Kia Cerato YD Hatchback GT (2018-2025)

Kia's most entertaining hatchback isn't really a hot hatch – For an affordable hatchback, I was taken back by how well the Cerato GT was built. Sure, there are plenty of hard plastics found on the interior, but that’s really it when it comes to what you would expect in a more affordable hatchback. The exterior exhausts, panel gaps, welds and wiring looms are all examples of accuracy and precision - a… Read more

testament to Kia’s improved build quality.

The interior construction in modern-day Kias like the Cerato GT are extremely solid, with no movement of the centre console, squeaks or rattles found within this cabin.

Buttons are nicely damped, offering a soft press rather than a plastic-like click. Additionally, stitching is accurate, leather is of a high grade and the screens look crisp and bright.

The Kia Cerato GT Hatch starts from $36,990 drive away, however if you want this exact launch spec, you’ll need to cough up an extra $520 for Runway Red paint.

For a similarly equipped and priced Mk8 VW Golf, you will be paying a lot closer to $40,000 to drive away. $37,510 gets you all the possible upgrades you could imagine with the Cerato, with the main difference being you’re buying a 7-speed automatic paired with a 1.6L turbo four cylinder.

Additionally, you have a sunroof, heated/cooled seats, GT-specific steering wheel and seat, upgraded alloy wheels, sports exhaust pipes, multi-link suspension and Michelin Pilot Sport tires.

In short, the Cerato GT is one of the best value sports-orientated hatchbacks that you could rely on using day to day, with all the possible creature comforts you’d need in a daily driver.

For those looking to keep the Cerato GT for a long time, Kia has you covered. Instead of your run of the mill 5-year warranty, you’re getting an extra 2-years, bringing the warranty period up to a 7-years/Unlimited Kilometre warranty.

You also have a capped price servicing program, which covers you for 7 years or up to 70,000km of driving. The total servicing cost for the Cerato GT over this period comes to a total of $3,234.

I was actually not at all disappointed with the Cerato GT’s sound profile both outside and inside the cabin.

Starting with engine and exhaust noise, I was pleasantly surprised with the raspy and hot hatch-like sound this hatch produced. The 1.6L turbo four cylinder sounds angry under heavy acceleration, with purpose rather than sounding too strained.

In every hard shift of the dual clutch transmission, you get a nice little burble between shifts, reminiscent of VW’s DSG ‘fart’ from their more powerful and more expensive GTi.

The upgraded JBL audio system brings a much needed depth, clarity and power over the standard system.

There’s even a speaker in the boot, which helps evenly spread the audio throughout the cabin.

The larger than standard Cerato brakes fitted to the Cerato GT do a great job for 90% of your driving needs, with these brakes being the difference between a warm hatch and a hot hatch.

You get upgraded front brakes, to help slow down the faster GT, with a strong initial bite and excellent response.

Power is sourced from a 1.6L turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, producing 150kW and 265Nm.

That translates to around 109kW per tonne, which is square in warm hatch territory, rather than hot hatch territory (usually in excess of 120kW per tonne).

The dual clutch transmission takes a second to engage, after that there’s another delay from the turbocharger. Only after a few moments, while you wait for revs to build above 3,000rpm, the power surge starts, and you feel all 150kW power the Cerato GT as you’d hope it would.

It’s not lightning quick, but it’s respectable and it doesn’t feel like you’re lacking power in this trim. It’s usable power, that you can have fun exploring, without having to stress about over-exceeding the local speed limit.

The 7-speed dual clutch transmission is the major difference, aside from the engine, compared to the rest of the Cerato range.

It needs a slight adjustment to make it a perfect match for daily use. The slight lag before engagement when in reverse and driving off the line can get a little frustrating.

A major surprise with the Cerato GT was the upgraded multi-link suspension set-up. The Cerato GT felt solid, with amazing amounts of follow through in sharp corners.

With a capable set up like this, you can corner harder, with greater precision and road feel. Despite the larger wheels and stiffer suspension, the Cerato still is comfortable. I would put that down to not just the suspension, but also the GT sports seats which do a great job of holding you in place and providing additional support.

The Michelin Pilot Sport tires are grippy and are a welcomed overkill set of rubber for what the Cerato GT has to throw at them. It’s a great tire option and a major plus in this price bracket.

Claimed combined fuel efficiency is 6.9L/100km, costing you around $70 a tank.

I saw that fuel economy figure cross 10L/100km around town, especially when I was trying to make the most of the Sport mode, dual clutch transmission and all 150kW.

Sadly, I wasn’t as impressed with the Cerato GT’s interior as I hoped I would have been. It’s not flashy, but perhaps more importantly, it is usable and easy to navigate.

I would have preferred a little more design flair in here, like something similar to the Hyundai i30 Sedan. Instead, there’s a far more practical approach to the Cerato’s interior.

I appreciate the easy to navigate hard buttons, the large 10-inch touch screen infotainment and the space that this interior provides. There’s nothing that’s been added in here for the sake of design - form follows function inside the Cerato GT.

502L of boot space is available with all seats folded up, with more available when you fold the second row in a 60/40 split.

It’s part of the practicality of a large hatch like this; you have a cavernous amount of space, and more if you need it when transporting bulky items. It makes for not just a convenient daily driver, but also a spacious road trip companion.

It’s competitive in price, warranty, features and performance, which would have me recommend the Cerato GT for the top of your list when cross-shopping with other mid-range, ’warm’ hatches.

*Disclaimer - I work for ProductReview as their independent car and motorbike expert. I borrow new cars and motorbikes from manufacturers and owners to review. I am not paid or incentivised by these brands to post reviews. I write and create content to provide insight and information about any new or used vehicle I can get my hands on.

Probably will go down as the best car I've ever owned – We bought a steel grey Cerato GT Hatch on June 30th 2019. Paid $31,500 with factory floor mats included. So now we have 3000kms on the clock here's my likes. Love all the electronic safety gear. Autonomous cruise is awesome and the two seat memories too. We love the interior, the phone charger and the keyless entry are nice. The engine is great,… Read more

we use it in automatic drive mode so the car chooses the driving mode according to your driving style. Currently the fuel economy (accumulated) is 6.9 L per 100 kms. The dislikes: The road noise on particular road surfaces is louder than our Dmax. The front parking sensors have to be manually turned on when needed. No rear hatch opener from the drivers seat. Overall this car is amazing and well worth the asking price. There are a lot more pluses like the 7 yr warranty etc but do your research (YouTube is good) and you will see what I mean. The DCT does react differently to a normal automatic transmission but it's easy to get used to and not something to worry about. Thumbs up to Ipswich Kia for the most easy going, genuine low pressure sale ever. That's saying something because I'm not a big fan of car salesman due to bad experiences in the past.