Thank You, Hyundai

The Spectra, Kia Motors Corp.'s bottom-of-the-heap compact sedan, has fared well in the U.S. ever since it started out as the Sephia in the mid-1990s.

Although sales of the econo-cruiser have remained strong, it has attracted a demographic that, to put it bluntly, couldn't afford much else. The most attractive feature of the Spectra always has been the price tag, which made the little Kia a viable alternative to a used car.

But the new-for-'05 Spectra presents decent competition against any offering in the $15,000 price range, even though Spectra sells for less.

Spectra's step up-market suits Kia's changing face well. The brand has grown considerably with new entries such as the Sedona minivan, Sorento SUV and Amanti near-luxury sedan adding credibility and boosting average transaction prices to near $20,000.

And Kia has equity-holder Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd. to thank for the improvement. The relationship between Hyundai and Kia historically has been contentious, with each company in the U.S. accusing the other of not building suitable products for its own brand.

But for the Spectra, the two collaborated nicely: The car rides on the Hyundai Elantra platform and is powered by a Hyundai engine. These two changes make Spectra highly competent.

The new Elantra platform allows for the Spectra to grow in all dimensions over the previous generation: Wheelbase now is 102.8 ins. vs. 100.8 ins. (261.1 cm-256 cm); width, 68.3 ins. vs. 67.7 ins. (173.4 cm-172 cm); and height, 57.9 ins. vs. 55.7 ins. (147.1 cm-141.5 cm).

The new size puts the Spectra on par with its main competitors — the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Ford Focus, Chevrolet Cavalier and Saturn Ion — and the Spectra is wider and taller than all of them, which allows for more muscular styling than before.

Kia says Spectra's interior volume of 97 cu.-ft. (2.75 cu.-m) is larger than the Mazda6, Saab 9-3 and Volvo S80. The roominess makes the car downright pleasurable.

Its 2L engine — the same that powers Hyundai's Elantra — stacks up nicely against the competition. With variable valve timing — a Kia first — the 4-cyl. produces 138 hp, an improvement over the previous Spectra's 124 hp, and 136 lb.-ft. (184 Nm) of torque, vs. 119 lb.-ft. (161 Nm).

The engine is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission or an optional electronically controlled 4-speed automatic. Kia says it improved shift quality on both gearboxes, but it could have worked harder: Shift points feel less than optimal in the auto, while the standard manual feels soft.

Kia engineered Spectra's steering and suspension without Hyundai's help. The 4-wheel independent layout is adequate, but the Spectra5, a 5-door hatch that bows a few months after the sedan, gets the added benefit of a sport-tuned suspension, with stiffer springs, shocks and stabilizer bar.

Kia says the Spectra is the lowest-priced vehicle with standard 4-wheel disc brakes; antilock brakes are optional, for $400.

The vehicle drives acceptably, but the interior unfortunately reminds of Spectra's bottom-scraping economy status. Kia has made great strides in improving interior fit and finish quality, but that doesn't make up for a bare-bones and highly unstylish cabin that screams “rental car.”

The base LX trim level, expected to comprise some 20% of Spectra sales, comes without power windows, power door locks, remote keyless entry and cruise control. But where Kia skimps in convenience, it makes up for in safety. Advanced driver and passenger front airbags, dual front seat-mounted side airbags and front and rear side-curtain airbags are standard.

The Spectra LX carries a base price of $12,620, with air conditioning, rear spoiler and floor mats as options. The better-equipped EX, expected to net 50% of total sales, starts at $13,750.

These prices undercut all but the Saturn Ion at the low end. And the top-end EX costs less than the top trim levels of the competition. Kia is capacity constrained to 50,000 Spectras annually.