Last year we drove the Kia Cerato Koup at its international launch in Korea, but we were only able to test the automatic, which was not as impressive as we wanted it to be. But at the local launch last week we got our hands on the manual and we were not disappointed.
There is no doubt this is a good looking car. Just as my colleague Charleen Clarke put it, “I love its sporty profile, swooping roofline, large wheel arches and funky LED lights. Some of my colleagues felt that the previous generation Koup -“ which was considerably more angular and chunkier -“ was more appealing. I don’t agree. The new Koup looks like a fun, fab, sleek sports car -¦ and that’s good enough for me. It’s anything but dull-¦”. It has oversized, swept-back headlamps and detailed foglamps and sits on 18-inch allow wheels. The side mirrors and door handles are black because “the notion of colour coded bumpers etc is outdated,” says Kia South Africa Marketing Manager, David Sieff. It is the trend in Europe at the moment and makes the car appear more sporty. We will let you decide that for yourself.
Step inside and you are met with quality cabin finishes. It has black monotone leather seats with an array of standard features that include cruise control, smart entry and start, electric folding side mirrors, rear-ventilation, chilled glove box, electric front windows, dual-zone climate control, Bluetooth and a 4.3-inch colour touch-screen audio system (radio/CD/MP3) with six speakers. The seatbelt extension guide ensures you don’t pull a muscle trying to reach for your seatbelt. Something Kia can really boast about with this coupé is the space in the rear, it has more than most of its competitors.
This C-segment competitor sees Kia’s first turbocharged petrol engine enter the South African market. The 1,6 GDi turbocharged four-cylinder engine is far punchier than its predecessor. It produces 152 kW of power. The six-speed manual gearbox shifts easily and ensures a much more dynamic drive than that of the automatic. The clutch can be a bit tricky and so making stalling an embarrassing occurrence.
But this car should change your perception of the Kia brand. Kia has already been doing that somewhat with its impressive model range on our market, but this sporty guy is good looking, has enough oomph to keep most women satisfied (which is more than we can say about most men) and has a list of standard features that puts some of its competitors to shame. The manual costs R334 995 while the automatic will set you back R346 995. You will get a 5 years/ 90 000 km service plan and 5 years/ 150 000 km warranty at this price.
