What is it?
2000 Kia Spectra
What's special about it?
The Spectra is the fourth model to be brought to American shores by the South Korean automaker, and like its siblings - the Sephia and Sportage two-door and four-door - maintains Kia's reputation for high value and reliability. With its four-door hatchback design, the Spectra offers the versatility and convenience of a hatchback with the modern look of a four-door sedan. The Spectra comes loaded with a host of goodies that are normally optional in competing models: full fabric interior, body-color bumpers, remote control mirrors, console/arm rest, a tachometer and much more. The Spectra also receives suspension tuning courtesy of Lotus Engineering and a rack-and-pinion steering system equipped with an engine speed-sensitive power assist. With a 125-horsepower, 1.8-liter DOHC four-cylinder engine coupled to a five-speed manual transmission, the Spectra is expected to perform well against the competition. Final pricing has yet to be set, but should be close to $10,000. Expect to see the Spectra in dealer showrooms by mid-April.
Why should you care?
Compared to its Toyota Echo rival, the Spectra could be the real upset in the economy car wars. Despite an unexpectedly low sticker price and armed with a host of features that the competition offers as optional equipment, Kia stands poised to corner this emergent market with an incredible value-packed vehicle.
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