The new 2005 Spectra5 liftback is on its way to dealerships across Canada now, and priced at a base price of $19,995 offers a lot of standard features, including air conditioning, power windows and locks, remote keyless entry, cruise control, and a 6-speaker AM/FM/CD player. The Spectra5 is also more sport-oriented than its 4-door sibling, featuring a black mesh grille, blacked out headlight surrounds, deep front air dam, integrated fog lights, rocker extensions and lowered rear valance.
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| Dubbed the "sportiest Kia ever," the Spectra5 is currently on its way to showrooms across the country. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
"The Spectra5 was designed to be the sportiest Kia ever," commented Kia Motors America president and CEO Peter Butterfield during its debut at the New York auto show in April.
Under the skin are even more go-fast goodies, including performance-oriented fully independent suspension tuning right out of the box, plus standard 16-inch 8-spoke alloy wheels within P205/50R16 performance tires, and even a strut tower brace. Aiding handling further are stabilizer bars front and rear, rare in the entry-level compact class.
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| While a liftback version of the old Spectra was available, it wasn't as spacious as the new Spectra5. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
Inside, the 5 gets perforated leather trim wrapping the steering wheel and shift knob, plus a two-tone color scheme highlighted by sport fabric seats and door panels. Requisite metallic accents spice up the cabin too, while metal foot pedals give it a custom racing touch.
While the new Spectra5 is the sportiest version of the Spectra lineup, it's doesn't compromise practicality to attain this status. Rather, its 5-door configuration makes loading and unloading cargo extremely easy, and larger, more wagon-like design upping capacity to 518 liters (18.3 cubic feet) behind the rear seats. While a liftback version of the old Spectra was available, it wasn't as spacious.