Test drive Kia Spectra 2004 - 2009 sedan

Korean parcel

Izhevskaya Oda goes into history, never becoming a truly mass car. Having lost faith in the ability to create his own competitive model, Izhavto went along the beaten path organizes on his squares the assembly of a modern imported model from ready -made components.
The choice fell on KIA spectrum. In June 2005, they began setting up equipment for the assembly of the Korean. While they master the technology, the machines are assembled, they are collected, and when the production is already officially, they plan to make 8,000 commodity cars in different trim levels before the end of the year. Already, 6.5 thousand orders from dealers were received on the spectrum.
The first impressions of the Izhevsk spectra from the trial party we shared in the January issue (ZR, 2005, No. 1). And what will be the serial machine, what has changed in six months? We will look for the answers in the editorial spectrum, which recently replenished the Park ZR.
The quality of the color, small uniform gaps, anti -corrosion treatment and a six -year guarantee for through corrosion inspire the hope that domestic anti -icing reagents will not so soon bring the body into unusable. The salon is without excesses, but at the same time functional and convenient. Two adjustments to the front seats (longitudinal and tilt of the back) and a tilted steering column allow anyone to get comfortable to get a job whose height has not reached two meters.
The back of the rear seat folds in a ratio of 2: 3. It is enough to pull up the lever, and the voluminous (more than 400 l) the trunk will increase almost double. The niche has a full -size reserve, a cylinder key and a jack, you can find a place for a bag with a tool. On the rear shelf in the standard configuration, locks for fixing the children's chair are a mandatory option for a modern car. The external mirrors and the intra -saline are located so that the object barely disappears from them, immediately appears in the field of view of the driver. In the combination of devices, only the most necessary (speedometer, tachometer, engine temperature indicators and fuel level) and control lamps. All testimonies are easily read regardless of lighting, do not glance and do not shine. The steering wheel switches have traditional functions, except that a single wave of wipers without turning on the washer by pressing. In intermittent mode, wipers do not always keep up with cleaning glass, and in continuously excessively zealous. Pause adjustment would be very helpful.
The pedals are spacious: it seems that even in felt boots you will never catch on. Only no noise air comes from the fan. A good addition to successful ventilation air conditioning. This device is useful not only in the heat: it also drains the air, riding glass from fogging in raw weather. It works without visible efforts for the engine. The control system supports the momentum at a given level, even the tachometer arrow does not swim, and after all, two powerful fans are turned on at the same time, which, incidentally, are barely audible in the cabin.
So far, only one 1.6 liter engine is installed on cars on cars with a capacity of 101 liters. With. Just from one extra horse, the owner of the spectra will have to pay almost three times more tax than for a car with a 100-horsepower engine. Koreans probably do not know about this, and the Izhevites have something to think about.
Starting with 80 km/h, you can turn on the fifth gear. If earlier the dynamics of acceleration will noticeably deteriorate, but there will be no unpleasant detonation sounds. Outside the city at speeds of up to 120 km/h with an air conditioning on the average fuel consumption of about 7 liters per hundred, in the city, of course, larger. Good words deserve a pendant. Front type McExeson, the rear is independent, on three levers. The shocks from small irregularities and joints of road plates almost do not reach the body. The four -bow and at the same time the heavy steering wheel of the first spectra caused, to put it mildly, bewilderment for that kind of money to rest with all his might? At the current, this inappropriate price of embarrassment is eliminated, the hydraulic power control allows you to easily shift the wheels from the stop to the stop for 2.5 turning the steering wheel. At the same time, good feedback is saved. Up to 120 km/h in the cabin you can speak in an undertone, but with an increase in speed, the noise intensifies.
There is still no music, but audio training is laid down in all configuration options. Probably, the manufacturer took into account the experience of Uzbek Nexia, many buyers changed a simple standard radio to a more modern one. Unlike the training party, for the serial spectra, two airbags, belts with pretensors, electric drives of mirrors and door glasses, power steering, steel protection of the crankcase are already promised in the basic configuration. By the end of the year, cars with automatic gearboxes will appear.
At first, all components will come in containers from Korea, and over time, the manufacture of some large-sized parts will be commissioned in Russia at joint Russian-Korean enterprises. First of all, these are bumpers and seats, occupying a lot of space in the premises. Then the cost of the machine will decrease.
Officially, prices have not yet been announced, but approximately the basic version will cost $ 12,200. So far it is one of the lowest prices for a car of this class. If Izhavto keeps the quality at the initial (Korean) level and does not get involved, like other manufacturers, into the price race, Kia spectrum, will no doubt acquire fans in Russia.

Kia spectra
Manufacturer: Izhavto
Year of release: 2005
In operation while driving: since July 2005
Mileage at the time of the report: 4000 km
 
 

Emelkin Gennady
 

Source: The magazine "Driving"