Kia Cerato 1.6 LX

Kia's new hatchback is a competent enough package. Sadly, the company hasn't gone the extra mile to make the Cerato more memorable. But it is well equipped, spacious and keenly priced. Will that be enough, though, to help Kia claw its way up the sales charts?

Is this the model that will help take Kia into the world's top five car makers? The Korean manufacturer certainly hopes so, and considering its growth in the UK over the past five years, it looks entirely possible.

This is the first time we've driven the new Cerato, which company bosses say will pose a serious threat to important mainstream rivals such as the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic. So has Kia's latest hatch got what it takes?

Well, the newcomer's styling has a fairly anonymous feel, looking inoffensive but reasonably well proportioned. It's a similar story inside - everything is neatly laid out, although the interior plastics are a little on the cheap side and the design tends to lack flair.

What the Cerato does offer is plenty of space. There's generous head and legroom front and back, a roomy boot with a 60/40 split fold, plus decent build quality. And although the hatch doesn't deliver the classy feel and look of some of its rivals, it makes up for this in standard specification.

There's air-conditioning, front, side and curtain airbags, remote central locking, electronic brakeforce distribution with brake assist and a CD player even on entry-level models. It's good value, too, with prices starting at around £10,000 for the five-door hatchback and £11,000 for the four-door saloon.

On the road, the Cerato is a significant improvement over previous Kia offerings. The car shares its suspension components with the Hyundai Elantra, and engineers have been careful to ensure that the ride is good and the handling assured. It's only at higher speeds and on badly surfaced roads that the Cerato loses its composure. The steering is precise but lacks any communication, and the gearshift feels notchy. Overall, the hatchback delivers a competent rather than exciting drive.

There's a choice of 1.6 and 2.0-litre petrol engines, plus a 1.5-litre turbodiesel. We drove the 103bhp 1.6-litre version, and to get the best out of this unit, it needs to be worked hard - to the detriment of refinement. This car's quoted 0-62mph time of 11 seconds, along with economy of 40mpg and a CO2 rating of 167g/km, makes it competitive in its class. However, budget-conscious buyers may want to wait for the diesel to arrive in October for the ultimate in economical motoring.

The Cerato is undoubtedly a huge leap forward for Kia, yet in the time the firm has taken to develop it, the competition has moved ahead, too. It feels a generation behind the current crop of C-segment car rivals, leaving it to compete against more traditional budget rivals and older models in this sector.