happen to think that Toyota is a high class brand by any chance, do you?
Finally, I don’t think I’m going to use something called “Dog and Lemon Guide” as a reputable source of information.

To BONES, I really don’t see how Volkswagen could have come last in every segment they were in. I’m not saying they are the most reliable car in the world but please, there are so many brands that are well known for being less reliable than Volkswagen.
You are quite wrong about the Golf being over rated. It is class leader for goodness sake! Most people agree that the Astra is nothing to write home about and it is certainly not superior to the Golf and it is also not as reliable. The current Astra has numerous reliability problems while the Golf is known for being high quality and the most reliable thing next to a Honda. I can’t talk for the ones built in South Africa but the ones in Europe are just fine.
http://www.kiasoulforums.com kia Soul fan

At US market, Kia Cerato will also be available with 2,4L four cylinder engine and KOUP will also hit the States.
John of Perth

Most manufacturers including Toyota are wary of the two big Koreans.

To Alex who seems to be an ‘expert’ on almost everything automotive, I can tell you from ownership of the VW Bora V6 and the Golf TDI DSG the latter has good build quality (excellebt shutlines/fit) but the DSG is a dog – yes surprise surprise – try getting smooth takeoffs everytime in first or reverse – doesn’t happen and the well regarded diesel uses expensive low ash oil at the rate of 1.0l every 10000km – that’s approaching rotary consumption!

I believe the Germanic influence in the Kia design house to be excellent and I hope they tune their suspension for Australia properly.
RD

Alex says: “Finally, I don’t think I’m going to use something called “Dog and Lemon Guide” as a reputable source of information.”

You’d really ignore a book that is 880 pages long and contains every passenger vehicle sold in Aust/NZ in the last 20 years? And bases it’s results on owner reports and worldwide quality/reliability (such as JD Power) surveys?

Hmmmm…
Wheelnut

I’d say Japan has had more influence in the design than the Germans… the front is the same as the Honda Accord Euro whilst the rear is the same as a Honda Civic Hybrid. Whilst side on it looks like a Mazda 3 and the interior is like a Nissan
http://skyline The Salesman

Cerato drives much better than you might expect. I drove the Australia spec 2.0 litre and it is awesome (even at 200kph on the Hwasung test track Cerato felt keen to go harder). Also drove the Soul across Jeju island, through the hills and along the sea side, just brilliant. In 10 years with Kia i am confident to say Toyota should be very worried.
http://skyline The Salesman

Bones,
Coupe has a turbo four but Kia wont conferm the engine yet. They have a 2.0 and 2.4 in Korea. My guess would be 2.4
FRUGAL–ONE

I like it!

With Corolla now offereing safety-pack on the Ascent [bout time too!!]but at a still very high price [should be std.] and the fact still-no-electric-windows in the rear, its frankly a rip-off, i will pass on it.

The std. default Corolla @ ~$20k needs to the the Conquest.

Things i DONT like about the new Concerto

1/No 5 speed auto.
2/No trip computer on base model.
3/No outside temp. gauge on base model.
4/Goose neck hinges on boot.
5/About $1000 to much.
6/Safety pack should be inc.

No mention of service interval and cost, Toyota is fixed @ $120 for first 5 services.

Other than that will check it out in real and report back, other cars on my list are the new Mazda3, haonda City and 2nd hand Prius.

Cheers

F-0

WWW. DRIVE . COM. AU have road tested it
http://skyline The Salesman

Services are every 15,000k or 12 months. You can get a $120.00 service anywhere.
Plutonus

Reminds me of the American Civic.
WRXMAN

Time to trade up…
Mark

It’s funny how I see everyone comparing Toyota, Citroen, Renault, VW, Mazda and Honda. I do admit, I was compairing pretty much the same. But as class leader, no one has mentioned Peugeot, I mean, the 207 is the number 1 seller in Europe at the moment.

In regards to the other popular brands, I do agree with Zahmad’s comment previously. It’s just a big hype. People believe that because a manufacturer creates quality basic products initially, that once they start competing with other manufacturers in regards to technology for example, they don’t end up being all that great. I know from customer expeience, not myself, that the European version of the Corolla comes with a lot more specs on their base model, and the finish product is at a better quality.

I’m pretty sure I’ve stated before, but I will say again that the only reasons why the general public will go for these brands is because its just one big hype! Everyone needs to do a bit of research. It’s like the Iphone for heaven’s sake. Everyone wants want, just because of the label!

I do admit though, the Toyota Supra would have to be one of the best things that Toyota has produced, engine wise anyway.

I do also agree with everyone’s comment about wanting something greatly priced, having an excellent warranty, and that gets the job done, get a Kia. If you want to pay the extra for the hype of it all, please do so, but I’m sure if you were to drive everything, and you were a tightass like myself, I would still go a Kia. (The only way rich people get rich is by not blowing all their money, and spending it wisely!). And if you want something with great quality and reasonably priced, go a Peugeot, I mean, they’ve only been around over 100 years and have been the first of many companies to do a lot of things.
Robj

All this Kia hype for what??? A show car that will look far from these pic’s if it even gets here. Plasticy interiors with no durability, shiny paint that will wash off by the end of warranty. Cheap disposable cars people….. you get what you pay for. Please don’t compare to quality cars brands they are still far, far from that….
Robj

One more thing, SALESMAN. Please keep your pathetic Cash for Comments for KIA off these boards. Trying to always make out independent views. How about all those ex- Carnival owners with blown engines,, I’m sure they like to consider another KIA…
http://skyline The Salesman

I guess only time will tell. Speaking personally many of my clients are repeat or referral and i often trade in old Kia’s on new. None of those customers have complained about wear. Certainly more positive’s to talk about. Carnival engine was a disaster, Kia did repair or replace every effected car (even those out of warranty) Anyway that was 9 – 10 years ago. There is not a car in the world i can think of over the last 10 years that has been immune to faults (that’s why we have new car warranties)
As for the cash for comments, I wish! Obviously if you believe I deserve to be rewarded for comments I will accept cash or card. Just call 1800 THESALESMAN
Wheelnut

WRXMAN Says: January 24th, 2009 at 10:50 am
Time to trade up….

From What exactly?
ComradeVodka

Robj,

What two horribly misinformed and ignorant comments. You really have absolutely no idea. I bet you are one of those sad people that scourer the internet looking for any excuse at all, just so you can post negative things about KIA. Perhaps it is you that should “…keep your pathetic…” “…Comments for KIA off these boards.”
—
Correct me if I am wrong, but don’t CarAdvice let people leave comments in accordance to the article at hand, NOT for people just to post rubbish comments about certain car brands?
http://bestbadges.co.uk Andy Mc-Badges

Just more proof that Japanese cars are taking over the world, time for lazy American and European manufacturers to wise up!
RD

Errm Andy, KIA is Korean, not Japanese…
its great to be number 1

Comment deleted for breach of comment code of conduct.
Bavarian Missile (.)(.)

Dingos back………….^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Wheelnut

Although they are a car manufacturer; Kia really aren’t in the same league as Toyota.. Just as Toyota aren’t in the same League as BMW.

It’s all relative – you have to consider the size of the company; the technology/resources they have access to the markets that they compete in etc..
When you do that you would have to Admit that Kia do a reasonable job – They must do.. how else do you explain the considerable number of Kia Rios Kia Carnivals that you see on the road.

If you look at things on an even basis you would see that a Kia rio for example is alot better than say a Daihatsu Charade or a Daewoo Viva and not really that much different to a Swift or a Yaris.. The main difference being the [perceived] reputationof of the manufacturer

I mean most people don’t know a great deal about Kia [as proven by Andy saying that KIA are Japanese].. mind you years ago people didn’t know that much about Lexus either did they?

The other thing is that Kia owns Hyundai; which over the years has improved the design and build quality of their cars [I can't wait for the new Hyundai Coupe] you’d expect that Kia will start to do the same.

As build quality reliability and value for money improves so to will Kias Popularity.
Robj

I have no problem having views different to my own. Just don’t pretend KIA is anything but a budget brand aimed at the mass market whom care nothing about driving (pensioners & other low socio-economic groups). They are easy distracted by shiny trinkets and have very low demands as customers anyway. You can tell this if you step into a KIA showroom.
Wheelnut

Robj: your previous comment is quite interesting – you say that basic budget cars only appeal to pensioners and uneducated peoople from low socio economic backgrounds.. as they are simple easily distracted by shiny things and aren’t really demanding customers anyway

Yet if any demographic is more demanding its pensioners and those from low socio economic backgrounds.
They do a fair amount of research [more than most] into almost everything they buy be it a car television computer etc.
They are always on the lookout for something that is of reasonable quality reliable built to last and is what they beleive is the best value for money.
Unlike most people they tend to buy something that is practical veratile and most suitable to their needs… because they don’t have the money to replace a car every year…. they’re not out to impress anyone

All of which explains why the Yaris and Corolla are so popular doesn’t it?
Realcars

Gawd I love this site!!!!!!!!!

Yeah I had the original Carnival with the 2.5 and luckily didn’t have any probs. For all its shortcoming I miss that car.

Towed a trailer fall of gear and seven people up and down the east cost on Holidays etc and didn’t miss a beat.
Now have a Kia Grand Carnival and I am very happy with it.
Costeffective

I just read most of the comments relating to this new car from KIA and it’s true for many people that branding, safety rating and affordablity are the main criteria for choosing what one likes. If you take your time to read more about the car reviews streaming on the net these days, you wil find we are witness a new begininng not just for the bigger companies, but also KIA for example to hit a milestone in their innovation in reshape their company’s reputation. Just look at the new Swift and Grand Vitara from Suzuki for example. Not too long ago, people were only shying away from it because of the it cheap looks and mechanism. Now,depending on what your needs are, you are getting a pretty good product. And the new Ceranto if by no means a lesser car than a new corolla considering they have to wait at least 1 to 2 years before they care about the commuter’s safety with bare essentials specification.

I say we just have to be patience and wait for good news and reviews on this one.
Andy of Melbourne

I previous had a imported Skyline turbo, which was a great car but unfortuantely was not family friendly. When time came to upgrade, I checked out Kia and found the Magentis fitted the bill for what I wanted. After checking the quality at JD Power, I sceptically took a test drive. Surprisingly the Kias have come a long way in the last 3-5 years. In the end, although the Magentis is not the most powerful, the economy benefits and abiltiy to meet the requirements that I had of safety, space, comfort and quality were all ticked at a very afordable price.

I’m now a happy Kia driver, along with the rest of my family now and have no regrets about trusting Kia. I’m not one of the low-rent customers that some want to stereotype here, I’m a manager, with a CDB job in one of Australias largest companies, who prefers driving a KIA and paying off the mortgage rather than a BMW on hire purchase.

Whilst Kias may depreciate a little more than Japanese makes in terms of a % depreciation, the Magentis fares well in terms of real dollars lost over the life of the car compared to much more expensive similar offerings such as the Accord.

I often also drive the previous generation Cerato which is a great car. I’m sure the new model will be another real winner for Kia. It wasn’t too long ago when Japanese cars were considered rubbish. Times change, Kia has changed, suggest some people here smell the fresh coffee.
Mark

Just test drove the Cerato S manual. Very nice road handling and an excellent transmission. Has far more power than other I’ve tested (City, Focus, Mazda 3). Interior quality feels solid, as does paint and panels. Plenty of top notch extras included as well such as 6 airbags on the base model. Definitely worth a look if your in the market.
Ken D

Andy of Melbourne, I too have a Magentis as my daily drive and I couldn’t be happier. I bought the top spec 2.4 EXL with leather etc and I too would much prefer to spend my money elsewhere. ie, mortgage, kids etc. I know people who upgrade cars regularly to “keep up with the Jones’s” while they struggle with the bare essentials like the mortgage.
My wife drives a 2006 Cerato Hatch and that too is a good car. Both my KIA’s have been trouble free and I will continue to buy KIA.
KIA make a good car but people just can’t accept that a company can make a good car cheaper than the main brands.
I have seen the new Cerato and it is a nice car. I personally like the SLI with the chrome grill and alloys.
To all those that think KIA are full of squeaks and rattles, let me tell you that both my cars have been lowered with firmer suspension and there is still no squeaks or rattles and nothing has fallen off. I drove my bosses VE Berlina to Newcastle from Sydney and was annoyed with the constant vibration of the dash at speeds above 100km’h. As I have said to many people before, go to the dealer and drive one. It won’t cost you anything and you will be surprised. If you want to continue shopping elsewhere, that’s your choice but you’ll either pay more or get a lower spec car for your troubles.
Ikhide Andrew Anetor

I have a KIA RIO, and it is absolutely wonderful, fantastic, surprising and comfortable, just to mention a few.. I must confess that i would rather continue to buy a KIA instead of a TOYOTA or HONDA that have made their names and can afford to produce any spec, and sell in the market without minding Options and price.. I must confess that my country has a lot of bad roads, and i travelled with the RIO on one of the worst routes covering over 600km.. Surprisingly, the vehicle came back intact, without a need for wheel-balancing and alignment.. try that with a HONDA, and u’ll pay thru ur nose, especially if u were to take it to a service centre… I LOVE KIA.

The 2009 Cerato is a Marvel to the eyes.. I only have a problem with the lack of a temperature guage.. Or are they trying to give the impression that the car will never have cause for over-heating issues?
Ronaldo

I’m Going to have my 2010 Cerato Next Week.

Ebony Black with Full Option.

Please congratulate me.