Hyundai I30 vs Kia Cerato

What's the difference?

Obviously we’ll reserve definitive judgement on the Elantra/i30 Sedan Hybrid until we drive it in Australia but our early preview was very promising. Adding the i30 Sedan Hybrid to the local line-up is a smart move from Hyundai. It gives the i30 Sedan range a wider appeal and will allow the company to try and lure customers away from Toyota and its popular Corolla Sedan, even if it can’t quite match it for fuel savings (at least on paper).

As you, the Australian new car consumer, look for more fuel efficient options the i30 Sedan Hybrid should be arriving just in time.

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.

One of the reasons Hyundai Australia has decided to introduce the new hybrid at this stage is the i30 Sedan is due for a mid-life upgrade and facelift.

The company has already previewed the design out of South Korea, with a more dramatic front-end appearance, including a larger, more embellished upper grille and wraparound light bar across the front end.

What’s notable about the Elantra Hybrid we drove in the US is the fact it didn’t look any different from the rest of the Elantra range.

The concept of a hybrid has become normalised these days, so much so that there’s no need for a unique design as customers don’t want something different that stands out - like the Toyota Prius - and instead just want the fuel-saving benefits in a standard-looking car.

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.

Like the design, the interior of the i30 Sedan Hybrid is the same as the non-hybrid model, highlighting how far we’ve come in terms of normalising the technology.

That means there’s no downside of buying a hybrid, in terms of batteries or electric motors eating into cabin space.

Instead, you’re greeted with the same well laid out cockpit you find in the rest of the i30 Sedan range.

In the rear the space is good and there’s a fold down arm-rest with a pair of cupholders. 

Importantly, the boot is the same 400 litres as the petrol-powered Elantra models in the US, once again proving there’s no practical penalties for the different powertrain.

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. 

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.

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.

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. 

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.

In the US the Elantra Hybrid is powered by a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine paired with an electric motor coupled to a 240-volt lithium-ion battery.

The electric motor generates 32kW and helps the non-turbocharged engine produce 103kW and 265Nm of total performance.

This compares to 150kW/265Nm from the 1.6-litre turbocharged engine in the N Line model.

The engine is paired to a six-speed dual-clutch transmission and sends its power to the road via the front wheels.

This is expected to be the same powertrain in the facelifted model that arrives in Australian showrooms in the not-too-distant future.

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.

This is the bit that really matters with the i30 Sedan Hybrid and while we drove a US model there’s a lot we can learn for the cars we’ll get in Australia.

The US Environmental Protection Agency official fuel economy rating for the US-spec Elantra Hybrid is 4.3 litres per 100km for the Blue model and 4.7L/100km for the Limited.

Combined with the 41-litre fuel tank the Blue model has a range of approximately 950km and the Limited roughly 870km.

For comparison, Hyundai Australia’s current i30 Sedan line-up manages 6.8L/100km for the 1.6-litre turbo models and 7.0L/100km for those powered by the 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, so adding the Hybrid would be a big step forward in terms of efficiency.

But it can’t match the on-paper claims of the Toyota Corolla Sedan Hybrid, which uses just 3.9L/100km on the combined cycle.

In the real world the Elantra Limited we drove in the US started with a claimed 750km range on the car’s trip computer and returned a figure of 5.0L/100km on the dash after our two-day test drive.

That’s impressively close to the claim over such a short period and one that bodes well for long-term ownership, particularly for those who primarily have an urban commute that is best suited to the advantages of the hybrid.

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).

We’ll ignore the ride and handling aspect of the Elantra Hybrid, as the US suspension and steering tune is different to the Korean-sourced models we receive in Australia.

Instead, we’ll focus our assessment on the powertrain as it’s the key differentiator.

In effect, the electric motor replaces the turbocharger on the 1.6-litre engine, but while it does provide a power boost it also changes the dynamic of the driving experience - focusing on efficiency rather than performance.

The extra boost from the electric motor isn’t overwhelming but it does provide a noticeable kick when you keep your right foot hard on the accelerator.

The regenerative braking is very subtle, too, much harder to notice than what you find in a full battery electric vehicle.

The decision to opt for the six-speed dual-clutch transmission means the Elantra Hybrid does feel sporty at times, shifting quickly and with only an occasional clunk that’s a trait of this type of gearbox.

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.

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.

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 offers lifetime servicing and pre-paid servicing plans that are transferable from one owner to the next, so you can know how much you’ll be paying up front to keep your car maintained.

Again, we don’t know precise details for the i30 Sedan Hybrid, but using the new Kona as a reference we can see that Hyundai’s hybrid models cost the same under the pre-paid program.

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.