SA Roadtests
South Africa
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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. We drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under South African conditions. It also just happens that most of the vehicles we drive are world cars as well, so what you read here probably applies to the models you can get at home.
*To read one of our road tests, just select from the menu on the left. Hover your cursor over the manufacturer's name, then choose from the drop-down menu.
*Please remember too, that prices quoted were those ruling on the days I wrote the reports.
Published in Witness Wheels on Thursday September 5, 2013
I admit it. I’m a peasant. Given a choice between an entry-level 1600 cc Kia Cerato four-door or its more powerful brother, the 2.0 SX, I would probably put the R60 000 difference into 4528,30 litres of unleaded. That should let me drive, theoretically, 74 234 km on Kia’s tab; provided the price of fuel doesn’t go up in the meantime. Insert resigned sigh here.
Seriously though, I drove the little ‘un first and decided I could quite contentedly live with one. Its engine is smooth, the new six-speed manual gearbox shifts like butter and the gearing is spot-on; allowing the car to maintain cruising speed up some pretty decent hills. It’s also well equipped, comfortable, spacious and it averaged 6,1 litres per hundred over the test period. That’s a lot better than the 7,6 l/100 km I managed with its hatchback twin, tested in 2011.
Although the 1591cc Gamma engine is pretty much the same as it was back then, Kia admits to having tweaked a further four kilowatts out of it. One could almost put that down to different readings taken on the same day, but something has certainly changed. Its new transmission uses a lower first gear to spring it out of the traps quicker; cutting standard dash time from 10,9 to 10,1 seconds, while a longer top ratio aids fuel economy and adds10 km/h to maximum speed.
Apart from changing cogs, the gearsets are new; for smoother and quieter shifting performance, more efficiency and greater durability. Improvements include multi-cone, key-and-ball type synchronisers, hydraulic clutch control and low viscosity oil. This ensures that the transmission does not require any servicing for the life of the vehicle.
Like many new models, the updated Cerato’s wheelbase is 50mm greater and it grew 30mm longer and 5mm wider, but lost 15mm in height. The body and front subframe were stiffened and more sound deadening material was added to make it quieter. Seventy-six kilograms of body mass disappeared in the process; heaven knows where to. The added wheelbase and some interior repackaging translate to greater comfort and more people space. Despite reducing front and rear overhangs by a few millimetres, the new car’s boot is 67 litres bigger than the old one. Quietly not mentioned is that the fuel tank lost two litres of capacity somewhere, but you probably won’t miss it.
Apart from the upgrades and restyled windows to improve outward visibility, the car is much as it was previously with brakes, suspension, wheels and tyres and standard features remaining the same. You still get six airbags, powered windows and mirrors, fog lamps, fabric seats, a six-speaker radio and CD player with Bluetooth, USB and auxiliary, central locking with autolock, kiddie seat anchors and a manual air conditioner with extra vents for those in the back.
The 2.0-litre SX manual that I drove straight afterward gained leather seats, a more sophisticated LCD display, flex-steer that provides a choice between three levels of steering weight and response, 17” wheels with wider and lower tyres, dual zone climate control, ESC, parking sensors and a reversing camera. It also offers HID xenon headlamps, a start/stop button, hill starting assistance and a few additional cosmetic features.
The bigger engine, 3 kW more powerful than its earlier incarnation, gains eight-tenths of a second in the standard sprint and a similar 10 km/h maximum speed increase over the previous model. It was certainly more tractable than the 1600, but more nice-to-have than necessary, considering that this is a family car. I admit to liking the smart key for its ability to lock and unlock everything by pushing the button on the driver’s door handle, and for the convenience of never having to take it out of your pocket or handbag.
Conveniently, both versions have levers in the boot that release the rear seatbacks, but this could be problematic. Very sensitive buttons on their key fobs make it easy to accidentally pop the boot lid open then walk away after locking the doors. The now-open boot could tempt lawless types to climb inside for a look around.
Finally, deciding between the 1600 that does an excellent job of moving your family around and the extra power and luxury of the two-litre model is entirely up to you. It’s your money; spend it on fuel or enjoy the added convenience.
Test cars from Kia SA press fleet
The numbers
Prices: 1600 EX – R219 995. 2000 SX – R279 995
Engines: 1) 1591cc, DHC, four-cylinder; 95 kW at 6300 rpm and 157 Nm at 4850 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 10,1 seconds.
Maximum: 200 km/h.
Real life fuel consumption: About 6,1 l/100 km
2) 1999cc, DOHC, four-cylinder; 118 kW at 6500 rpm and 194 Nm at 4800 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 8,5 seconds
Maximum: 210 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: About 7,9 l/100 km
Tank: 50 litres
Boot: 482 litres VDA
Warranty: 5 years/150 000 km; with 3 years’ roadside assistance
Service Plan: 5 years/90 000 km
This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.
I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material. If I ever place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with that vehicle at least once already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.
My reviews and launch reports appear on Thursdays in the Wheels supplement to The Witness, South Africa's oldest continuously running newspaper, and occasionally on Saturdays in Weekend Witness as well. I drive eight to ten vehicles each month, most months of the year (except over the festive season) so not everything gets published in the paper. Those that are, get a tagline but the rest is virgin, unpublished and unedited by the political-correctness police.
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SA Roadtests
South Africa
ctjag8