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Introduction
Having reviewed mid-priced family sedans and rather rare (valuable)
classics in the fun section of the column recently, this month we
change direction and examine a value-packed combination.
Kia Cerato
On first acquaintance the Cerato presents as a mid-sized sedan with
conventional tidy styling. It’s available with a 2.0 litre petrol
engine or a 1.6 litre turbocharged diesel. Turbo-deisels, once the
preserve of trucks and off-roaders, are, in their modern versions,
increasingly finding favour in passenger cars and have even been
seen on race tracks. The reason is that manufacturers have been able
to increase smoothness and refinement while retaining the engine’s
characteristic virtues of fuel frugality and torquiness. Okay, so
let’s look at the diesel version.
Driving it
Heading north out of Albany village and up the long incline of
Albany Hill shows that a key asset of the Cerato’s diesel motor is
torque. This low and mid-range grunt allows the car to stay in a
higher gear when under load. Less gear changing proved an advantage
on a windy piece of road where the car accelerated well between
corners without the need to continually change gears. (This torque
would also be useful during city rush-hour crawl in this manual
transmission car.) The handling is safe and tidy and the brakes up
to the job. They meet expectations for the class.
Boot space
The boot has a low loading lip and provides a useful amount of space
and would accommodate large items such as pushchairs or portable
cots. In common with many modern cars the Cerato has the
particularly useful feature of a 40/60 split folding rear seat to
expand the space available for bulky or larger items.
Cabin
The driving position is comfortable with the driver’s seat having a
full range of adjustment. All the controls fall easily to hand and
are logically arranged. The rear seats accommodate adults easily
enough, at least for my 5’10’’ frame. There is the usual array of
map pockets, cup holders etc and also auto climate control air
conditioning. This feature used to be the preserve of upmarket luxury
vehicles but now features in the budget end of the market.
Safety
This car has most of the safety features one would expect to find in
more expensive cars, including the following:
Active Safety:
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Anti-lock brakes
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Traction control
Passive safety:
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NCAP
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Five lap/diagonal seatbelts, the front seats with front
pretensioners and load limiters
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Three child seat anchor points
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Six airbags – dual front, side and cabin
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Headrests – the front active in a crash
Opinion
This car does exactly what it sets out to do – provide an economical
and practical small/mid-sized saloon. No, it’s not going to set the
world alight with its styling or driving dynamics but it presents a
competent package loaded with extras. Add to this Kia’s
five-year/100,000km warranty programme and a Cerato purchase makes a
lot of sense.
Suzuki Swift
Better known for its motorbikes, Suzuki has been making steady gains
in the New Zealand market with its cars, in particular the Swift and
Grand Vitara models. Here we look at the Swift sport, a pocket-sized
supermini hatchback.
First impressions are good, with a pert and purposeful shape with
curves and swage lines well resolved between the front and rear of
the car. The chunkier front and rear lower panel/bumpers and a nice
set of spoked 16-inch alloy wheels give the car a sportier look then
the standard Swift.
Driving it
Driving this sort of car is supposed to be about fun, so how does it
stack up? Noticeable, as we pulled away, is a slightly rorty
exhaust; first box ticked. In a straight line the Swift Sport
accelerates pretty well but probably just as important for the class
of vehicle, it feels quick. A pleasant surprise is that the engine
has a good spread of power from low engine revs. The handling is
well up to the mark with steering that is precise but not twitchy.
The brakes worked just fine and had a nice bite under braking.
However, on a motorway drive, this car developed a hard-to-pin-down
low frequency cabin noise, perhaps a result of the low profile
tyres, but one I was unable to isolate the cause of during our
drive.
Cabin
The front bit: Sporty, comfortable front seats with a good seating
position give a good view of the three-instrument binnacle. A nicely
shaped and sized sporty steering wheel draws attention away from a
slightly plasticy dashboard. Drilled pedals and stubby short throw
gearlever complete the sporty interior look. The rear bit: Seating
space not bad for the car size but better suited to kids.
Boot Space
Boot space — what boot space? Not a vehicle for those with lots of
baby paraphernalia. To be fair, though, this is not a focus for this
type of car and the saving grace is the ability to fold the rear
seats, giving flexibility in how you choose to use the space behind
the front seats. Rear seats in place mean small soft baggage space
only in the boot, mountain buggies are out unless you fold one of
the rear seats down! I found the rear seat has a rather fiddly strap
to retain it in the folded position.
Safety
Safety features include
Active:
Opinion
I had fun with this car. It ticks all the right sporting boxes in
the looks and driving departments. It’ll bring a grin to your face.
The afore-mentioned cabin noise may make the car a little tiresome
on a long journey but the fun elements combined with reasonable
practicality make it an attractive package.
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