Driving Kia Cerato GT hatch today – a five door model with a nice performance lift via 1.6-litre 150kW turbo engine driving the front wheels via a seven-speed DCT automatic with manual shift paddles. As is said earlier, it’s not a boy racer but at $32,990 a sensibly priced model with a subtle uplift in performance. And only available in automatic with manual shift paddles it offers widespread appeal. External changes over the standard Cerato hatch are minimal – a deeper side skirt, lower rear bumper incorporating dual exhaust and  gloss black door mirrors while inside there’s few changes over the standard car apart from ventilated and heated sports leather seats, wireless phone charging, and an 8-speaker premium sound system. And of course it feature a full suite of active and passive safety equipment plus a more sophisticated multi-link rear suspension and larger ventilated front disc brakes. There’s much to like on the Kia Cerato GT – only minus -ride can get a little harsh on a rough road. I’m David Berthon

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