Over the past decade Kia Motors of Korea has come-up with the power to surprise in both their motoring technology and vehicle body design, their latest effort, the new Kia Cerato 4-door sedan being both attractive to behold and up-lifting to drive.

European in styling, the new Cerato has been made available in either a 1.6 or 2.0-litre 4-cylinder DOHC version featuring 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission. In a somewhat rare occasion, for once the complete test team voted that the 1.6 Cerato was by far the smoothest sedan that had been road tested for sometime, the newcomer providing virtually no road or wind noise when out on the open highway, and what's more, having exceptional free wheeling capabilities when cruising down an incline.

Now, one might say what's so important about that, well with the cost of fuel these days, imagine the saving on free wheeling down from the top of Parow Hill to Monte Vista every morning before the Cerato finally starts to lose speed. Sleek in shape, the Cerato received many a compliment wherever viewed, the burgundy coloured test car catching the eye of passers-by.

Performance from the 1.6-litre manual is gutsy, 91,2kW at 6 000rpm being available to the driver for some nippy overtaking, while the 5-speed gearbox is a joy to use in traffic, and 156,7Nm of torque at 4 200rpm always combining well with some excellent gear ratios. Comfort rates high, seating both at the front and rear providing a good deal of lumbar support and legroom, with the interior being well finished and providing a host of luxuries. The adjustable power steering determines top class handling through sweeps and fast corners, the Cerato sitting rather squat at all times and being predictable when negotiating a tight curve at speed. However it is the technical engineering at the end of the day that makes the Kia Cerato a winner, under the bonnet and engine detail layout receiving high marks for neatness, placing and accessibility.

On this showing the new Kia Cerato is a serious challenger to the market segment dominated by the Toyota Corolla, Nissan Tiida, Honda Civic and Volkswagen Jetta, with the retail price for the entry level Cerato 1.6 5-speed manual being R180 000.