Kia Cerato VS Hyundai i30
Kia Cerato
Likes
- Peppy turbocharged engine
- Modern simple multimedia system
- Massive boot
Dislikes
- Harsh ride quality
- Unrefined, noisy cabin
- Ageing interior design
Hyundai i30
Likes
- Impressive features list
- Value for money
- Drive incredibly well
Dislikes
- Dual-clutch transmission gets confused in stop/start traffic
- Shorter servicing intervals
- Some safety tech is intrusive
Summary
Kia Cerato
Three years after the fourth-generation Cerato small car rolled into Australian dealerships, Kia launched a mid-life facelift for the sedan and hatch range in mid-2021.
It ushered in styling tweaks including new headlights and Kia’s new logo, as well as more safety tech and a multimedia upgrade.
At the top of the range sits the warmed-up Cerato GT. It’s not quite Hyundai i30 N-level performance, more i30 N-Line. In other words, more than enough performance to keep most people satisfied and enough poke to get away quickly at the lights.
But is the updated version of Kia’s Cerato trying to be something it’s not, or is it a performance bargain?
Read on to find out.
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 1.6L turbo |
| Fuel Type | Regular Unleaded Petrol |
| Fuel Efficiency | 6.9L/100km |
| Seating | 5 seats |
Hyundai i30
The Hyundai i30 sees an update for the 2025 model line and the base N Line variant gets the best of the new stuff, including a new mild-hybrid powertrain.
This might mean trouble for its nearest rivals, the Toyota Corolla, Mazda3 and Kia Cerato, because the update makes the N Line one of the better base-model hatches to come out in recent years for its segment.
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In this review, we see how it also handles urban life!
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| Safety rating | — |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | — |
| Fuel Type | — |
| Fuel Efficiency | —L/100km |
| Seating | — |
Verdict
Kia Cerato7/10
Kia has value and packaging on its side with the sleek and spunky Cerato GT sedan. There’s no shortage of standard gear, it comes with the latest multimedia and safety gear and the cabin and cargo area are spacious and practical.
The powertrain is a winner too. Which is why it’s such a shame that it’s let down so badly by the ride quality.
If you’re going to be driving on various road surfaces, or regularly driving long distance, check out the far more compliant Hyundai i30 N-Line instead.
But if you’ll only ever drive in urban areas – or enjoy the occasional back-road blast – and you can handle the firm ride, there’s still plenty to like about the Cerato GT.
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Hyundai i308.6/10
The updated Hyundai i30 N Line doesn’t look like or perform like a base model.
You really do get bang for your buck here with its features. It’s a good-looking hatch that’s fun to drive in the city or open road and while the multimedia system is basic and occupants will be squished in the rear row, everything else is a big plus.
Design
Kia Cerato
When the fourth-gen Cerato sedan was revealed in US-market Kia Forte guise at the 2018 Detroit motor show, the design was praised for taking inspiration from the sleek Stinger performance sedan.
The facelift has arrived at just the right time to keep the Cerato fresh against the dominant Toyota Corolla, Mazda3 and new Volkswagen Golf.
The sharpened front-end styling features an eye-catching daytime running light signature and the headlights now connect with the redesigned, slimline Kia ‘tiger-nose’ grille in gloss black.
It’s a subtle, yet successful design refresh.
Inside, the Cerato is starting to look its age against rivals like the Golf and Mazda3. Those GT themed additions definitely lift the ambience of the cabin, but the dash layout feels a bit generic and the overall interior design is nothing flash. Especially when you consider the interior of some of Kia’s latest models, like the impressive Sportage medium SUV.
Hyundai i30
The design memo seems to be to make the i30 N Line look sportier and more purposeful.
They've nailed the design. The i30 is a good-looking hatch that looks like it has European styling.
The reshaped grille features new air intake vents, and stylish V-shaped daytime running lights. The rest of the body looks sharply dressed with new side skirts, reshaped bumper, black side mirrors, dual exhausts and 18-inch alloy wheels.
The cabin has been refreshed with a black headliner, upgraded leather and suede upholstery with contrasting red stitching and an N Line steering wheel and leather gear shifter.
The dashboard features new materials and additional soft touchpoints that make the interior feel like it's not a base model at all.
Practicality
Kia Cerato
As mentioned, the red stitching throughout, chunky steering wheel and sports seats are welcome additions to the GT cabin.
There are soft-touch materials on the top of the dash but hard plastics on the dash fascia.Â
There’s no fully digital instrument cluster, but it has a 4.2-inch LCD display in the cluster showing fuel economy and the like. No complaints with the analogue dials and there’s a digital speedo if required.
The update ushered in Kia’s latest multimedia system to the Cerato and it’s a winner thanks to cool graphics, logical menus and its ease of use.
There’s quite a sizable central storage bin and glovebox, while the console houses a key slot, two sizeable cupholders and a second spot for devices adjacent to the charging pad.
The front sports seats look sexy, have excellent side and body bolstering and they’re firm, but comfortable.
A 600mL bottle will just fit into the doors, bit it’s tight.
Sitting behind my six-foot (182cm) frame in the rear, legroom is adequate but toe room is tight. My head was about an inch away from the headliner due to the sloping roofline. The rear seats are also firm.
The Cerato has lower rear air vents, one USB-C port, a map pocket on the passenger side, a central rear armrest with two cupholders, and bottles slot into the doors easier than they do up front.
Kia offers a temporary spare wheel housed under the boot floor. The boot is long, offering an impressive 502 litres (VDA) of cargo space, which is more than other small sedans like the Subaru Impreza (460L VDA) and the Hyundai i30 (474L VDA).
Lower the rear 60/40 seats via the levers in the boot and that space increases further, but they don’t fold completely flat.
Hyundai i30
Like most hatches, the front row of the i30 benefits the most when it comes to leg- and headroom. Taller passengers will be most comfortable up front as the rear row doesn't offer all that much legroom. It's squishy behind my driving position and I'm only 168cm tall!
Access however is decent for both rows because of the wide door apertures, but it's a low car to get in and out of because of the 140mm ground clearance. Expect a couple of grunts after a gym session.
The seats in both rows are fairly well-padded and offer the most comfort on shorter journeys. Even with the new powered lumbar support on the drivers seat, fatigue can set in quickly on a longer trip.
Individual storage is excellent throughout the car with a large glovebox that can hold a thick manual, middle console, phone tray, four cupholders, a drink bottle holder in each door, two net map pockets and even a sunglasses holder!
Other than the Kia Cerato, the i30 has one of the largest boots compared to its rivals, at 395L, and it’s enough for road trips and a decent grocery haul. The taller boot lip means you can stack items too but you don’t get a spare wheel in this model, just a tyre mobility kit. The base model also doesn’t get a powered tailgate, but the lid is not heavy at all to operate.
The new digital instrument cluster looks great but the multimedia system is basic and there’s no satellite navigation, so you're reliant on the phone mirroring apps but these maintain a strong connection. The radio is a hit or miss but that’s typical for the grade level.
Charging options are great for a base model with a single USB-A port, three USB-C ports and 12-volt sockets, and a wireless charging pad to choose from.
Price and features
Kia Cerato
The GT is priced at $35,290 before on-road costs regardless of whether you opt for the four-door sedan (as tested here) or the five-door hatchback, though be aware that Kia Australia regularly runs drive-away pricing campaigns.
There’s not a lot of competition in the warmed-up small car market these days. A number of carmakers have slimmed down their small-car line-ups in the face of falling sales.
Kia’s closest rival is also its mechanical sibling, the Hyundai i30 N-Line sedan and hatch. The Hyundai is cheaper by more than $2500, but the more generously equipped i30 N-Line Premium sedan is a little over $2000 more expensive than the Cerato GT.
The Mazda3 GT sedan and hatch could also be considered a rival and pricing is about on par with the Kia.
Other lower grades in the Cerato range run from $25,490 to $30,640 (MSRP).
The GT benefits from the more premium powertrain offering in the Cerato line-up – the 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine shared with the i30 N-Line and the recently discontinued Veloster Turbo.
The GT bodykit adds sporty styling flourishes like a black front and rear diffuser, boot spoiler, dual exhaust, black external mirror caps, red highlights and 18-inch GT alloy wheels.Â
This theme carries through to the cabin too with features like alloy sports pedals, flat-bottom perforated leather sports steering wheel and leather-appointed seats with red stitching and embossed GT logo.
As the range flagship, the GT also has the most standard equipment. It comes with a sunroof, eight-way power driver’s seat, wireless device charging, an eight-speaker JBL premium sound system, heated and ventilated front seats and dual-zone climate control air conditioning.
The only option fitted to the test car was Snow White Pearl premium paint for $520.
Hyundai i30
There are two models for the 'regular' i30 and we’re testing the base model, the N Line. Its new price point of $36,000, plus on-road costs, means it's $8940 more expensive than the most affordable rival, the Kia Cerato hatch.
The Mazda 3 Pure hatch is the next at $30,470 and then comes the Toyota Corolla Ascent Sport at $32,110.
However, the base models differ greatly in terms of standard features and the updated i30 N Line delivers upgraded leather and suede upholstery as opposed to the standard cloth. There are now two-USB-C ports in the rear, and a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster that comes standard.
The driver also gets extendable under-thigh and powered lumbar supports to increase comfort.
Key features include wired/wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, keyless entry and start, rain-sensing wipers and dusk-sensing LED headlights. Anyone familiar with base models might know that a lot of those items are not standard features and it’s nice that you don’t have to go up a grade level or two to get them in the new i30 N Line, although you are paying more in the first place.
Other standard features include an 8.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system, dual-zone climate control, a USB-A port, three USB-C ports, three 12-volt sockets, a wireless charging pad, digital radio and a six-speaker sound system.
Under the bonnet
Kia Cerato
While all other Cerato grades use a 112kW/192Nm 2.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, the GT benefits from a spicier powertrain.
Under the bonnet is the Hyundai Group 1.6-litre T-GDI four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine delivering 150kW of power at 6000rpm and 265Nm of torque at 1500-4500rpm. This is the same tune as the Hyundai i30 N-Line.
This is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that drives the front wheels. Lower grades use a six-speed torque converter auto. Kia dropped the manual from the S and Sport grades as part of the update.
The GT differs from the rest of the Cerato range as it has multi-link rear suspension, instead of a torsion beam setup. Both the suspension and steering have been tuned for dynamic driving. More on that later.
Hyundai i30
The updated i30 N Line has a new mild-hybrid powertrain that features a 1.5-litre 7 four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine and combines to produce 117kW and 253Nm of torque. This new combo means it has higher outputs than its nearest rivals and you get three drive modes, including Sport which makes those outputs feel even more prevalent.
Like its rivals, the i30 N Line is a front-wheel-drive, but it has a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission which can sometimes feel like it's confused in stop/start traffic.
Efficiency
Kia Cerato
According to Kia, the Cerato GT sedan uses 6.9 litres of fuel per 100km on the combined cycle. The GT hatch uses 0.1L less.
After a week of mixed driving in the Cerato GT, we recorded a combined fuel consumption figure of 9.0L/100km – a fair bit more than Kia’s claim.
The GT emits 157g/km of CO2 (official combined).
Hyundai i30
The new engine coasts in neutral when you’re not accelerating to improve efficiency and it works for that purpose as my real-world usage of 6.3L/100km isn't too far off the official combined fuel cycle figure of 5.6L.
Based on the official combined fuel cycle and 50L fuel tank, you should see a theoretical driving range of up to 893km, which is downright respectable.
Driving
Kia Cerato
The 1.6-litre turbo engine is a ripper and it’s been put to good use in Hyundai’s i30 N-Line and Veloster Turbo.
It’s just as willing and responsive under the bonnet of the Cerato GT, but they each perform quite differently.
Accelerating from a standing start, there’s mild turbo lag in the Cerato, and some torque steer when accelerating hard.
Once up and running it’s quick, and the seven-speed dual clutch snaps through the gears smoothly while still allowing it to rev freely.
It’s the type of powertrain that is utterly unbothered by things like steep ascents. The Cerato GT just keeps pushing on, without losing momentum.
The downside of that is that the engine is super noisy when pushed and the Kia just doesn’t have sufficient noise suppression materials to counter that. Because of this, it lacks the refinement of its i30 N-Line cousin and the Mazda3.
Steering is weighted on the heavier side but it’s direct and the car goes where you point it.
Like many Kia models, the Cerato GT benefits from an Australian-specific steering and suspension tune. Kia doesn’t have a full performance hot hatch to line up with the i30 N, but the engineers seem to have tuned the suspension to be just as capable as the full-fat i30 N.
That certainly aids dynamic driving in the Cerato GT. It hugs corners and grips the road, avoiding any skipping and with only a hint of body roll.
However, we think Kia’s engineers have made the damper settings too firm, because the Cerato GT’s ride is harsh in virtually all driving environments.
Read more on the Cerato
A new, freshly laid road surface in an urban area without any speed bumps was the only time the ride was comfortable during our week with the car.
It crashes over potholes and it’s loud and jarring when you unexpectedly encounter a sharp rut. There’s a bit of vibration through the steering wheel too.
This is disappointing, especially when you consider that the i30 N-Line has a much more supple ride and is the sort of warmed-up hatch or sedan you could easily live with day to day.
We briefly drove the i30 N hot hatch just before we got into the Cerato GT and even that has a more tolerable ride quality than the Kia.
Hyundai i30
The new powertrain is impressively punchy and you almost feel like you’re driving a hot hatch when you hit the open road because it’s effortless to keep up and overtake when necessary.Â
The steering is firmer than what you’d expect and that makes the car feel heavier than what it is. Cornering is great – barely any roll – but the suspension is not finely tuned, especially for regional roads. But the overall feel is sporty, so it’s forgivable.Â
At lower speeds, the cabin is delightfully quiet and although the exhausts are thrumming with noise, you don’t really hear it! It’s only once you get on the open road that the road noise creeps up but you can hold a convo without raising your voice, so that’s still good.
The i30 is pretty low to the ground and that makes it easy to scrape the bottom of it, especially when you have a full car load, so take ramps and bumps at a slight angle.
Hatches are always the best for parking because you can park ‘em anywhere! The i30 N Line has front and rear parking sensors and a decent reversing camera, so it’s extra easy.
Safety
Kia Cerato
The Cerato GT achieved a five-star ANCAP crash safety rating in 2019 and it applies to all Cerato variants built after June 2021, except the S and Sport which have four stars because the autonomous emergency braking system offered as standard in those grades can’t detect vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists.
Standard safety for the GT includes auto emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, forward collision warning, rear occupant alert, driver attention assist, rear cross-traffic alert with collision avoidance, blind spot detection and collision avoidance assist, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist with lane follow assist steering, safe exit warning, front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera.
At one point, the AEB kicked in pulling out of a parallel street parking spot because it detected a vehicle that had already driven past the car and was several metres ahead.
Kia’s lane keep assist system is generally impressive and functions without issue, but it pulls on the wheel a little. It’s not jolty like systems offered by some other brands.
When lane keep and follow assist are active, it can be fiddly to switch them both off. If you hold the steering wheel-mounted button down, the follow assist stays on but the lane keeping deactivates, so you just have to keep holding the button down until the lane and steering wheel icons in the digital display eventually disappear.
Hyundai i30
The i30 has a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing done in 2017 and features seven airbags but, like its rivals, it doesn’t have a front centre airbag yet.Â
Safety features includes items which are often at cost extras for a base model, like blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.
Other standard items include driver attention warning, safe exit warning, rear occupant alert, tyre pressure monitoring, DRLs, lane departure alert, lane-keeping aid, traffic sign recognition, intelligent seatbelt warning, adaptive cruise control, a reversing camera system as well as front and rear sensors.
The lane keeping aid and traffic sign recognition tech are a bit intrusive for daily driving but easy enough to adjust if need be.
The i30 model has two ISOFIX child seat mounts and three top tethers but two seats will fit best.
AEB with forward collision warning is standard but ANCAP does not stipulate it's operational km/h range.
Ownership
Kia Cerato
The Cerato, like all Kia models, is offered with a seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, and one-year free roadside assist which extends year by year if you service with Kia (up to eight years).
It also comes with a seven-year capped-price servicing plan that costs approximately $3234 over the seven-year period.
Servicing intervals for the Cerato GT are every year or 10,000km, whichever comes first. Â
Hyundai i30
Hyundai offers the i30 with a five-year/unlimited km warranty, which is a normal term for the class and you can pre-purchase three-, four- or five-years worth for servicing and the five-year option cost $1795, which is competitive.Â
Servicing intervals are okay at every 12 months or 10,000km, whichever occurs first.