Kia Cerato

The city of Dubai is a melting pot (almost literally so in the middle of the year) of cultures. With an overwhelming four-fifths or so of its dwellers foreign and its popular role as a mid-way stopover point for travellers from the east as well as the west, few places on the globe can truly boast of such levels of diversity and colour.

This modern, global city recently played host to the international media test drive of a modern, global sedan – and we were there to experience it in the sun and sand, first-hand. So, if Dubai is where the world meets, how well does the new Kia Cerato meet the world's needs?

Some old English poet and playwright once questioned the significance of names, but clearly those were pre-Kia days. The C-segment sedan has been known as the K3 in Korea, Cerato in Australia, South Africa and Brazil, Forte in the US and Cerato Forte in Singapore.

Closer to home, it's been made official that we will call the new car Cerato, that pre-booking has begun and that its launch has been set for July 2, which is not at all far away. The name change seems a curious move considering the success of the Forte nameplate in Malaysia; we suppose this connotes an all-new model.

Read on to learn how new it really is.