The rear hatch is invisible from behind the car. The GSX gets front and rear air dams, door-sill extensions and spoked 6×14-inch alloy wheels with P185/65R14 Kumho radials. Blacked-out B-pillars create the impression that the Spectra is coupe rather than a four-door.Ī winglet attached to the rear of the GSX suits the overall shape of the car, and a rear wiper/washer is optional on both the GS and GSX. A fine crease at door-handle height keeps the side from being too plain. The windshield has an average rake, and the greenhouse comes out of the designer’s standard playbook. The Spectra’s profile won’t upset anyone. Bumpers and mirrors are body color, an upscale feature for a car in this price range. The front bumper is integrated into the body profile, its plastic cover encircling the cosmetic grille above the bumper and the larger, functional radiator opening below it. Bulges in the sheetmetal that sweep back across the hood trail the high beam bezels. Between the clear-lens headlamps and the grille sit round high beams. The front end seems to owe a lot to the Ford Taurus, with elliptical headlamps and a central grille opening with a crossbar, where a red Kia badge substitutes for Ford’s blue oval. Its styling is pleasant, albeit vaguely derivative. The Spectra, however, has sportier pretensions. Spectra is based on the Kia Sephia sedan, and powered by the same 1.8-liter inline four-cylinder engine. They come with a five-speed manual or optional four-speed automatic transmission ($975) driving the front wheels. Or opt for the $13,195 GSX, which lists air conditioning, alloy wheels, power windows, and central locking as standard equipment, plus a leather-wrapped tilt-and-telescope steering wheel and an aggressive-looking body kit.Īll Spectras are powered by a 1.8-liter, four-cylinder engine rated 125 horsepower. Air conditioning adds $900 to that price. The base trim model is designated GS and lists at $10,995. The Spectra lineup consists of one body style: a hatchback with four passenger doors and a quasi-fastback roofline. Kia sweetens the deal with a warranty program that extends basic coverage to five years or 60,000 miles, and powertrain coverage to 10 years or 100,000 miles it also includes five-year/100,000-mile rust perforation protection, and a five-year/unlimited mileage roadside assistance plan.Īt that rate it’s hard not to look into a Spectra, through all five doors if necessary. How cool is that? So we think Kia deserves major kudos for trying to sell the five-door Spectra to a skeptical American audience. But isn’t a small SUV just a very tall, underpowered hatchback that doesn’t handle as well? What other body style can haul bicycles and skis, furniture or friends, all with equal aplomb? Okay, an SUV can. The hatchback has acquired a negative perception that has nothing to do with its actual function and that’s a shame, because it’s difficult to imagine a more practical vehicle for single-car households. Americans have an aversion to hatchbacks not shared by the rest of the world.
0 kommentar(er)
