Kia Spectra Interior Review
The Spectra is an inexpensive car, and this point is reflected in its interior. The dash design is generic and inoffensive; it could have come from one of many Asian sedans. The controls are easy to use. Kia has responded to earlier complaints about tiny radio buttons. As a result, even ham-fingered auto writers can operate the Spectra's radio without much distraction. The LS, GS and GSX have a standard tachometer while an AM/FM/cassette stereo is standard across the board.
Door panels on less-expensive cars are often plain plastic, but Spectras have cloth door-panel inserts. The GSX upholstery is upgraded to nicer sport cloth. The seat bottoms on the front buckets, however, are short on support for longer legs. The seats do have wider cushions this year-one hopes not a Korean comment on American derrieres-and a new fabric is used. The console provides adjustable cupholders, and the LS and GSX door panels have bottle holders, but the overall quality of the plastic parts in the interior seems below standard for the class.
The rear seat will accommodate three, but not if they're adult males who plan to be there for a while. The seat folds 60/40 on sedans and hatchback, offering cargo flexibility with the hatch that challenges a small wagon. The GS/GSX hatch design offers even easier access. Seats up, the official trunk for the hatchback has 11.6 cubic feet of luggage room, which is excellent for a small car.
Kia Spectra Road Test
The 126-horsepower Spectra engine is not blindingly fast, but if the driver is willing to rev it, there's spunky acceleration with the five-speed manual transmission. The engine revs with abandon and seems happy to do so.
The gearshift lever has a rubbery feel, but we never missed a shift. Clutch take-up is smooth and light.
We suspect the optional automatic transmission would sap a good deal of the engine's vigor. Comparing the ratios of both transmissions confirms that impression. Anyone at all interested in acceleration in a Spectra should learn how to drive a stick. The manual gearbox also edges the automatic in fuel mileage. The five-speed has an EPA estimate of 24 mpg city and 32 mpg highway, two mpg better than the automatic for both circuits.
In cornering, the Spectra offers good balance, as one would expect from Lotus Engineering. Like most front-wheel-drive cars, its handling is predisposed to understeer (the front tires begin losing grip before the rear tires do). Turn-in for corners is a little sluggish: Our impression was that there's something rubbery between the steering wheel and the pavement, with a squishiness that has to be taken up before the Spectra begins to turn. This is particularly noticeable in fast, slalom-type directional changes. A tire upgrade would surely help.
The Spectra is quiet on the highway, with a surprising absence of wind or engine racket. It feels larger than its compact measurements would seem to warrant, even on an extended drive.
We were delighted by the performance of the standard brakes. We checked them out on a closed circuit that had several corners requiring high-speed braking. The Spectra's brakes never whimpered nor showed any signs of fading. That's extraordinary for an economy car.
Kia Spectra Lineup
Kia Spectra lineup consists of two body styles: a conventional four-door sedan and a hatchback with four passenger doors and a quasi-fastback roofline.
The base trim model is just called the Spectra ($10,995). An AM/FM/cassette stereo is standard, but air conditioning ($960) is optional.
LS sedan ($12,595) adds air conditioning, power windows, mirrors and locks as standard equipment. LS also allows the buyer to add options including a sound system with a CD player and a CD changer, antilock brakes and cruise control.
GS ($11,395) is the base-level hatchback. Air conditioning ($960) is optional.
GSX ($13,195) comes standard with air conditioning, alloy wheels, power windows, and central locking, plus a leather-wrapped tilt-and-telescope steering wheel and an aggressive-looking body kit.
All Spectras are powered by a 1.8-liter, four-cylinder engine rated 126 horsepower. They come with a five-speed manual or optional four-speed automatic transmission ($975) driving the front wheels.