Sporty Spectra seeks muscle
Kia has certainly been on the up swing since joining the Hyundai Motor Company. As of 2003, it ranks, along with the Mother Company, in 7th place worldwide with 1.4 million sales, including 30 000 in Canada. New updated dealerships are now being required by the manufacturer to change the image set by the ones that started out of trailers.
The small hatch segment is now one of the hottest and fastest growing in the industry. The newest player comes in the form of the 2005 Kia Spectra5, the replacement for the Spectra GSX. On the heels of the completely revised 2005 Spectra sedan, the Spectra5 picks up where the saloon version left off by adding style and sportyness to the mix. This car is largely aimed at young buyers from the 24 to 35 age bracket. The 5 ads to the top of the line Spectra EX: 16" alloy wheels, a sport tuned suspension and a roof mounted antenna to name a few. The Spectra5 retails for 19 995$. The only options are the sunroof, ABS brakes and the automatic transmission.
Exterior styling
Body styling is smart as it incorporates the handsome lines of the sedan and the versatility of a hatchback. Side skirt extensions are standard but there are a slew of dealer installed body add-ons that are available through the dealership network. The Spectra5 package includes handsome 16" alloy wheels and fog lights. This car is only available in 5 exterior colors. Among the missing hip colors are a yellow and orange. I find this odd especially considering the fact that this car is aimed at trendy young people. Unfortunately, all of the cars on display and for testing exhibited a visible orange peel paint finish. On a different note, the surprisingly large rear doors permit easy ingress and egress.
Interior styling
The dash is attractive and well laid out. The two-tone color creates a pleasing visual effect. The plastics used are satisfactory and well put together. The front seats are fairly comfortable for short runs. They could use more lateral and lumbar support for longer trips. The audio system sound and reception are reasonably good but the chosen radio by Kia continues with the small annoying buttons. The MP3 players in the two tested cars seemed to have much trouble reading the provided discs; it would skip, read and then stop.
Kia has certainly been on the up swing since joining the Hyundai Motor Company. As of 2003, it ranks, along with the Mother Company, in 7th place worldwide with 1.4 million sales, including 30 000 in Canada. New updated dealerships are now being required by the manufacturer to change the image set by the ones that started out of trailers.
The small hatch segment is now one of the hottest and fastest growing in the industry. The newest player comes in the form of the 2005 Kia Spectra5, the replacement for the Spectra GSX. On the heels of the completely revised 2005 Spectra sedan, the Spectra5 picks up where the saloon version left off by adding style and sportyness to the mix. This car is largely aimed at young buyers from the 24 to 35 age bracket. The 5 ads to the top of the line Spectra EX: 16" alloy wheels, a sport tuned suspension and a roof mounted antenna to name a few. The Spectra5 retails for 19 995$. The only options are the sunroof, ABS brakes and the automatic transmission. Exterior styling
Body styling is smart as it incorporates the handsome lines of the sedan and the versatility of a hatchback. Side skirt extensions are standard but there are a slew of dealer installed body add-ons that are available through the dealership network. The Spectra5 package includes handsome 16" alloy wheels and fog lights. This car is only available in 5 exterior colors. Among the missing hip colors are a yellow and orange. I find this odd especially considering the fact that this car is aimed at trendy young people. Unfortunately, all of the cars on display and for testing exhibited a visible orange peel paint finish. On a different note, the surprisingly large rear doors permit easy ingress and egress.Interior styling
The dash is attractive and well laid out. The two-tone color creates a pleasing visual effect. The plastics used are satisfactory and well put together. The front seats are fairly comfortable for short runs. They could use more lateral and lumbar support for longer trips. The audio system sound and reception are reasonably good but the chosen radio by Kia continues with the small annoying buttons. The MP3 players in the two tested cars seemed to have much trouble reading the provided discs; it would skip, read and then stop.