2025 Kia Cerato spied for the first time, due next year – UPDATE

UPDATE, 30 June 2023: Clearer photos of the 2025 Kia Cerato have emerged, via Autospy and Cochespias. Our original story published yesterday continues below.

29 June 2023: The next-generation 2025 Kia Cerato has been spied testing for the first time – in sedan form – ahead of an expected Australian arrival by the end of next year.

Photos posted to the South Korean Naver forum show a heavily-disguised prototype of the first new Cerato in five years in what appears to be a sedan or ‘liftback’ body style.

There are limited photo angles of the vehicle – and it is comprehensively disguised – however it appears to borrow cues from Kia’s new EV5 mid-size and EV9 large electric SUVs, as well as the upcoming facelift for the Kia Picanto city hatch.

The low-set vertically-stacked LED headlights are reminiscent of the EV9 and Picanto, and appear to be connected across the front end by a strip of trim that frames the front grille.

There are L-shaped LED tail-lights similar to the updated Kia Seltos small SUV, while there is a distinctive rear window pillar treatment, where the rear of the side windows meets the body vertically.

The ‘CL4’ marking shown on the tyre is the codename for the next-generation Cerato – confirming the identity of this prototype.

It is not clear if the Cerato in these images is a sedan or a ‘liftback’, akin to an Audi A5 or Kia Stinger. A traditional hatchback body style – as available in the current Kia Cerato range – is yet to be photographed.

As previously reported, the new Kia Cerato is expected to be unveiled sometime next year, ahead of Australian arrivals by the end of the year – based on publicly-available documents published by a Kia factory supplier.

Kia has committed to the petrol small-car class even though Cerato sales are down 62 per cent this year compared to the same time in 2022 – due to stock shortages – and 31 per cent for the broader small-car category (excluding luxury models).

For everything we know so far on the next Kia Cerato – expected to introduce the option of hybrid power for the first time, with new underpinnings and upgraded technology – click here to read Drive’s recent story.

The post 2025 Kia Cerato spied for the first time, due next year – UPDATE appeared first on Drive.