2002 Kia Spectra Reviews

Kia details unique features of its top-spec X-Pro Tasman, as it takes aim at high-spec private ute buyers.

Does size matter? It’s an age-old question but when it comes to cars, it’s complicated.Most car reviews - rightly - will cover whether the model represents good value for money. That will usually include a focus on what is and isn’t included in the standard features list, the safety offering, quality of materials and more.Often this will include whether you get enough metal for your money. Is the car big enough for the price?My question is, should size factor into the value of a car? And how do you fairly determine value when each buyer has a different budget?I understand that everyone has different requirements when looking for a new car. A family of five will require more space than a family of two, or a single person, for example.But I would argue that size should not determine whether a car represents good or bad value for money.Again, I appreciate that many people will want as much car as they can get for their money, based on how they will use it. But surely things like overall vehicle quality, the drive experience and how the car makes you feel are just as important.Here’s an example. A Honda Civic e:HEV L costs $49,900 (drive-away). When compared with old foes like the Mazda3 and Toyota Corolla, it is seen as being quite a lot of money for a small hatchback.For roughly the same price as the Civic, you could buy an entry grade large seven-seat SUV like a Kia Sorento, Hyundai Santa Fe, Isuzu MU-X, or a Toyota Kluger.But just because you can get a bigger car for the same price, should you?If you don’t need the space, then I say you shouldn’t. And not just for reasons like the environmental impact of large vehicles, or the sheer space it takes up on the road. Although those reasons are also valid.If a smaller car ticks other boxes including being fun to drive, that should be enough.Back to my example - the Honda Civic hybrid is an excellent car. I would argue it’s the best small passenger car (as in, not an SUV) on sale in Australia. It has excellent build quality, a solid standard features list, a handsome design, nicely executed interior and an exceptional and efficient powertrain.Something like that is a perfect car for me. And I don’t feel like I would be ripped off buying this instead of a larger car.Similarly, if someone has the means to buy a premium car instead of something from a mainstream brand, that’s fine. As Donna Meagle famously said in Parks and Recreation, “Treat yo’self!”Sure, a circa-$60,000 BMW 120 hatch may not have the same level of standard features as a higher grade Toyota Corolla or Mazda3 - which cost $20,000 less - but who cares?If you have your heart set on a premium car like a BMW and you’ve got the money for it, then it doesn’t matter if it’s missing a few features.Whether it’s the materials in the cabin, the way it drives or the feeling you get when driving a premium European car, a model like that often just feels more special.A couple of years back I lived with a Peugeot 308 Premium GT hatchback for four months. That specific grade at the time was priced at $48,990 before on-road costs. Again, there was a lot of commentary about that being a lot of money “for a small hatchback”.I am not suggesting it’s cheap - it clearly isn’t. But that is an excellent little car that made me smile every time I got behind the wheel. I would be happy - proud even - to own one.To reiterate, there is nothing wrong with trying to get as much car as possible for your budget. If you want as many standard features as you can possibly get for $40k, and you are less fussed about how the car drives or its perceived quality, terrific. And there’s no shortage of options, especially with the growing number of Chinese brands offering affordable models.But equally, no one should be shamed for spending big bucks on a car that isn’t the size of a boat, or if it doesn’t tick every single box on the standard features list.

The 2025 Kia EV5 stands out from the fully electric mid-size SUV crowd because of its exterior design, which is unconventional for an EV, with its boxy shape rewarding buyers with plenty of practicality.

There are some states where the very existence of unmarked police cars seems almost as illogical as it is cruel, while in others, like Victoria, it’s a surprise that every second vehicle isn’t a cop car in disguise.

The Kia EV3 has only just launched in Australia with its first sales registered in March 2025, but Kia has another, smaller member of its EV family up its sleeve.The Kia EV2 is a Europe-focused, all-electric light SUV set to share a family resemblance with the EV3, EV5, EV6 and EV9.Given the popularity of small, affordable electric cars in Australia - and the fact Kia expects to sell the EV3 in its thousands per year - it would make sense that Kia Australia would be interested in a smaller, more affordable city-friendly electric car.After all, sibling brand Hyundai offers the Inster light electric SUV in Australia.At the launch of the Kia EV3 earlier this year, CarsGuide asked Kia Australia General Manager of Product Planning Roland Rivero about the local plan for the EV2.“We'd love to bring it in. The only issue we have with EV2 - and EV4 hatchback too for that matter as well - is it's produced out of Slovakia,” Rivero said. “Most of that production capacity is slated for Western Europe, for the European market.”Kia Australia has brought cars in from Slovakia before, most notably the Sportage SUV in 2013 when it aimed to get a more consistent supply than South Korea was able to provide.According to Rivero, the brand learned getting cars from Slovakia brought with it some hurdles. Kia Australia now sources the Sportage from the Gwangju facility in South Korea.“So one, it would be probably difficult to get some supply, because it's targeting Europe. And two, logistically it'll be difficult as well.“There's no port in Slovakia, so you've got to actually put them on a train to a port in Germany, and then it's transshipped to the west side via Singapore, for example.“So it's not the most ideal… and we've been through that with Pro_Cee'd GT in the past and SL Sportage.“It’s not easy to bring cars in from Slovakia. It’s just not practical at the moment.”The EV2 hasn’t been properly launched yet, while the Kia EV4 mentioned by Rivero is confirmed for Australia in sedan form only - not as a hatchback.The EV4 is similar in size to the brand’s K4, the replacement to the Kia Cerato, which is currently available in Australia in sedan guise.

On the back of its global reveal in February this year Kia has launched its PV5 electric people mover and light-commercial van in the UK, with that market’s right-hand drive configuration enhancing the one-box newcomer’s chances of making an appearance locally.Offered in Passenger, Cargo, Crew and Chassis Cab versions, and built at Kia’s new Hwaseong EVO plant in South Korea, the PV5 is powered by either a 51.5kWh or 71.2kWh NCM battery, with an additional 43.3kWh LFP option for the Cargo.Drive is delivered by a single, front-mounted electric motor producing 120kW/250Nm with a (spec dependent) range of up to 400km and a 10-80 per cent fast charging time of 30 minutes.At just over 4.6m long, 1.9m wide and 1.9m tall, with a 2995mm wheelbase, the standard EV5 is shorter overall (-67mm), narrower (-85mm) and lower (-24mm) with less distance between the axles (6.0mm) than an equivalent version of VW’s ground-breaking ID. Buzz.The Passenger model features a flexible interior layout with its eight seats hugely variable thanks to a ‘fold-and-dive’ seating design while maintaining what Kia says is multiple storage spaces and generous luggage capacity.Cargo EV5s come in various flavours, including Standard, Long, and High-roof variants, with the latter available in a ‘Walk-Through’ version.According to Kia, the Cargo offers maximum load space of 5.1m³ and is capable of accommodating two Euro pallets with V2L capability included. A two-seat layout is standard with a three-seat arrangement optional.The Chassis Cab’s flat structure, with side collision protection for the battery, includes additional mounting brackets for drop-side, deck and box-body applications.And Kia will expand the PV5 Cargo range in 2026 with a L1/H1 or larger L2/H2 variant, as well as an in-factory wheelchair accessible conversion.UK pricing for the PV5 Cargo starts at £33,174, rising to £39,594 for the entry-level Passenger model (both including VAT), which equates to around $68,900 and $82,200, respectively.Add in local shipping, duty and distribution costs and those numbers would undoubtedly come closer to the ID.Buzz Cargo three-seater at $79,990 and ID. Buzz Pro five-seater at $87,990, both before on-road costs.When asked if the PV5’s UK launch pointed to a local launch for the electric van Kia Australia told CarsGuide, “Kia Australia is keen to receive as many new EV models as we can, including PV5. We have our hand up, but it hasn’t been confirmed for Australia yet.”

In Taylor Swift terms, Hyundai has entered its Fearless Era as it explores bold new design themes that are a major departure from its past.In stark contrast to its humble beginnings, Hyundai is looking to make bolder vehicles, as witnessed by the recently revealed second-generation Palisade. Crucially, the Palisade is dramatically different from the Tucson and Santa Fe, or any other model in the range, as Hyundai pursues a unique design for each of its models. This is opposed to the ‘Russian Doll’ philosophy that many other brands use, which see similar design themes carried over from one model to the next. Interestingly, this more ‘family’ focused design theme is the one pursued by Kia, Hyundai’s sister brand, and in Australia recent years has seen the younger sibling overtake its elder on the sales charts.So, why has Hyundai pursued this very different and deliberately polarising strategy? We were fortunate enough to discuss this with the man in charge, SangYup Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Hyundai and Genesis Global Design.We spoke immediately after the reveal of the new Palisade and Palisade XRT Pro for the first time outside of South Korea, and Lee used the new family-sized SUV as a way of explaining the brand’s design philosophy.Specifically, he discussed why the Palisade and the similar-sized, but all-electric, Ioniq 9 have almost no visual similarities.“ I think it's a very important question,” Lee said. “Obviously, as I mentioned to you briefly yesterday on Ioniq 9 versus Palisade, the customers are different for a full, dedicated EV versus a traditional ICE and hybrid cars."So we cannot have the same toolbox SUV, so we purposefully have a different direction… where Ioniq 9 is for more like an early adopter and is open for new things.He continued: “Palisade, when you see it, you know it is so easy to understand. It's a toolbox SUV with a lot of premium character, and with the bold DRL (Daytime Running Lights) you can recognize it from a long distance."I'm particularly very proud of the surface DRL, because a lot of DRLs these day, I mean the lamp is a functional piece, but you see a lot of linear DRL."And instead we're doing surface DRL to have a more, like a chunky shape. So you look at it from a long distance, you can instantly notice a Palisade that's coming towards you, which is so important,” he said.Lee highlighted the importance of making a strong visual first impression for each Hyundai model, which is why he and his design teams have opted for a clear differentiation between each model, rather than Kia’s signature look that carries across each of its offerings.“A mid to large SUV is a big face with a bold character, but when you get closer, there's a lot of sophisticated surface treatment,” Lee said.“So what we want to do is like, mainstream, it should be easy to understand, bold yet premium character. So this is our challenge.”He also explained that the different needs of different customers across the various models also plays a major role in Hyundai’s decision to create unique designs.“There are many brands doing the family look… but I always talk to our team, Hyundai is all about customer-centric brand,” he said.“We need to really understand the customer first in order to design. So, I mean, for the Palisade, if you sit inside of the car, it's so comfortable, easy to use, there is no forced area. Everything is all about usability.“I must say, the UX (user experience) is designed this way… because this is a family car. I mean, we are out there, family, parents in a very detailed ."So like, how they drop off kids in the morning, how they pick them up after school hours and how they use a sippy cup, how they use the tailgate and how they use stuff."So it's all about observing customers in order to make it easier, more comfortable, with better design.”

If any publicity is good publicity, Kia Australia must be rapt with the public’s response to the Tasman ute.

People movers were never cool in Australia, but that’s changing as our evolving tastes take us out of SUVs and into little buses.

Kia Australia has some big expectations for its incoming Tasman ute. Most notable is the brand's aim of off-loading 20,000 units in its first full year, the equivalent to one quarter of the Tasman’s projected global sales.To do so in a shrinking ute market, it will need to lure Australian buyers away from traditional staples in Ford, Toyota and Isuzu while fighting off an increasing cohort of budget Chinese rivals such as BYD, GWM and JAC.Achieving that will be no easy feat and require the Tasman come competitively on the basics: grunt, payload, towing, tech, and arguably most important of all, price.So, does it? We’ve put the Tasman's top-grade head-to-head against some of Australia’s most popular ute models in an on-paper comparison designed to give you the best run-down on the all-new model before we've even taken it for a test drive.Starting with ground clearance, at 252mm, the Tasman exceeds its rivals by a minimum of 12mm. You could argue it's a relatively paltry difference, but 4WD enthusiasts would argue every millimetre counts when you're traversing rough terrain.Approach and departure angles is another area where the Tasman shines. At 32.2-degree approach and 26.2-degree departure, the Tasman shapes up as a symphony of well thought out proportions, something that will, once again, make it appealing to the four-wheel driving class.As an additional note, Kia claims to have "best-in-class" tub volume at 1173 litres, which sounds unusual given it doesn't have the largest tub dimensions in this class. Rather, its tub width and length are smaller than the Ford Ranger Wildtrak and Toyota HiLux Rogue. Further enquiries with Kia found that its best-in-class claim is according to VDA specifications, a commonly used European cargo space measuring guide. Ford, meanwhile, claims a tub volume of 1233-litres on the Wildtrak (a whole 60 litres more), though it's unclear what measurement guide the figure is based on.If its raw torque and power you're after, prospective buyers may be a little disappointed with the Tasman's outputs – at least on paper.But don't let the figures trick you into thinking its not a capable ute. In fact, it leads all of its rivals on payload, while delivering benchmark 3500kg towing; something the new plug-in hybrid BYD Shark 6 (321kW/650Nm) couldn't conquer.Kia said the decision to offer a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine, which falls 30kW/159Nm short of its most powerful rival (the V6 Ford Ranger Wildtrak), was based on the brand's decision to comply with Australia's New Vehicle Efficiency Standards (NVES). The scheme penalises carmakers who exceed government-mandated carbon emissions limits.While Kia is yet to officially release homologated emissions data on the Tasman, its relatively strong fuel consumption of 7.6 litres/100km suggests it will duck under the targets many of its rivals will fall victim to.This is one area where the Tasman decisively leads the segment, particularly in terms of tech and comfort. It carries twin 12.3-inch screens for multimedia and the digital driver's display, with a 5.0-inch touch monitor for climate controls wedged in-between.There's wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, digital radio, wireless charging, quilted leather upholstery and intuitive features like a large folding-table mounted to the centre console.Kia claims the Tasman has "class-leading" headroom, shoulder room and second row legroom, which makes sense given it is the longest vehicle in its class. The Tasman also comes with an additional 33 litres of under seat storage.The Ranger Wildtrak's interior set-up comes the closest, with a 10.1-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen and an 8.0-inch digital driver's display. It carries wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, too, as well as wireless charging and digital radio. Under seat storage is offered on the Wildtrak, however, Ford chooses not to quote a litre figure.The D-Max X-Terrain carries a smaller 9.0-inch multimedia touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with an 8.0-inch digital driver's display. It misses out on wireless charging, though.The HiLux Rogue is well off the pace, providing only an 8.0-inch colour touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, no wireless charging pad and fewer clever storage spaces. Toyota is, however, set to upgrade this configuration next year when the new HiLux arrives.* All prices calculated before on-road costsPricing was one area where the Tasman was expected to spank the established competition, though its entry price of $42,990 before on-roads for the two-wheel drive S grade exceeds all its rivals by at least $6110.That likely comes down to higher production costs (the Tasman is built in South Korea, while its rivals are built in Thailand) and a more generous offering of standard features.By no means, however, is the Tasman exuberantly expensive, as evidenced by the X-Pro's mere $150 premium over the Wildtrak – a popular variant of Australia's most popular ute. But the success of budget Chinese brands, such as BYD, Chery, GWM and MG, in Australia has shown buyers are increasingly willing to prioritise value above all else, which could hurt the Tasman's sales prospects.Despite the conjecture online about the Kia Tasman's design, which does take a little getting used to, the Tasman is, by all means, a compelling package.It delivers and, in fact, exceeds the competition on several fundamentals, from ground clearance and approach/departure angles to payload, fuel efficiency, interior comfort and tech.That said, two key factors may not necessarily work in its favour - design and price. In a world where buyers are becoming increasingly cost-conscious, there may be a tendency to opt for more conventionally-styled budget rivals.As always, though, only time will tell whether the Tasman can live up to its maker's expectations.