REVIEWS AND ROAD TESTS

The long road to progess

While most of us were taking well-deserved vacations, Kia introduced three new models, including the Spectra, a car known elsewhere on the planet as the Shuma. Though not exactly new, this Spectra, which will replace the poor Sephia, is intended to get 25% of the brand ’ s sales in Canada.

Driving a Kia is reserved to those who just cannot care less about cars and driving. All I need is 4 wheels , a steering and a radio, once said my dad to justify his car selections, consisting in drab vehicles that nonetheless would take him from A to B in an efficient and affordable manner. That is exactly what Kia intends to offer on the Canadian market : a steering wheel, 4 wheels and a radio at an affordable price. And it works! During the first half of 2001, Kia sales doubled (14,587 against 7,116) as compared to last year ’ s.

Before the cheapo image sticks too hard to their products, Kia officials multiply the introductions of new models that offer more than an attractive sales price. For example, take the Magentis, the Sedona (a minivan) and the Spectra, coming to the rescue of the Sephia, a sedan with too few qualities to deserve our attention.The Spectra isn ’ t exactly a new car. It was first introduced in the fall 1998 under the name Shuma. Since then, it ’ s been remodelled (grille and headlights) for style purposes before starting its North American career under the name Spectra. Very little is known on the origin of that car (even at Kia Canada, apparently), but it is said the car ’ s drive train was looked over by Lotus (the British firm not only builds cars, but also acts as consultant to other manufacturers).

Physically, the Spectra offers a choice of two bodies: a traditional sedan and a hatchback. The latter should be more popular in Quebec than anywhere in Canada, because local car buyers like the extra versatility of such a model.

It ’ s actually a five-door car that doesn ’ t look like one. The rear window wiper does not betray the presence of the hatch. Sadly enough,, the heavy hatch features not grip to prevent getting our fingers dirty. And the closing plastic strap looks so fragile that we can only hope it will last long enough. But this hatch opens on a very roomy luggage compartment (328 L to 528 L with the rear seat down). The threshold is quite high, however.

Clad with titanium imitation appliquйs, the dashboard aligns a comprehensive and legible array of instruments in front of the driver. The bucket seat, despite its numerous adjustments reveals highly uncomfortable over long distances. Plan for frequent stops. But the Spectra GSX, with air, power windows and mirrors, CD player an cruise control, is fully equipped. Assembly quality has improved substantially. Some materials remain questionable, but attention for details is noticeable. Obviously, the Spectra ’ s visit to Lotus was pure waste. The suspension is not tuned properly. On rough roads, shock absorbers yield with every bump or hole. Nothing to inspire confidence.

The squarely inadequate Hankook tires act like Teflon and definitely put an end to any hope of finding any supposedly sporty qualities in this car. The 1.8-litre 4-cylinder engine is not as flexible and roaring as expected, but it will make the car look good on green lights. The anemic torque (108 lb.-ft.) and the inaccurate transmission of the Spectra nevertheless manage to surpass (by very little, must we say) supposedly faster competitors. But braking is not as powerful, in part because of the tires, but also because the classic front disks/rear drums combo doesn ’ t do the job. And the absence of ABS is yet another flaw in this Spectra. Time has come to draw conclusions. On a positive note, in all aspects, the Spectra is a clear improvement on the Sephia it replaces. But driving an Elantra GT (Hyundai), a Protegй5 (Mazda), a Focus ZX5 (Ford) or even a Golf (Volkswagen) will remove all satisfaction from driving this Kia, that can still blame its low suggested retail price of $17,595 for its lack of talent in comparison to more gifted, more renown and barely more expensive competitors.

PROS
Contemporary silhouette
Strong guarantee
Interesting price /equipment ratio

CONS
Heavy hatch without handle
Mediocre tires
Suspension movements