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2008 Kia Spectra exterior.

2008 Kia Spectra exterior.

The 2008 Kia Spectra Compact Sedan - enlarge

Complete 2008 Kia Spectra New Car Reviews listed below

The 2008 Kia Spectra compact sedan (MSRP $13,520.00 - $17,620.00, Invoice price: $12,970.00 - $16,515.00) is available in EX and SX trim levels. This model competes with the Chevrolet Cobalt, Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, and the Mazda Mazda3. It also competes with the Mitsubishi Lancer, Nissan Sentra, Suzuki Forenza, Suzuki SX4, and the Toyota Corolla. The Kia Spectra, or Kia Cerato, is a compact car and small family car produced by the Korean automaker Kia Motors since 2000, originally sold only as a hatchback.1 When the car was redesigned in 2004-05, it later became Kia's top-selling vehicle in the United States, which it remains.2 The Kia Spectra, currently on its second-generation is assembled at Hwasung, South Korea.

All trim levels are available with a 138-horsepower, 2.0-liter I4 engine, and a front-wheel drive system. Buyers can choose from either a four-speed shiftable automatic or a five-speed manual transmission.

The 2008 Kia Spectra sedan has a four-wheel independent suspension, front and rear stabilizer bar, a MacPherson strut front suspension, and multi-link rear suspension.

Exterior features on the 2008 Kia Spectra sedan include 15 x 6.0 inch steel wheels, all season tires, a temporary spare tire, and a steel spare wheel. It has full wheel covers, an inside-mounted spare tire, variable intermittent wipers, and a rear defogger.

2008 Kia Spectra sedan instrumentation features are a tachometer, a clock and low fuel level warning.

Basic seats and trim features on the 2008 Kia Spectra sedan include a five-person total seating capacity, bucket front seats and cloth upholstery. It has height-adjustable driver seat, a bench rear seat and split-folding rear seatback.

Power and convenience features on the 2008 Kia Spectra sedan include a speed-proportional power steering, a tilt-adjustable steering wheel, front cupholders, and front door pockets. It has a remote trunk release, remote driver and passenger exterior mirrors, 12-volts front power outlet, and a front console with storage.

2008 Kia Spectra sedan comfort features include dual vanity mirrors and a trunk light.

Basic entertainment and telematics features on the 2008 Kia Spectra sedan include AM/FM in-dash single-disc CD player stereo, six-total speakers, a mast antenna, and an auxiliary MP3 audio input.

The 2008 Kia Spectra sedan has the following safety and security features: ventilated front disc and rear drum brakes, dual front side-mounted airbags and front and rear head airbags. It has a passenger airbag occupant-sensing deactivation, front seatbelt pretensioners, and rear door child safety locks. It also has child seat anchors, an emergency interior trunk release and a rear center three-point belt. It is equipped with tire pressure monitoring, auto delay off headlamps and height adjustable headrests (two in front and rear).

More features on the EX trim level include remote power door locks (keyless entry), 1 one-touch power windows, and power and heated mirrors. It has air conditioning, power windows, rear cupholders, and front and rear floor mats.

The 2008 Kia Spectra sedan SX trim level, meanwhile, has a sport-tuned suspension, 16-inch alloy wheels and bigger tires, foglights, and a rear spoiler. It has a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, cruise control, metal-finish interior accents, and cloth sport seats.

A safety and crash test report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) showed that the 2008 Kia Spectra four-door and five-door sedans with Side Airbags received five stars out of five in frontal crash tests; four stars out of five in side crash tests; and four stars out of five in rollover tests.

A reliability history report from ConsumerReports.org showed how the Kia Spectra sedan held up mechanically. The Kia Spectra received the following ratings for the year 2006 (major redesign year was 2004): Excellent ratings for engine (major and cooling), electrical and climate system, and exhaust; Very Good ratings for engine (minor), transmission, drive and fuel system, and suspension; Good ratings for brakes, squeaks and rattles, body hardware, and audio system; Fair rating for power equipment; and Poor rating for paint and trim.

Click here for more information on 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 Kia Spectra car prices, auto insurance, auto loans, car dealers, and car leases.

Footnotes and References



 
Spectra Car Reviews  
2006 Kia Spectra5 Compact 5-Door Hatchback
Spectra is a shapely four-door sedan for the compact class stocking a respectable powerplant with FWD traction, noteworthy standard safety systems and value-packed price points honed to a competitive edge.

2006 Kia Spectra Compact Sedan
Spectra is a shapely four-door sedan for the compact class stocking a respectable powerplant with FWD traction, noteworthy standard safety systems and value-packed price points honed to a competitive edge.

2006 Kia Spectra5 Compact 5-Door Hatchback
A five-door hatchback variation of the Spectra sedan mixes spry road manners of a small FWD sports sedan with the cargo capacity of a pint-size SUV and the miserly fuel efficiency of an economy car.

2003 Kia Spectra Compact Sedan and Hatchback
The four-door Spectra hatchback appeared first in 2001 as a spin-off from the four-door notchback Sephia sedan.

2005 Kia Spectra Compact Sedan
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2005 Kia Spectra5 Compact Hatchback Sedan
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2004 Kia Spectra Compact Economy Sedan and Wagon
The 2004 Kia Spectra compact sedan is offered in two versions; a four-door, and a five-door (hatchback) sedan. This Specra is all-new, and represents a tremendously improved product over its predecessor.




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