Test drive Kia Cerato since 2009 sedan

Not all the gold

How will the new Kia Cerato conquer the hearts of Russians?

In the Arab world, there are enough connoisseurs of brilliantly cream objects. High skyscrapers, chic machines, expensive jewelry. The more chrome and gilding, the better. The new Kia Cerato, whose test drive took place in a luxurious Dubai, does not look stranger there. Because he shines so that the eye blinds. But is he gold?

Presentation in the Arab Emirates. The endless mention of premium, sports and wealth of completion. Sweet speeches filled with words in excellent degree. It feels like a new Cerato from an ordinary compact class sedan has turned into a Mercedes at least!

Cerato really got it on all fronts, except for the height: it became wider (five millimeters) and longer (30 millimeters). Moreover, the length increased exclusively due to the wheelbase increased to 2700 millimeters (by 50 millimeters) of the wheelbase while reducing overhangs simultaneously. As a result, it became a little more spacious inside, and outside the body found other proportions, the cabin seemed to move forward, and the car was visually stronger to the ground.


The third-generation Cerato appearance worked in the American KIA design center in the city of Irwin, California. The designer team was led by Kia Motors chief designer Peter Schreyer and Kia Motors America Tom Kernst chief designer.

The body, 63 percent made of high -strength steels, became 37 percent tougher for twisting. But in the case of the new Cerato, the wrap is much more important than the filling. The KIA Californian studio painted by Tom Kerna (under the strictest supervision of Peter Schreer chief designer, of course), the car received a appearance that unequivocally clings.

The tricky stamping on the side, the window sill, which takes place upwards, is already familiar through other models, the radiator grille of the tiger's mouth with a framing in the form of irregular shape, the complex bumper Cerato's appearance has become even more interesting than the model of the previous generation. Cerato sparkled. So much so that even sophisticated motorists in the emirates turn on to him. They will look at him in Russia.


Following the CEED Hatchback aimed at Europe and the flagship sedan Quoris, Cerato also received a new corporate design of the front of the body.

The previous Cerato stably chose his 20,000th annual quota in Russia. KIA claims that they would sell more if there was an opportunity. In the proof, the figures of sales around the world are given by 2.5 million from the beginning of the production of the first generation in 2004 and the share from the total sales of the KIA is about 18 percent. Of course, the main sales markets are, first of all, China and the USA. Europe does not need such a car there to eat more refined SEE'D, but we are just right.


Thanks to the roll of the roof line and the high trunk behind Kia Cerato looks the most dynamic.

Cerato was specially invented for those markets where sedans are appreciated. It is easier than the same sid in design: instead of an independent rear suspension, a cheap and simple half -dependent beam is installed on Cerato. The sedan does not have such a European interior at all easier in design, and the materials here are simpler. The only advantage of Cerato is the presence of a two -liter engine in the range of a CEED only 1.4 and 1.6 engines.

Five class sedans at a price of up to 1 million rubles


Does this mean that Cerato will cost cheaper than SID? More likely no than yes. Of course, the price of a new model that will appear in Russia in April is promised to be preserved at the previous generation level. But given the markedly enriching basic package (distance central castle, CD/MP3/AUX/USB audio system, air conditioning, heated mirrors, anterior electric power drives) and increased number of expensive options, the real cost of Tserato will certainly be slightly higher than CEEED in a similar equipment. That is, the cost of a well -equipped Cerato with a two -liter engine can quite approach a mark of 1 million rubles. Maybe he really is gold?

Interior


The interior of the new Kia Cerato looks modern, but in fact, almost all of the plastic of the finish is stiff, and the skin of the visor of the dashboard is artificial. In addition, in Russia, leather seats will not be available, only a rag.


The microclimate block and a five-inch multimedia display (in expensive trim levels) are located on the interior and are convenient to use a slightly deployed driver and are convenient to use.


On the rear seats is spacious - thanks to the enlarged base. Even tall passengers are accommodated. True, some can complain about a dangerous proximity to the crown of a sloping roof.

On a test drive, only cars in the most popular modification in Russia of 1.6 and a six-speed automatic machine of their own development Hyundai-Kia were available. The equipment is the most sophisticated, with a leather salon (unfortunately, the option unavailable for Russia), an optronic panel of devices with a 4.2-inch display in the middle, climate control and another multimedia screen with a diagonal of seven inches in the center of the panel. But the decoration immediately shows that marketers aimed at Russia, China and the USA. The adjustment of all panels is good, but the quality of the materials is not on top. Most plastic is hard, a visor from a leatherette, finishing for carbon film, and the glasses buttons and adjusting the mirrors are from the last century.

The main designer chip of the cabin folds on the upholstery of the doors and panels in front of the front passenger in Kia is called soft waves. In fact, these waves are hard and not very pleasant to the touch.

Finally, we did not find any sports motives, as the creators promised, we did not find special elegance in the interior of Cerato. It turned out not too remarkable, but a fairly high -quality salon, which in its design is much closer to Japanese cars than to CEED gravitating to Europe.


1. Only leather seats are equipped with electro -regulations, so there will be neither one nor the other in Russia. Sitting here is convenient, the chair is dense and with a successful profile. But the level of lateral support is small.
2. Circle of the automatic transmission selector are located the heating buttons (there will be no ventilation in Russia) and the inclusion of parking sensors.
3. On the right hub of the steering wheel with the control buttons of the cruise control, the Flexster key is adjacent to changing the force on the steering wheel. Three modes are provided: Comfort, Normal and Sport.
4. In cars with a machine gun there are steering wheel petals.
5. Swims from the steering wheel, the ECO mode switches, the ESP shutdown and the steering button in Russia are so useful in Russia.
6. Gas Pedal in the new Kia Cerato floor.
7. For the rear passengers, a folding armrest is provided. But there is no hatch for longs.
8. The air from the climatic system is supplied back under the seats and through the ducts in the end of the central tunnel.
Remembering the orientation of Cerato to the markets of those countries where they primarily appreciate the comfort of movement, it would be logical to assume that the new sedan on the smoothness of the move should easily break the European SID. But the concepts of comfort of the creators of Serato were very strange. Yes, he has good sound insulation and spacious interior. But here is the chassis

Hard, short -handed, with blows working on the hift when the bedridled policeman is traveling. And at the same time, the same dancing and swaying on the irregularities of the back is the back. The rear passengers on large bumps jump so that they almost touch their heads on a low ceiling.

In fairness, it is worth saying that on a good road, all these features are not so noticeable, but in Russia there will be little benefit from this.


It was difficult to check the work of the suspension on evenly multi -band highways of the emirates with hard speed restrictions. But the buildup of the back of the body on the waves is difficult not to notice.

Surprisingly, with a general feeling of stiffness of the chassis, the new sedan is absolutely devoid of at least some enthusiasm in behavior. Cerato rides reliably, predictable, but to attempts to slightly whistle the tires in the bend, with a displeasure of his mouth of the tiger. Not him. And the driver of pleasure from a dynamic driving will not receive here.

No matter how much you play with the FlexSteer system settings, this will not help better feel the car. Only the background force on the steering wheel changes, but the steering itself with an electric power is not more acute or informative from this. That in the parking lot, that in direct, like an arrow, the emirate autobahns seemed preferably the Comfort mode, in which there were least synthetics.


Managing Kia Cerato is easy and understandable. Soft reactions, predictable behavior. But there is no sports that was mentioned in the new sedan.

On the highways, by the way, it is also not everything is okay: 130 horses of the modernized Gamma 1.6 MPI engine, grinded by a slow but very smooth automatic (acceleration of a sedan on a handle from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour takes 1.1 seconds less), turn into the output into the output into the output. Bruck ponies, which are very difficult to drag almost 1300 kilograms of equipped mass. Perhaps for a more powerful (150 forces) two -liter motor of the new NU family, the car acceleration will become a simpler task?



The volume of the trunk of the sedan Kia Cerato is not much larger than that of the Kia Ced 421-liter hatchback against 380. Under the floor is a full -fledged reserve. On top - handles for folding the back of the seat in a ratio of 2: 3


There are no such handles inside the cabin.

Perhaps, however, in Russia, two -liter Cerato is unlikely to be in high demand. The bestseller will be version 1.6 with an automatic machine in mediocre configuration, which in our market will be bought primarily for the design, as well as its predecessor.

True, future buyers should not forget the old Russian proverb that not any brilliance means the presence of gold.

Alternative
Ford Focus. Traditionally, one of the main competitors in this class remains Ford Focus sedan. The easiest Focus in the basic version of Ambiente with a 85 -horsepower engine 1.6 costs from 542,000 rubles. In the Trend configuration, motors 1.6 (105 and 125 forces, on the handle or automatic transmission PowerShift, from 641,000 to 700,000 rubles), as well as 2.0 (150 forces, mechanics or automatic, 718,000 or 743,000 rubles) are already available. Trend Sport is more expensive for 54,000 rubles. There is also a turbodiesel on a machine for 877 500 rubles. The Titanium version is more expensive for 24,500 rubles and begins only with the 1.6 engine (125 forces).

Opel Astra Sedan. The relative newcomer of our market. The price for the easiest sedan in the basic configuration of Essentia with a 1.6 -litar 115 -horsepower engine 684 900 per car on the handle. You will have to pay 40,000 rubles for the machine. The Enjoy version is more expensive than 20 00 rubles with the same units. With the 1.4 -Turbo engine (140 forces) and the automatic transmission such a sedan costs 788,900 rubles. In the top COSMO configuration for 903 900, you can buy Astra Sedan with a 1.6 (180 forces) turbo engine and automatic.

PEUGEOT 408. The novelty from PEUGEOT sedan 408 is increasingly found on our streets. For only 569,000 rubles, you can buy 408 on a handle with a 110 -horsepower gasoline engine 1.6 in the Access database. With a 112-horsepower turbodiesel, the same car is estimated at 657,000 rubles. In the average configuration of Active, a 110 -horsepower car costs 631,000 rubles. With a 120-horsepower engine 671,000 rubles, and with a 150-horsepower turbo engine 746,000 rubles. The most expensive is the Peugeot 408 with the same 150 -horsepower engine and an automatic machine in the Allure configuration 789,000 rubles.

Technical characteristics Kia Cerato
Engine Type gasoline R4
Working volume 1591 cm
Max. Power, L.S./rpm 130/6300
Max. moment, nm/rpm 157/4850
Type of drive front
Transmission 6 -speed automatic transmission
Front suspension Independent McPherson
Rear suspension half -dependent beam
Brakes Disc ventilated in front and discs behind
Dimensions (DHSHHV), mm 4560x1780x1445
Wheel base, mm 2700
Equipped mass, kg 1740
Max. Speed, km/hour 195
Acceleration 0-100 km/h, from 11.6
Fuel consumption (comb.), L/100 km 6.8
Emissions CO2, g/km, ec. class 160, euro 5
Luggage compartment volume, l 421
Fuel tank volume, l 50
Tire size 195/65 R15, 205/55 R16, 215/45 R17
Price, rubles n/d
 

A source: Motor magazine [February 2013]