Kia Cerato GT Line 2019 Car Review

This Cerato range launched in February 2019, and owes some of its attractive looks to Kia Stinger cues.

The GT we drove earlier is the hero car of the range, the only one to get a 1.6-litre turbo engine, dual chrome exhaust tips instead of one, and paddle shift for those wishing to change gear manually: the GT is also the variant which sits closest to the tarmac and has the biggest wheels.

All that – and the increased spec – obviously come with a higher price. The GT sells for $41,990, while this similarly named GT Line has a $39,990 price tag.

For the $2,000 you save, you forfeit the 18-inch alloys in favour of 17s, matched to slightly narrow tyres with a higher sidewall – sadly we couldn’t test back to back to see whether that’s noticeable in terms of ride comfort. This GT Line has a full-size spare wheel and tyre, too, in place of the GT’s space saver. City folk may not care whether they ride on a space saver for a short distance – but a full-size spare delivers valuable piece of mind for those who live more than the 80km maximum recommended distance from a tyre shop.

The GT had sporting pretentions, and it was reasonably enjoyable to drive briskly through a set of bends, while naturally not a hard-core performance car. We noted that ride could be slightly marred by small jiggles transmitted from the road, no doubt a function of the more sporting of the underpinnings.

This GT Line has no such pretensions. It cruises as happily, conducts everyday life with ease, and though we admittedly couldn’t safely push any performance envelopes during the torrential wet of our test period, it seemed confident enough round corners, if a little less keen to pick up than the GT’s engine. That’s a combo pitched just right for its likely market – those seeking a practical, handsome hatch for stress-free commuting and school runs in a smart and well-specced conveyance, especially given we did note a more comfy ride over rougher road surfaces than in the slightly sportier GT.

Then of course there’s the powerplant. The GT’s motor is smaller, yet puts out 38 more kilowatts and an additional 73Nm via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. It has more than a veneer of sportiness to it.

The GT Line, though it looks similar – unless you’re able to spot the 5mm difference in ride height – slots a 2.0-litre petrol engine under the bonnet. It can’t deliver as much power as the turbo, and it drinks a whisker more fuel – and emits 167g/km of CO₂ emissions, to the GT’s 158. But the GT Line will happily run on the more affordable 91-octane fuel, while the nominally more sporty GT prefers 95 octane – and rides on a fully independent multi-link rear suspsension, instead of the GT Line’s tubular beam rear axle.

Otherwise inside the cabin and boot are just as roomy – space is a little up on this model’s predecessor - and specification is all but identical, including that nicely high-mounted screen to keep the satnav instructions near your eye line, and the split shelf cubby in front, so you can sit your cell phone on the wireless charger, while charging other devices below it.

Both variants have the same suite of advanced safety aids like Blind Spot Detection – actually a cost option in some up-market cars (think Jaguar I Pace). Indeed spec is impressive, right down to folding heated side mirrors, that wireless phone charger, satnav, and heated or cooled front seats.

The only differences pertain to performance – the GT is a touch heavier, a bit more powerful, gives paddle gear change on the steering wheel, and uses a tad less fuel – but in all, those changes are relatively small.

Which begs the question, why are the two similarly-named variants priced so close? Buyers surely will tend to squeeze the extra 2K from their loan manager simply to get a marginally more frugal car with slightly larger wheels.

Given the handsome lines and generous kit, they both make a decent argument to appear on a driveway near you.

  Safety systems

• Auto Emergency Braking with pedestrian and cyclist avoidance
• Forward Collision Warning
• Lane Keep Assist
• Blind Spot Detection
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert
• Reversing camera
• Tyre pressure monitoring
• Bluetooth hands-free with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay