The Kia Cerato no longer appears on the new-car list read on 2026-10-10. If you want one, you will be buying used. That changes which costs matter most: road tax surcharges on older cars, and how insurance moves with the car's age.
Below are the figures the facts let us show. The insurance figures are examples, read on 20 October 2026, for one stated driver. They show how prices compare, not what you will be quoted.
The Ceratos on the quote form
With no new version on sale, the quote form is the guide to what you may find. It lists nine:
- Cerato 1.5 CRDi HTBK: 1,493cc
- Cerato 1.5 CRDi Saloon: 1,493cc
- Cerato 1.6 HTBK: 1,599cc
- Cerato 1.6 Saloon: 1,599cc
- CERATO 1.6(A) EX: 1,591cc
- Cerato 2.0 HTBK: 1,975cc
- Cerato 2.0 Saloon: 1,975cc
- Cerato Forte 1.6 EX: 1,591cc
- Cerato Forte 2.0 SX: 1,998cc
The figures below are for the CERATO 1.6(A) EX (1,591cc), the version most insurers quote. If the car you are viewing has a different engine, its road tax will differ too.
COE on a used Cerato
A used car carries the COE it was registered with, for whatever time is left on it. The category for the 1.6(A) EX, with a 1,591cc engine, turns on power. It needs a Category A COE if its power is 97kW (130bhp) or less, and Category B if it is more.
In the October 2026 1st round, Category A closed at S$130,001 and Category B at S$130,100. That matters if you ever renew the COE rather than deregister the car. The COE page shows later rounds.
Before you pay a deposit, check how many years of COE remain. The price you pay should reflect it.
Road tax and the age surcharge
For the 1.6(A) EX's 1,591cc engine, LTA's formula gives S$737.62 a year, before any age surcharge.
Many Ceratos on sale are now old enough for the surcharge to bite:
- Over 10 years: +10%
- Over 11 years: +20%
- Over 12 years: +30%
- Over 13 years: +40%
- Over 14 years: +50%
Check the car's registration date, so you know which band it falls in now and when it moves up. The 2.0 versions have bigger engines and pay more. The road tax page works out any engine size.
Insurance for a standard driver
The Kia Cerato price page prices one case:
- Car: CERATO 1.6(A) EX, registered 3 years ago, private use, comprehensive cover
- Driver: aged 40, married, office job, driving 10 to 19 years
- Record: 50% no-claim discount (NCD), no claims
- Repairs: authorised workshop, no add-ons
15 insurers price it. The lowest premium is S$660.69 a year. The insurer whose lowest plan is dearest asks at least S$1,192.90. That is S$532.21 more, or 81% on top. All prices include 9% GST.
One insurer on the panel has no online price for the Cerato yet.
Excess range
The excess is what you pay first on each claim. Most Cerato plans carry S$600. Others run S$500, S$750 or S$800, and a few go to S$2,500 or S$3,000. One plan has no excess. Compare the excess as closely as the premium.
Older car, different premium
For a used buyer, the age lines on the price page are the ones to watch. Each shows the lowest premium when one thing changes:
- Car 8 years old: S$604.07, which is S$56.62 less
- New car, registered this year: S$666.79, which is S$6.10 more
- No NCD (0%): S$1,128.13, which is S$467.44 more
- 20% NCD: S$1,112.75, which is S$452.06 more
- Driver aged 27, 3 years' driving, 30% NCD: S$1,128.13, which is S$467.44 more
- Driver aged 65, 20 or more years' driving: S$660.69, the same
An 8-year-old Cerato costs less to insure at the lowest price than a 3-year-old one. But your NCD matters far more than the car's age. With no NCD, the lowest price rises by 71%. These are lowest prices only, so other plans may move differently.
Some insurers stop pricing cars online once they pass a certain age. On an older Cerato, you may see fewer prices than the 15 shown here.
Against similar cars
The price page sets six similar cars beside it, for the same driver and car age:
- Mazda 3: S$927.36
- BMW X1: S$811.71
- Hyundai Kona: S$721.59
- Toyota Corolla Altis: S$642.42
- Honda Freed: S$642.42
- Toyota Sienta: S$604.07
Their average lowest price is S$724.93. The Cerato comes in 9% below it, and three of the six are lower. Other Kia models are on the Kia car insurance page.
Checks before you buy
- Registration date: sets the road tax surcharge band and the car's age for insurance.
- COE expiry: how many years are left, and what that means for the price.
- Engine size: confirm it, as the versions run from 1,493cc to 1,998cc.
- Service record: ask to see it, with dates and what was done.
- Tyres, brakes and battery: these wear over the years and cost money to replace.
- Insurance quote: get one for the actual car and your own record before you agree a price.
Costs that depend on you
- Parking: your HDB or condo season parking, plus parking where you work and shop.
- Fuel: depends on how far you drive and the pump price. The CRDi versions take diesel.
- ERP: depends on your routes and the times you travel.
- Depreciation: what the car loses until its COE ends, set by what you pay and the COE left.
Summary of yearly costs we can show
For the CERATO 1.6(A) EX, with dates as shown:
- Road tax: S$737.62 a year, before any age surcharge (LTA's formula, checked 2026-10-19)
- Insurance, standard driver: from S$660.69 a year (20 October 2026)
- Insurance, a car 8 years old: from S$604.07
- Insurance, no NCD: from S$1,128.13
There is no list price to show, as the model is not on the new-car list. The COE closed at S$130,001 (Category A) and S$130,100 (Category B) in the October 2026 1st round.
Before you buy: car insurance for the Kia Cerato
Before you drive off, get your car insurance through Shenton Brokers. Compare car insurance for the Kia Cerato to see today's prices from every insurer we compare and how they change with the driver and the car's age. Or get a quote with your own details.