LD Cerato

BASED on the front-wheel drive Hyundai XD Elantra, the Cerato arrived in mid-’04 as a value-packed four-door sedan aimed straight at the lower-end of the small car market.

On paper the Cerato ticks all the right boxes – affordability, ample power (courtesy of a 101kW/185Nm 2.0-litre twin-cam 16-valve four-cylinder engine married to either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic gearbox), high equipment levels and a comfortable and tasteful cabin.

In fact the Cerato eclipsed the Elantra that it was based on in most counts.

But dynamic qualities are mediocre, noise levels intrusive and the styling very homely – although the five-door hatchback from later in 2005 did bring some more versatility and brio to the brand.

Yet the Cerato isn’t at all awful – unlike its Spectra/Shuma/Mentor II predecessor.