It could be the new badge; or it could be a great car. Either way, the Kia Cerato has caused a stir in June 2021 because it ranked in the top five selling vehicles.
It’s a great achievement for the lone passenger car in the list and it continues the outstanding sales success for Kia who are 43.2% up in sales compared to 2020, which places them ahead of Ford and Mitsubishi at the half way mark.
The top selling new cars in June were:
- Ford Ranger (6,058)
- Toyota Hi-Lux (5,412)
- Isuzu Ute D-Max (3,167)
- Mazda CX-5 (3,018)
- Kia Cerato (2,711).
Fleet Auto News spent some time in the Kia Cerato last year and we loved it as a fleet vehicle. We even featured it in one of our first YouTube car reviews. Click here to watch.
Earlier this year Cerato took over the mantle as Kia Australia’s most successful model, passing the Rio in historical sales with more than 155,000 sold since launching in 2003.
The refreshed Cerato which was launched with the new Kia badge earlier this year and will retain the four grades from the current model _ S, Sport, Sport + and GT.
Fleet Managers are buying the S variant and adding the optional Safety Pack to get Cyclist AEB, Electronic Parking Brake, enhanced 284mm solid rear disc brakes, Blind Spot Detection, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and electric folding mirrors.
The folding mirrors are the most valued option by sales representatives around the country because they can never remember if they have locked the car. Closed mirrors, the car is locked.
IN the latest upgrade the S grade gained exterior cues including LED Daytime Running Lights, LED Positioning Lamps, and an LED high-mounted stop lamp on the hatch. The 16-inch steel wheels with 205/55 R16 rubber will remain standard along with Halogen headlights, taillights and rear fog lamps.
The S grade features Dusk Sensing Auto Headlights, an 8-inch AV unit with wired and wireless Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay, a 4.2-inch TFT LCD cluster, rear air vents, rear window defroster, three USB charge sockets, Leading Vehicle Departure, Lane Follow Assist, Driver Attention Alert, Rear Occupant Alert, and High Beam Assist.
Carrying over from the previous model is the six-speaker sound system, Drive Mode Select (normal/eco/sport/smart), manual temperature control, keyless entry, cloth seats, six-way driver seat adjustment, 60:40 split-fold rear seats, front and rear parking sensors, rear view monitor with dynamic guidelines, manual speed limiter, six airbags, Lane Keep Assist, Lane Departure Warning, AEB for car and pedestrian and cruise control.
At FAN we know retail buyers love SUVs and many fleets have followed the trend because the choice in sedans hasn’t been that great. But this has changed with the latest Kia Cerato and we believe it’s one of the best Fit for Purpose fleet vehicles available in Australia today.
