KIA Cerato vs Ford Focus vs Mazda3: which one has the best infotainment system?

There was a time when the C-segment (compact hatch and sedan) dominated the sales charts. These models were the bread-and-butter for manufacturers. The rise of the SUV and crossover trend has all but eradicated this segment of the market, leaving only a few stalwarts to contest for the title of Best Selling. It's only the highly successful that have managed to stay afloat during this changing time, with the Volkswagen Golf and Toyota Corolla heading up the charts.

Related: The best official KIA Cerato offers AutoTrader found advertised in 2021.

The KIA Cerato is one of those models that has quietly exited the stage locally. Discontinued in 2018, the Cerato enjoyed moderate success as it took on the likes of the Opel Astra, Renault Megane, Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz A-Class, amongst others.

It's in the used car market where you will now find the Cerato, in both hatch and sedan format. Their prices are attractive and there's no reason why you shouldn't be considering one as an affordable used car. The standard spec is more than respectable but what about the infotainment system? Is it any good and how does it compare to the likes of the Ford Focus and Mazda3? Keep reading to find out.

 

KIA Cerato

When the third-generation KIA Cerato was launched in 2013 (model YD), the term infotainment was yet to become coined. It was also considerably lower down on the list of requirements for the consumers of the time. As such, less emphasis was placed on promoting the infotainment systems which had just recently switched to touchscreen designs.

 

In the Cerato, you will get a basic infotainment system. It pales by modern standards but the simplicity is appealing. A 4.3-inch colour touchscreen unit rests in the dashboard, flanked by 6 shortcut buttons for various functions. Above it is the CD slot while track skip and folder buttons rest below it, between two rotary knobs for volume and tuning control. Much of the control interface is tactile, but certain on-screen options still exist. A multifunction steering wheel offers additional control over basic audio functions.

This system allows for CD playback with MP3 support and will accept inputs from USB, Aux and Bluetooth for audio streaming and hands-free telephony, in addition to AM/FM reception. The system predates Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The operating system responds slowly now, by today's standards, but is still acceptable. The facelifted 2016 KIA Cerato retained this system until the model's discontinuation.

 

Ford Focus

The third-generation Ford Focus was released in South Africa in 2012 and received its last update in 2015. This would be the last Focus that South Africa would see, with the fourth generation never making it onto our showroom floors. Both the 2012 model and the facelifted 2015 model employed the Ford SYNC system, albeit with slight revisions to the control surface in the facelifted model.

 

The SYNC system does not use a touchscreen but rather uses a 3.5-inch dot-matrix LCD screen mounted high up in the dashboard. The option to fit a larger 4.2-inch TFT screen was available and this screen was standard in Sport models. This screen changed to a 4.2-inch dot-matrix LCD in the facelift model but still retained similar functionality. The system was equipped with voice control and accepted inputs from CD (with MP3 playback), USB (x2), AUX and Bluetooth connections. The system was also able to read text messages and reply with one of 15 preprogrammed responses (although we could never get this to work properly).

The biggest downfall of the early SYNC systems was the menu execution and tactile interface that simply had far too many buttons, including a full numerical keypad. Some of this was resolved with the 2015 update but it remained a complex system to use and navigate, especially when on the move. Drivers were offered steering wheel controls for audio controls and voice activation. Audio was played through a 6-speaker audio system.

 

Mazda3

The Mazda3 set the trend for what was to come from Mazda in the form of their MZD system. It showed us that affordable cars could very well have similar tech and functionality as the more expensive ones. While this system is intrinsically simple, it's the way that it's presented that makes the difference. Simple is good when it all works as intended.

 

The MZD system doesn't use a touchscreen, but the simple menu layout and design work in conjunction with the MZD controller in the centre console. Falling easily to hand, the controller features a scroll wheel with push-selection and several shortcut buttons and a dedicated volume knob that can be operated easily without having to look down. The rotary flow of the menu and clear, legible colour theme makes selections and settings easy to control. It's complemented by steering wheel controls for basic audio functions.

This system accepts inputs from CD, Aux and USB and the app functionality allows for tethering through a Bluetooth enabled device. You are able to use audio apps like Switcher and Pandora or navigation with Waze. This system predates Apple CarPlay and Android Auto but provides the best compromise of the three compared here.