Kia Cerato GT Hatch 2024 Review

Cerato GT – I recently drove the latest Kia Cerato GT hatchback. This is the top model in the Cerato range and as always, I enjoyed driving it.

The Cerato is a popular midsized passenger car that comes in both sedan and hatchback designs. The hatchback design is both stylish and practical.

Typical of Kia, the GT Hatchback comes with a long list of standard features, many that other brands have as options.

Inside its well laid out, comfortable and very easy to live with. I like the thick steering wheel, heated seats, and overall ambience of the interior.

Front seats have plenty of room, the rear seats are what you would expect for a hatch this size, but the boot is large and practical.

It also comes with a sporty 1.6L turbo petrol engine and 7 speed DCT transmission. This combination drives the front wheels and provides reasonable performance and economy.

The Cerato isn’t what you would call a hot hatch, yet its engaging and a bit of fun to drive every day,

The Kia Cerato GT Hatch is priced from $36,860 plus the usual costs. Its one of those cars that just feels right when you sit inside. It does everything you ask of it, it’s well priced and is a solid alternative to an SUV

This is a Motoring Minute

Im Brianna Fraser

Readers can find more Cerato reviews HERE

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Kia Cerato GT Hatch Video Review

Coming soon

More Kia Cerato GT Thoughts

Kia refreshed the Cerato in 2021 with some model updates and new badging.

Now I’ve never been one to pay much attention to branding or logos. But I had someone mention to me the other day that they wouldn’t buy another Kia because they hate the new logo. Others love it. Go figure.

 Some other KIA Cerato Reviews

• Cerato GT – Kia’s sporty hatch 2022 Review
• 2021 Kia Cerato GT Hatch 2021 Review
• Kia Cerato MY22 Model Upgrade Radio Review
• Kia’s Refreshed MY 2022 Cerato Review
• Kia Cerato MY 2022 model update
• Kia Cerato update sneak peak before launch

So what does the Cerato GT Hatch look like?

I like the design. Its visually appealing and has a sporty look about it.

Then again, I like hatch or liftback styles more than sedans.

From the front the bonnet, grill and lights all look happy. It looks like its smiling, especially with the LED lights and LED fog lights on.

From the side, as I said, it looks like it got the proportions just right. Sloping front section, and a coupe style hatch design.

Being a hatch design the lift back id opens nice and tall for me.

The GT rides on 18-inch alloy wheels wrapped in 225/40Z R18 rubber and sports a GT body kit along with dual exhaust and high gloss black door mirrors.

What about inside the Cerato GT?

My first impressions are practical, comfortable, and functional.

Its comfortable rather than sumptuous. There is a bit if hard plastic throughout and th seats while comfortable to sit on, you don’t tend to relax into them.

As we have come to expect from Kia, the GT version is packed with a heap of features, many that other similarly priced brands often have as options.

The leather seats are heated and ventilated, electronically adjustable with additional lumbar support for the driver. They are comfortable but you sit more on them rather than in them. You can also save the position for multiple drivers with a memory function.

I like the subtle red stitching highlights and GT logo on the steering wheel, dash and seats.

When I’m sitting in the driver’s seat there is a heated, flat bottomed leather steering wheel that frames the driver instruments perfectly.  It has a bunch of controls on the spokes, but the thumb swell spots are appreciated.

There is a classic twin dial driver instrument binnacle design with configurable MFD between.

Centre console area is well laid out with large cup holders, reasonable size storage bin, and a clever little slot of the key fob. However, again the hard plastic top for the elbow seems out of character.

There are more driver control functions around the transmission lever, including the drive mode select button.

One thing I don’t really like is that the USB ports seem to be buried deep into a little slot and aren’t easily accessible.

Rear seats are spacious for this size of vehicle. Getting in and out is relatively easy. I like the fact they fold to allow a greater boot space if needed. That practicality of a hatch back or lift back is so hard to beat.

Cerato GT Infotainment and Connectivity.

The Cerato GT has a 10.25-inch Audio Visual Unit with LCD screen. It looks a bit like an afterthought and stick out a touch. It also gets pretty hot in use.

But its intuitive and easy to use.

The system features:

• JBL 8-speaker Premium Sound System
• personalised profile settings which are perfect for a shared family car,
• a rear seat sleep mode which limits the speaker level in the back to allow rear seat passengers a more restful environment,
• built-in satellite navigation with 10 year MapCare and SUNA live traffic updates,
• DAB radio,
• voice recognition,
• wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay (which is strange as it has a wireless charger) and
• the soothing Sounds of Nature.

In front of the driver is a selectable 4.2-inch TFT LCD Cluster which allows drivers to display info such as:

• speed, drive mode,
• average and instantaneous fuel economy,
• trip meter and odometer along with fuel range,
• Lane Keep Assist status,
• driver attention level and
• compass bearing.

Other Cerato GT Features

As you would expect the GT model is packed with many features.

Rather than repeat a heap of text here its best if you go to the Kia website HERE and look for yourself.

Cerato GT Engine and drivetrain

The Cerato GT comes with a 1.6L turbo petrol 4 Cylinder engine. This provides power of 160kW @ 6,000 rpm and torque of 254Nm between 1,500 and 4,500 rpm.

This drives the front wheels through a 7 Speed DCT.

Now for suspension I am going to quite directly from Kia.

The GT has a McPherson Strut front end and a multi-link rear suspension.

The brake package features ventilated 305mm front discs and solid 284mm disc at the rear.

What is the Cerato GT like to drive?

Sporty, zippy and a bit if fun.

Everyday driving is engaging with direct inputs being followed instantly.

The motor driven power steering allows direct response to steering input and good feedback. When you select different drive modes there is a noticeable difference in the feedback.

I do like the tuned exhaust note, it adds to the sporty character.

The handling has been tuned for Australian conditions and it shows, but the ride is a little firm. Always has been.

It’s not quite as economical as you might expect, especially if you’re driving for fun, but not too bad at 8.5L/100K on our test.

It’s responsive from as low as 1,500 rpm and when sports mode is selected it is fun to drive and this means overall it’s a neat sporty package that is responsive and zippy rather than outright fast.

Cerato GT Safety

The Cerato maintains its family safety reputation with a comprehensive passive safety suite, including six airbags, strong body structure and safety-focussed design.

Active safety (threat awareness and avoidance) is a key to Kia’s passenger safety ethos with ABS and ESC standard along with Autonomous Emergency Braking programmed for vehicle, pedestrian and cyclist recognition.

GT features

• Lane Keep Assist, now with Lane Follow Assist added,
• Lane Departure Warning and Driver Attention Alert,
• Blind Spot Detection,
• Blind Spot Collision Avoidance Assist (BCA),
• Rear Cross Traffic Collision Avoidance Assist,
• Safe Exit Warning,
• Smart Cruise Control,
• Parking Distance Warning (front and rear sensors),
• High Beam Assist and
• Reversing camera.

Some thoughts

• The rear LKA and LFA can be a little intrusive for everyday driving
• Unfortunately the Adaptive Cruise control function can’t be switched off to allow normal cruise control.

Cerato GT – some little everyday things

• Cerato GT is very easy to live with every day.
• Driver ergonomics are well laid out.
• Having hard plastic, especially where you rest your elbows is a little disappointing.
• It’s fun to drive, zippy rather than fast.
• Heated seats are nice and toasty and having ventilation on hot days is a bonus.
• Wireless CarPlay connectivity would be appreciated as it’s on the “S” Model not on the top spec, something about proprietary navigation but annoying.
• Sounds of Nature is actually a really cool feature.
• Headlights are good, and high beam provides good penetration and spread. Auto dipping calibration is good
• Windscreen washers give a good spread and are efficient.
• A HUD would be handy.

What are my final thoughts about the Cerato GT?

I like it a lot.

Sometimes car manufacturers get a car just right. The Kia Cerato is such a car.

It balances style, practicality, driver engagement and price.

It feels like a well-worn pair of jeans. When you put them on its just feel comfortable.

What could I buy instead of a Kia Cerato GT?

Hatchbacks sit between sedans and SUVs and despite being immensely practical, are slowly disappearing in sales.

Buyers could look at the Hyundai I30, Honda Civic RS, Mazda3, Subaru Impreza or the Peugeot 308 GT

*MLP Includes GST and LCT but excluding statutory charges, dealer costs and dealer delivery. See your dealer for RDAP. Does not include price of options. Some features mentioned in the article are options. RDAP means Recommended Drive Away Price (without options but including all other charges)

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