#2002 KIA SPECTRA GSX REVIEW MANUAL#
The base trim model is designated the GS and lists at $10,795. At $12,995, the Spectra GSX adds air conditioning, alloy wheels, power windows, central locking and an aggressive-looking body kit.Īll Spectras are powered by a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 125 horsepower. They come with a 5-speed manual or optional 4-speed automatic transmission ($975) driving the front wheels. Options include antilock brakes ($800) and CD stereo ($295). The Spectra lineup consists of one body style: a hatchback with four passenger doors and a quasi-fastback roofline. Kia Spectra is based on the Kia Sephia sedan. It is powered by the same 1.8-liter inline four-cylinder engine. The Spectra, however, has sportier pretensions. According to Kia, the sporty Spectra is geared toward a younger buyer who 'hates traditional neckwear' and subscribes to the motto, 'So many women, so little time.' At first, we thought Kia's U.S. marketing department, noted for its sense of humor, was kidding with those descriptors, but maybe not. The company was certainly serious when it set Spectra's base price at just $10,795. If price sells cars, then we could see a lot of Spectras rolling off showroom floors. IntroductionĬonventional wisdom says Americans don't like three-door hatchbacks. This wisdom, based on sales, says Americans like five-door hatchbacks even less than they like three-door hatchbacks.īecause of this, Kia had not originally planned to offer its popular five-door hatchback in America. Then a group of American dealers saw the Spectra in Korea they convinced Kia management that Americans would go for the Spectra. So Kia management decided to take the risk and introduce the five-door hatchback to the U.S. The competition has some catching up to do.Hatchback design lends practicality. In addition to the mandatory two frontal airbags, front-seat occupants are protected by seat-mounted side-impact airbags, and full-coverage side curtain airbags protect front- and rear-seat occupants.
#2002 KIA SPECTRA GSX REVIEW FULL#
No other car in this price range or size class, nor many costing thousands of dollars more and in larger classes, offer the same, full complement of standard airbag supplemental restraints. The trunk is larger.Īll these advances and improvements pale, however, alongside the new 2004 Spectra's occupant safety features. There's more headroom, more hip room and more rear legroom. Four-wheel disc brakes are now standard, where the previous model had rear drum brakes. The track is wider, which improves handling. The wheelbase is longer, which improves the ride. The engine is more powerful, more fuel efficient and cleaner. Mechanically, the new 2004 Spectra is all-new. It's also priced only a couple of hundred dollars more. The new one is all-new, with sharper styling. The old one is a carryover from the 2003 model year. That the company's dealers have two 2004 Spectra models for sale is the consequence of federal fuel economy regulations, not the car maker's choice.įortunately, it's easy to distinguish the new 2004 Spectra from the old 2004 Spectra.
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