Ferrari 12Cilindri vs Kia Cerato

What's the difference?

In the near future we’ll look back at the 12Cilindri and say it’s a shame Ferrari doesn’t make cars like that any more. But if this is the last proper, naturally aspirated V12 Ferrari ever, it’s definitely a worthy one. One day you’ll enjoy seeing this in a car museum.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

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.

So, while I’ll admit a vehicle with such a massive, phallic bonnet and a cabin that seems to sit over the rear wheels is never going to be my favourite Ferrari, personally, it’s impossible to see how you could make a giant-bonneted V12-powered, heritage-hugging grand tourer look better than this.

Yes, it does look striking in pictures but in the flesh it is absolutely gob smacking, a thing of real beauty from some angles, and outrageous showiness from others.

Following one from behind, its massive, hunkered rear end actually brings to mind a Lamborghini Diablo, although I wouldn’t tell the many passionate Ferrari designers I met that.

They have a lot to say about why the 12Cilindri (and can we just discuss that name - yes, it is silly, in English, but when an Italian says it - Dodici Cilindri - with the properly poetical pronunciation, it really does make sense) looks as outrageously lovable as it does.

They reckon they were inspired by the exciting era of car design in the 1970s, but also by science fiction movies, and the desire to build something modern that also feels classic.

Take the black banded front end where the headlights live. “Our intent was to lose the human expression that cars have, to not have an actual human gaze, so it doesn’t have eyes.”

Of course, no car has actual eyes, but you get the idea, they didn’t want it to look like it has them, the way most vehicles do. 

There’s also a lot of talk about dihedrals and monoliths. The 12Cilindri also has an incredible clam shell bonnet, which not only creates a sense of theatre when you open it but means there’s no cut line through the bonnet, adding to that sense of the whole front end being monolithic. 

Then there are the many aero features, including two Batmobile-like flaps on the rear wing that activate to provide downforce when required - some 50kg of it at 250km/h.

I could go on and on, surely they did, but let’s just say this is one hugely impressive piece of car design. I know some people find it a little weird looking in photos, but they are simply wrong. It's beautiful in the flesh.

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.

For what it is, a two-seat grand tourer/rocket ship, the space inside is perfectly functional, and there’s a large kind of overgrown parcel shelf where you can throw a back pack or your jackets if you need to.

You also get a 270-litre boot, which is, you guessed it, just big enough for a set of golf bags.

Keep in mind that there is literally no one on Earth who will buy this as their only car.

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.

Sitting behind my six-foot (182cm) frame in the rear, legroom is adequate but toe room is tight. My head was about an inch away from the headliner due to the sloping roofline. The rear seats are also firm.

The Cerato has lower rear air vents, one USB-C port, a map pocket on the passenger side, a central rear armrest with two cupholders, and bottles slot into the doors easier than they do up front.

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.

This stupendous, trumpeting, mid-mounted 6.5-litre V12 (it’s mounted just beneath the windscreen, effectively, which actually looks a bit weird when you lift up that big clamshell bonnet, but makes sense in terms of mid-engine balance for handling) is a further development of what was already a fearsome powerplant in the vehicle that precedes this, the Ferrari 812 Superfast.

This new version also gets an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, instead of the old seven-speed one, which theoretically provides better economy, as if the owners will care, but also provides “more driving enjoyment” as its shift times are now 30 per cent faster.

The V12 itself, naturally aspirated remember, now revs even higher, with maximum power of 610kW arriving at a very, very loud 9250rpm, just short of the 9500rpm redline.

What is incredible about that rev number is just how effortlessly and easily the engine will climb to those heights, repeatedly and addictively.

Ferrari says it’s also developed something called 'Aspirated Torque Shaping', which allows it to “sculpt” the torque curve in relation to engine speed and the gear selected, with 80 per cent of its 678Nm kicking in from 2500rpm.

The goal of this, on which it delivers, is to provide a sense of “seemingly endless acceleration”, particularly in third and fourth gear, where the car’s happy place exists. 

All that grunt will hurl you to 100km/h in 2.9 seconds or from a standing start to 200km/h in 7.8. No, it's not the fastest power plant Ferrari now makes, but in terms of its intended goal of being the greatest naturally aspirated V12 ever, it's a 10 out of 10 effort.

There is no way that Ferrari will get away with making another engine like this, so it’s fitting that it’s going out on an operatic high note.

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.

Move along, nothing to see here. Well, nothing you wouldn’t expect, except for the fact the Ferrari 12Cilindri is fully emissions compliant with the 2026 Euro-6-E standard. Incredibly. A ceramic catalytic converter is part of the magic, apparently, but a lot of effort has clearly gone into all areas of emissions.

Its CO2 emissions are claimed to be 353g/km, but then its fuel efficiency is a claimed 15.5 litres per 100km, and that’s just having a laugh.

Despite having a 92-litre tank, I was shown a predicted range of just over 415km when full, and was down to a predicted 300km to go after draining a quarter of a tank. Even EVs can do better than that.

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).

To say that our first drive of the Ferrari 12Cilindri was impacted by nasty wet weather and standing water on slick and narrow European roads would be like saying that going outside naked when it’s snowing impacted your level of goose flesh.

For the first 30 minutes I was breathing like someone who’d just been pushed out of a plane with no parachute. When trucks came towards me, and when the rear wheels scrabbled madly to find grip - bringing to mind the whirling legs of the cartoon Road Runner - I breathed in so severely that I think I now have a pair of boxer shorts stuck in my chest cavity. 

Fortunately, Ferraris have a 'Wet' setting, which is a work of genius, sensing the amount of grip you might not have and adjusting the power delivery to keep you safe. Remarkably, even in this mode, you don’t feel short changed on power in this wild V12-powered machine.

Unfortunately, the combination of my work ethic, professional pride and male ego meant that I could not allow myself to stay in Wet mode and would occasionally switch to 'Sport', when the rain eased up and the road almost dried out.

It was during these times that, after about an hour, I really started to gel with the Dodici Cilindri and found opportunities to enjoy its stupendously operatic soundtrack.

Much as the emissions laws have squeezed the engine, new sound regulations mean this V12 Ferrari must be quieter, in theory, than ever before, at least from outside.

But the sound designers have gone to a lot of trouble to make sure the sensational noise of this engine spinning its way to 9000rpm-plus finds its way into the cabin, and into your ears, and your very soul.

The temptation to give it plenty in the lower gears was thus overpowering and unending, but this grand tourer is so powerful that exploring the upper ranges in any gear means warping straight past speed limits, and sane behaviour. 

Fortunately, the 12Cilindri has stupendous brakes, and while its extreme length - almost 5.0m - causes some nose lifting under acceleration and diving under hard stopping, the car’s mid-engined balance means you always feel planted and in control. 

The steering is also super sharp and, while it takes some getting used to, the accuracy of its turn-in encourages you to push harder and harder. I had a fantastic time driving it through long sweeping bends, and a slightly more stressful time in sharp hairpins.

This Grand Tourer really is two cars in one, however, because if you leave the gearbox in Automatic it really does take all the effort away, riding its wall of torque and seemingly capable of driving at any speed from 40km/h to 240km/h in seventh or eighth gear. 

It is far more fun, and frightening of course, to change the gears yourself, and explore those higher, scintillating rev ranges.

So, it’s a great car, a collector’s piece, because they’ll never make another one like it, and a moving piece of visual drama. The only problem I have with the 12Cilindri is it’s just not the best Ferrari a huge whack of cash can buy.

Indeed, the Ferrari 296 GTB is not only the best Ferrari I’ve ever driven, it’s the best car I’ve ever been lucky enough to sit in, and it’s more than $100K cheaper.

Apparently the thing to do, if you’re a Ferraristi, is to have one of each. Sounds good.

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.

Like all Ferrari’s, the 12Cilindri comes with a seven-year, unlimited km warranty and a free-of-charge seven-year maintenance program covering all regular maintenance for the first seven years of the car’s life.

Service intervals are once a year, or every 20,000km.

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.