Test Drive Kia Sephia 1993 - 2001

Periant

Coffee Time.
To quickly gain impressions from tested cars, we, together with the Kia dealer, took chant car from a warehouse in Finland. Night train, in the morning in Kotka. We come to the office of the transport company engaged in transshipment of cars to Russia. The working day began 15 minutes ago. The lady, drawing out the overhead, said that in principle everything is ready, a couple of paperwork remained, and that now they drink coffee and all documents will be cope. We fell into Coffee Time ... The attitude of the relationship here is very friendly, one can say the spiritual - the economy of Finland is tightly tied to Russia. But Coffee Time for Finns is holy. In the morning and before dinner, all local cafes are packed with leisurely and unnoticed workers of Suomi countries. Oh, these hot Finnish guys. 3 hours passed. A couple of paperwork remained - we have Coffee Time ... As if the Invisible Manergeem line ran between us and the machines in stock.

The working day ended, and with him ended with Coffee Time. And only the emergence of an employee of a motor in the form of a special forces of the Naval Forces of Kazakhstan in the office of the director of the office forced them to podnaping and speed up paperwork. In the evening we went on the way back ...

Kia Sephia Leo.
First independent development of Kia Motors Co. - Sephia, debuted at the Seoul Motor Show in 1992. For a little-known at the time of the Korean company, which produced only licensed copies of the outdated models of Mazda, Sephia marked the breakthrough in the field of technology. The original car body and its layout were entirely designed by the Cray supercomputer - in 1989, the company did not regret money for this computing complex when only such giants like GM and FIAT could have been inflated. While developing Sephia was focused primarily on exports to countries with its own automotive industry - the United States, Western Europe, Japan. The car should have become competitive in its class not only due to the price, but also quality.

Despite the fact that Kia still used the Licensed Power Units of the Mazda B5 series from the 323rd model, she received a map-blanche for exporting a new car without looking at the Japanese partner. It is with SEPHIA and Sportage models that the company's hopes for entering a dozen of the world's largest automakers were associated.

Two years after the debut of the sedan, a five-door hatchback LEO appeared. At the same time restyling the entire Sephia family was held. In 1995, the German body studio Karmann began a small-sector production for the Eurorant of the flagship modification of the sephia - a convertible equipped with a 124-strong 1.8 l engine. Last fall, German Auto Motor und Sport called Kia Sephia better price / quality in the segment of the subcompact car market.

Our edition faced a hatchback Sephia Leo. First, because Hatchback has not yet managed to take it away. And secondly, he is 16 cm shorter than sedan - these centimeters with a sharp braking can be decisive.

Leo, you need to assume, means Lion. And since for the year on this machine we will have to shake greatly, then we will call it in-kind - Sophia Lvovna.

The car provided for test is equipped with a 1,5 liter injector engine with a capacity of 80 liters. with., a mechanical 5-speed box, 14-inch wheels, shovel into low-profile michelin MXV3 185/60, four disk brakes and ABS. Salon equipment included airbags for the driver and front passenger and air conditioning. The price of a car in such a configuration of the Moscow dealers of $ 21,000.

Kia Sportage.
In 1993, Sportage made a sensation in the automotive world. And although the part of the motor and transmission of Sportage itself is very trivial, an unusual approach to the development of this SUV is unusual. Sportage became the first and for some time the only car that took the market niche between large cars, like Mitsubishi Pajero, and compact as short-sized Suzuki Vitara. Competition, and rather sharp, in this class there was a later - with the advent of the long-base versions of Vitara and Toyota RAV4. A response step of the Korean company was to enter the rear in the Sector of Compact SUVs - in 1994, Sportage has a short version with removable plastic riding. A year later, the Sportage assembly at the Karmann factory was organized. The exclusive version of Made in Germany received the name Barclay.

In 1996, the utilitarian version of the SUV with an elongated rear breath was presented in Seoul - Sportage Wagon. For the markets of Korea and the Pacific, the rear-wheel drive version is also available - Sportage 2WD.

Now about the power units. Modified MAZDA Motors for F - 2-liter gasoline OHC (95 liters with.), DOHC (128 liters.), 2-liter turbodiesel (83 l. P.) And 2.2 liters diesel (70 l. With .). The most powerful option with a mechanical 5-speed box was selected for the motor test. As options - alloy alloy wheels, ABS (only on rear wheels), climate control, immobilizer, front protective arcs.

The price of Sportage in such a configuration from Moscow dealers ranges from $ 31,300 to 31500.

Radio night roads
In Russia went out already dimly. Ahead of exactly 1000 kilometers is the first test. A special period of running for cars is not required. We decided to keep the speed of 90 km / h, which were unnoticed in 110. Before Vyborg - without adventure. There were referred to the facility with the purest Neste gasoline at 2400 Ra per liter. Which three is more cheaper than the same on the Finnish side. Therefore, many Finns in order to save, go to Vyborg for a full tank and 10-liter Kanishystr.

By 10 pm were under Petersburg. Started even asphalt, added gas. But here the chest on the defense of Petrograd got a picket with a speedgan. The gun of his traffic cops included meters for 100 to the approaching machine. Naturally, we did not have enough time to have time to pretend to the angels of the road and significantly reduce the speed. Antiraddar in Sephia completed when the Sportage crew was already read by his rights. 5 points - traffic cops for the mixture, and 2 points - in the warning card. The latter did not work in our plans. Suddenly one of the officers as shouting: Dima, this is a motor! Let go!. Let us go, Dima, - we added in orphans. So touching appeal was accounted for. Dima let go.

Going on. All, smooth asphalt ended. Thought heavy snow replaced by rain. The ice on the track turned into a liquid porridge. From the winter we went into late autumn. Agreed to set the speed of the column will be Sephia - on two leading wheels to go fast on such a road not so reliably as on all four. However, it soon became clear that Sephia holds the road at no worse than the All-wheel drive Sportage. Neither with a speedy entry in turn, nor with intensive braking in the turn of the demolition of the axes at Sephia did not arise. The fact that the car was shoddowed by in the summer, but first-class rubber Michelin MXV, adds us confidence. In any case, compared with Korean rubber, Michelin has significantly increased the safe high-speed ceiling.

We did not take extreme brakes - it is better to stay away from the truck on the night highway, and when overtaking, it is advisable to go to the free oncoming one in advance. Therefore, check how optional ABS works, failed. Only once, by moving to the roadside (Coffee Time), slowed down with right-hand wheels about ice. Everything is fine. Only a light vibration of the pedal at the very end of the braking path reminded us of the presence of ABS. As for the SUV, it is not extremes for him and such a mode of movement on peels and saws.

The road stole us with constant bumps and potholes. Most worried about the suspension of the passenger car. But Sephia went smoothly. Finally, on the Kia car we met a tight, very informative steering wheel. To piloting such a car was simple and nice.

However, the day started for us in Finland ended reluctantly. The sleep was overcame each in turn - even insert matches in the eyes. And here two long-base pajero without numbers wedged into our column. Their maneuvers were as sharp as an unequivocal image of these cars. Well, all - hello. Fortunately, we are with races. Agreed to go into a gap. There was no time to calculate the chances. Suppose they have 3 liters engines, 150 forces. We have 80 and 128. So we can take away only due to their own arrogance.

With the fifth transfer to the third, pedal to the floor. Sephia shot on the counter so cracks that only two lights in the mirror remained from Pajero. However, Sportage turned out to be clamped between Pajero. We reduce gas. We go to the revenue. We give the first Japanese to bypass us. Savy Sportage to your tail and already tandem sharply bypass a samurai. Now both Pajero have a decent speed pursue us. Well, we think to hell with such races, let them go ahead. Stopped, smoked. Sleepiness as hand removed. The Japanese went past. Three kilometers drove up to the OMON's post, asked what Pajero passed to Moscow. It turned out, the same distiller as we. Apparently, they accepted us for those who we accepted them. Funny all this. Meanwhile, no Moscow dealer Mitsubishi has taken responsibility for our ruined nerve cells.

We drove Leningradchin. The Novgorod region began. The last time the roads were repaired here, probably to the first test traffic of the imperial automotive society in 1907 or immediately after it. In any case, the Moscow mayor would tear off for such roads. That's for sure.

Three o'clock in the morning. Novgorod policemen - guys simple. Stand in the bushes in the lowland. The radar is constantly enabled. We spotted it earlier than it is us, and slow the speed. However, you still slow down. What are the numbers? Who are they?. In short, we will pass to our car .... I had to talk about Motor Magazine - The Best in Russia. Presented the January number. One of the traffic cops, Sergeant, turned the magazine by the fourth cover and on the site of the stagnation of C. 5 to. In the upper left corner of the advertisement saw the price of the car. At the same time, his eyes accepted the size of the globe, the arms shoved. What, the magazine is $ 29,600? - asked the sergeant. Well, - the answer followed. Turning to the Lieutenant Sitting in the back seat asked: to sing that we will do now with him? We did not wait for the junction, jumped into our cars and went further, and on the way they wondered what they really were with Petei would do with the magazine for $ 29,600.

Now about the driver's workplaces in both machines. We wrapped in them for 20 hours. Of course, it is tedious, but there were no complaints to the seats. Front and Sephia, and in Sportage have two standard adjustments with large ranges. In addition, the SUV provides a change in the profile of the driver's seat back. Sportage also has an adjustment of the steering column in height. In Sephia, due to the built-in airbag from such an adjustment, they were refused, which did not affect the convenience of selecting the optimal landing.

Despite the fact that the cars were in the top sets, the absence in the sephia cabin of the cigarette lighter and ashtray highlighted, adjust the lights of the instrument panel, and in Sportage - also backlighting the windows buttons seems a bit strange.

The microclimate in the cabin left pleasant impressions. Machines warmed in minutes. The Sportage stove has an automatic mode of maintaining a given temperature. First, the spell warming is sluggish, but after 3-5 minutes it is drawn up, so that even when the window is opened in the cabin, it is still warm.

The aerodynamics at the Sephia Leo as a whole is withstanding at a good level. The body of the car above the lateral molding is almost not spattered with mud. The rear window remains flawlessly clean. But at the same time it is impossible not to notice that the front glasses are primarily polluted, and just in the area of \u200b\u200bthe review mirrors - their fairings create turbulence of the incident flow. It would not hurt to change the shape of the fairings in order to at least move the junction zone backwards, away from the mirrors. The same applies to Sportage. Its rear window remains constantly and flawlessly dirty. However, this is a disease of all machines with a vertical back.

Built-in Korean production radio in Sephia After many hours of operation in Non-Stop mode, heats up, which affects the quality of the record playback on the cassette. So the old song about the main thing somewhere in the white light sounded already with Herosky's hoarse. Sportage with hearing was all right. Radio also worked without interference. Under Novgorod caught some local station. The girl-architect runs without the end to the Tsereteli and his Peter-Columbus, montologist by quotes John Lennon and Jim Morrison.

At dawn entered the Tver region. Behind 700 kilometers - by odometers. Sportage ended Vyborg gasoline. If in a tank 60 liters, then the consumption is about 8.5 liters per hundred, which, with an average speed of 80 km / h and movement on two bridges is very good. Sephia still splashed liters 10. But not risking to experience fate on the remaining 300 kilometers, we would upgrade. The boys walked on a gas station were rewarded with Finnish coins for the hose inserted into the neck. They also apply only bills ... So, in Sephia it turned into a string of exactly 40 liters. Funny consumption was obtained - 5.71.

Moscow got to the noon. Here, in fact, so far. Until April.

Ivan V. Paderin
 

A source: Magazine Motor [№6 / 1997]