2010 Kia Cerato review

[KiaDxb]

It might not look all that special, but the Kia Cerato is actually the Korean company’s biggest selling car.

It’s found a decent niche for itself as a cheap and competent sedan in America and is proving to be a surprise hit. Here, it’s destined to rival the likes of the Mitsubishi Lancer and Toyota Corolla in the cutthroat world of bargain four-door sedans.

The Cerato was one of the first cars to be designed by Kia’s new head honcho of design Peter Schreyer – the bespectacled man responsible for such iconic modern cars like the original Audi TT. Whilst it might not have that car’s instant grab-you appeal, the Cerato is a decent looking machine – and certainly not a rehashed design that some past Korean cars have been guilty of sporting.

As with most of the Kia line-up there’s just the one engine on offer with the Cerato – a reasonably willing 2.0-litre inline four. Standard fit is a four-speed automatic gearbox, though a much better five-speed manual car is offered for those willing to wait for the ship to arrive from Korea. It might be well worth the wait as the four-speed automatic is probably the weakest point in the whole of the Cerato.

The interior is nothing amazing, but it’s finished in decent materials that’ll stand up well to the kind of abuse that kids lay out on car interiors. The stereo’s pretty good and the suspension is soft enough to give a comfortable ride for all those on board. A two-door version called the Cerato Koup is expected to arrive in the UAE before the end of 2010.

SOURCE: http://automiddleeast.com/2010-kia-cerato/