Australian New Car Buyer – June 2019

AUSTRALIAN NEW CAR & SUV BUYER’S GUIDE | 81

Kia’s top selling Picanto
starts at $14,190 with a 62kW
1.25-litre four cylinder/fi ve-speed
manual. X-Line is $16,190 and GT

Line, with a standard four-speed

auto, extra equipment and sporty

bling, is $17,290.

The auto adds $1600 to S and

X-Line.

Picanto GT, with a 74kW

1.0-litre turbo triple/fi ve-speed

manual, is $17,990.

The Picanto isn’t exactly loaded.

It does, however, include everything

you need to be comfortable,

connected and content.

Infotainment includes Apple

Car Play and Android Auto

compatibility, so you can do just

about everything by voice with

your phone, including navigation,

on the seven-inch touchscreen.

Typical of the class, the back

seat has limited legroom and is

only wide enough for two. A deep

boot is the biggest in the class.

Automatic emergency braking

(to a stop from speeds up to

80km/h; partial from speeds

above 80km/h) is standard.

Picanto is the most affordable

car on the market with this

feature, which isn’t even

standard on the Mercedes A

Class or BMW 1 Series.

Picanto’s 1.25-litre naturally

aspirated four cylinder/four-

speed auto drivetrain does

the job OK around town, albeit

at a leisurely pace. The Kia

always feels confi dent and

secure, mainly because local

suspension tuning favours

control over comfort, so the ride

is pretty fi rm.

Safety

Performance

Handling

Quality, reliability

Comfort and

refi nement

Value for money

Overall

STARS

 KIA PICANTO FROM $14,190

 Smooth and quiet for a small car

 Automatic emergency braking

standard

 Infotainment is sorted too

THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE

Four star ANCAP

It’s slow

Low speed ride can be pretty lumpy

Expensive servicing

SPEX

Made in South Korea

1.25-litre four-cylinder petrol/four-

speed auto/front-wheel drive

62kW of power at 6000rpm/122Nm

of torque at 4000rpm

0–100/h N/A

4.6L/100km highway; 7.9L/100km

city; regular unleaded; CO 2 emissions

are 134g/km

Warranty: Seven years/unlimited

kilometres

Standard: Six airbags, stability

control, auto emergency braking,

cruise, 14-inch steel wheels,

Bluetooth, camera, Apple Car Play,

Android Auto

Redbook future values: 3yr: 44%;

5yr: 28%

THINGS WE LIKE

 $15,690 drive away for the auto is a

great deal

 Market-leading warranty

compare with ...

Honda Jazz, Hyundai Accent,

Mitsubishi Mirage, Suzuki Celerio,

Toyota Yaris, VW Polo

Kia’s Cerato hatch range
opens with the 112kW/192Nm
2.0-litre petrol S, with a six-
speed manual, priced at

$20,990. A six-speed auto adds

$2800.

Sport, with the auto as standard,

is $25,790 and Sport+ is $28,840.

The 150kW/256Nm 1.6-litre

turbo/seven-speed dual clutch

automatic GT i $32,990.

Cerato sedan is available in the

same models grades at the same

prices.

The 2.0-litre engine is a strong,

willing device that returns good

economy on regular unleaded, and

is a neat fi t with the automatic.

Kia’s suspension is tailored for

our rough roads, so it’s pretty fi rm.

The Cerato is a classy,

comfortable piece inside, albeit

rather dark and understated

in its attempt to mimic a Euro.

Autonomous emergency braking,

lane keep assist, parking sensors

and full smartphone connectivity

are standard.

Fit and fi nish quality are pretty

good and the car is backed by

Kia’s seven-year/unlimited-

kilometres warranty, which is the

most generous on the market.

Back-seat space is average.

There’s more in Corolla, Lancer

or Civic. A big boot has a full-size

spare underneath.

If you’re after a small but

spacious sedan or hatch the

Cerato is certainly worth a drive.

Kia regularly advertises the

base S manual hatch and sedan

at $19,990 drive away, making

them among the cheapest cars

in this class. That’s a great deal,

because they are far from being

the worst.

KIA CERATO FROM $19,990

Safety ANCAP

Green Vehicle

Guide

Performance

Handling

Quality, reliability

Comfort and

refi nement

Value for money

Overall

STARS

Reasonable handling

Excellent quality and reliability

Longest warranty on the market

THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE

Ride isn’t supple

Weak resale values

Some engine vibration at high revs

Back-seat space isn’t huge

Three-way electric steering is

a gimmick

SPEX (S auto hatch)

Made in South Korea

2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol/six-

speed automatic/front-wheel drive

129kW of power at 6500rpm/209Nm

of torque at 4700rpm

0–100/h in 9.0 seconds (claimed)

5.4L/100km highway; 10.0L/100km

city; 91 octane regular; CO 2

emissions are 169g/km

Warranty: Seven years/unlimited

kilometres

Standard: Six airbags, stability

control,AEB, lane keep assist, Apple

CarPlay, Android Auto, keyless

starting, camera, parking sensors,

16-inch steel wheels

Redbook future values: 3yr: 41%;

5yr: 28%

THINGS WE LIKE

S is one of the cheapest drive away

deal in the class

compare with ...

Holden Astra, Honda Civic, Hyundai

i30/Elantra, Mazda3, Toyota Corolla

S