Pretty hatch joins Kia clan

The steering is nicely weighted and like the suspension, tends towards a firmness better suited to enthusiastic driving than mummy’s need for easy parking.

"In many ways it is a delightful problem, but it has led to some anger and frustration in the market with potential buyers becoming agitated because they cannot get the Kia model they want," said Kia managing Director Ray Levin.

It is a problem which Kia SA has had virtually from day one because it is totally dependent on how many vehicles Kia's Korea production plant allocates to South Africa.

But, says Levin, although some potential buyers grumble and go across the street for an alternative buy, many are prepared to wait for up to six months for new stocks to arrive.

It's enough to make you weep

Kia's growing popularity has shot up even higher since the introduction of market-leading warranties and price tags which are making other manufacturers weep.

Already Kia's local range is bulging with 41 models, ranging from the pretty Cerato Koup and the K2700 Workhorse to the pikkie Picanto, spacious Sedona and South African Car of the Year finalist, the stylish and practical Kia Sportage.

No doubt the arrival of the new Cerato Hatch is going to cause quite a flutter in the hatch-back coop with orders already streaming in for the first delivery batch of 500, some of them already on showroom floors.

Kia has always been strong on safety issues and the hatch certainly is no slacker in both active and passive departments.

This cute new five-door is a real little head turner and it's not going to take long for the petrol-head discussions around the latest addition to the Kia clan to heat up in pubs and clubs because this little stubby-bum is a lot more than just a converted sedan injected with a flicker of fun.

It has lots of energy to trot; it's spacious, pretty, practical and perfectly-suited to small families as well as singles who enjoy driving and who bask in the street-cred that comes with owning a new-on-the-market hatch.

Cute it certainly is with a cheeky kerbside attitude, thanks to its European- designed creased metal looks, two-tone roof spoiler, low air intake grille, shapely fog lamps, 16-inch alloys (on the less expensive 1.6 litre models) and 17-inchers on the 2 litre versions and sporty rear diffuser.

Not yet as gut as Germany, ja!

The new hatch is available in either a 1.6 EX or 2 SX format with manual or automatic transmission.

The living quarters are also a step up from the Cerato sedan and the quality is good, though not quite as solidly impressive as Made in Germany vehicles.

It certainly is more than spacious enough for four large bodies and drivers will find it easy to make themselves comfortable with the help of multi-adjustable seat and fully adjustable leather-trimmed steering wheel with audio and other controls.

There is a more upmarket feel to the 2 litre which I drove during the Media launch because of additional features such as a 'Super Vision' instrument cluster with red mood lighting and a 'message centre' digital information display which gives information about fuel level, engine temperature, door- or trunk-open alerts and fuel consumption.

When the reverse gear is engaged on the 2 litre, the RPAS (Rear Parking Assist System) is activated and the message centre also displays a plan-view graphic showing the vehicle in relation to any obstructions.

Kia’s new hatch is available with a choice of two DOHC four-cylinder petrol engines featuring CVVT and four valves per cylinder.

What also impressed was the centre stack which looks as though it floats above the dashboard and houses heating, ventilation, audio and auxiliary controls sassily lit up by 'Negative LCD' illumination which brings a racy red glow to the cabin interior.

The interior on the 1.6 litre is finished in a classy Black one-tone fabric while the 2 litre I drove was dressed in full leather and tasteful metal trim.

It's all in the air, you know...

The manual aircon system on the 1.6 litre model is a bit bargain basement and not really befitting an otherwise nicely finished-off travel space, but our 2 litre test car came with automatic climate control which compares much better with that fitted to class competitors such as Toyota Auris, VW Golf 6, Mazda 3 and the closely related Hyundai I30.

The scales are also well-balanced by a quality radio & CD player system with AUX/USB/iPod input jack and six speakers.

Besides being spacious the new hatch also has a boot bigger than the Cerato sedan and a rear seat that splits 60/40 and folds almost flat.

Nice touches

Other nice touches are a folding key with keyless entry, a leather 'boot-type' gear lever gaiter and chrome trim around the twin cup holders.

Kia's new hatch is available with a choice of two DOHC four-cylinder petrol engines featuring CVVT and four valves per cylinder. The larger 1998cc power unit generates 114kW and torque of 194.2Nm which propels the hatch to 100km/h in 9.1 seconds and on to a top speed of 190km/h.

When the reverse gear is engaged on the 2 litre, the RPAS (Rear Parking Assist System) is activated.

The smaller 1591cc engine kicks out 91kW and 156Nm which is enough for a dash time of 10.3 seconds from park to 100km/h.

Both engines are mated to a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic transmission equipped with a gate-type shifter which allows the driver to choose normal Automatic or Sport modes. Steering wheel paddle shifters are standard on the 2.0 A/T SX model.

Our launch drive took us over Franschhoek Pass to Theewaterskloof, over Houw Hoek, through the winding valleys from Elgin and Grabouw and back over the pass to Franschhoek and it provided ample opportunities to see how keen the hatch is to play and what it's like to drive in slow and fast-moving traffic.

Very well mannered

The suspension is a little hard on bumpy sessions, leaning more to handling than comfort, but the little Cerato showed no jitters or bad manners even with the leather hard on the fun pedal.

The steering is nicely weighted and like the suspension, tends towards a firmness better suited to enthusiastic driving than mummy's need for easy parking.

What also impressed was the centre stack which looks as though it floats above the dashboard and houses heating, ventilation, audio and auxiliary controls sassily lit up by ‘Negative LCD’ illumination which brings a racy red glow to the cabin interior.click to enlarge

The brakes are excellent and grip evenly and quickly but without biting.

When you whip the hatch the engine does become quite audible, to the point where it becomes a little harsh and intrusive, although this only really happens when you play in the red zone.

Kia has always been strong on safety issues and the hatch certainly is no slacker in both active and passive departments with standard kit such as ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) and EBD (Electronic Brake Force Distribution), as well as dual front, side and full-length curtain airbags.

Active headrests are also standard on all models, as is an impact sensing auto door unlock sensor and a speed sensing auto door lock.

The interior on the 1.6 litre is finished in a classy Black one-tone fabric while the 2 litre I drove was dressed in full leather and tasteful metal trim.click to enlarge

Overall, a surprisingly refreshing newcomer to the Kia clan, complete with cheeky sporty inclinations and smart European styling that looks the part - and all the potential to give Ray Levin and his management team more pleasantly sleepless nights.

Now, if Korea could only be persuaded to come up with a seriously hot addition to this range Kia dealers in this country might well have to buy a few wheel-barrows to do their banking...

New models and prices:

1.6 Cerato Hatch manual EX R185 995
1.6 Cerato Hatch automatic EX R195 995
2.0 Cerato Hatch manual SX R205 995
2.0 Cerato hatch automatic SX R215 995

Included in the price are a five-year/100 000km warranty and a four-year/60 000km service plan.

Kia Cerato brochure and specifications.

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