2001KiaSephiaKia Sephia2001 Kia Sephia BaseSedanSedanFWDAsan Bay, South KoreaThe 2001 Sephia features new safety items such as child seat anchors, front seatbelt pre-tensioners and an emergency internal trunk release. Changes for the 2001 model year also include dual visor vanity mirrors, a coin tray and a gas-cap tether.Low price, impressive build quality, roomy interior, incredible warranty.Unrefined drivetrain, weak tires, cheap interior materials.The Kia Sephia is proving itself a contender in the compact sedan market, greatly aided by its extreme affordability. Two trim levels are offered and both come equipped with a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine that delivers 125 horsepower to the front wheels through a standard five-speed manual transmission. A responsive four-speed automatic is optional. Base equipment on the Sephia includes power steering, four-wheel independent suspension with front and rear stabilizer bars, wheel covers, dual exterior mirrors, theft-deterrent system, rear defogger, cassette stereo, 60/40 split-folding rear seat and fabric upholstery. The upgraded LS adds air conditioning, power windows and door locks, bodyside moldings, tilt steering wheel and a driver's seat cushion tilt feature. Buyers can add wood grain dash appliqués, a rear spoiler and floor mats to any Sephia, but goodies like cruise control, alloy wheels, power mirrors and ABS are limited to the more expensive LS. Upscale styling tweaks make Sephia appear more expensive than a car this cheap has a right to look. Even build quality ranks high for a vehicle in this class, based upon our experience. Slam any one of the four doors and you will be rewarded with an impressive "thunk" usually reserved for Hondas and Toyotas. Oddly, however, Kia often scores well below average in terms of initial quality according to J.D. Power & Associates, as reported by owners of the car. The Sephia is certainly not a performance car, despite its optional rear spoiler, but the motor makes a decent 108 ft-lbs. of torque. This allows the 2,500-pound Sephia to scoot away from stoplights with authority, but the engine doesn't generate much passing thrust at higher rpms where the engine makes more racket than power. Boasting a capable, Lotus-tuned suspension, Sephia is severely hampered by cheap original equipment tires, which are noisy and make for sloppy handling in the twisties. The front disc/rear drum brakes, available with ABS on LS models, won't help in this regard, proving weak and generally ineffective with lousy pedal feel. Perhaps the Sephia's greatest strength, aside from a low price and extensive warranty package, lies in its roomy interior, which, according to Kia, is larger than the 2000 Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, among others. With a truly useable rear seat, four adults can fit with a minimum of contortion. Sephia offers better up front, out-of-pocket value than many competitors. The new Kia Long Haul Warranty Program helps this value equation. It consists of a 10-year/100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty, a five-year/60,000-mile limited basic warranty, a five-year/100,000-mile anti-perforation warranty (which protects against holes in the body caused by rust) and a five-year, unlimited mileage roadside assistance plan. But, is that enough to sway buyers? Unimpressive mechanicals and a bad rep for quality will, for some penny-pinching consumers, be offset by the low price and great warranty. The Sephia would never be called a great car, but for some, it might prove to be a good bargain. Chevrolet CavalierFord FocusHonda CivicMitsubishi Mirage560,00010100,0005Unlimited5100,000NANANA41.8 litersInline125 hp @ 6000 rpm108 ft-lbs. @ 4500 rpm174.4 in.66.9 in.55.5 in.2478 lbs.100.8 in.39.6 in.37.7 in.53.8 in.54.2 in.52.1 in.54 in.43.3 in.34.4 in.10.4 cu.ft.Not AvailableStandardNot AvailableNot AvailableNot AvailableNot AvailableNot AvailableRating = Not TestedRating = Not TestedAverageGoodNot TestedNot Tested13.2 gal.24 mpg / 29 mpg21 mpg / 30 mpg317 mi. / 383 mi.277 mi. / 396 mi.Insurance costs can vary greatly for this vehicle, depending on such factors as driver age, driver gender, teenage drivers in the household, driving records, theft loss data for your particular geographic region, miles driven per year, and other widely variable factors. Additionally, some companies charge a premium for certain makes and models, while others do not.$10,171$10,8457.35%$495N/A3% of the Base MSRPBASE (5M): 1.8L I4 DOHC MPI 16-valve engine; 5-speed OD manual transmission; 520-amp battery; 70-amp alternator; front-wheel drive, 4.78 axle ratio; partial stainless steel exhaust; front independent strut suspension with anti-roll bar, front coil springs, rear independent multi-link suspension with anti-roll bar, rear coil springs; rack-and-pinion power steering with engine-speed-sensing assist; front disc/rear drum brakes; 13.2 gal. capacity fuel tank; side impact bars; front and rear body-colored bumpers; clearcoat monotone paint; aero-composite halogen headlamps; driver's and passenger's manual remote body-colored folding outside mirrors; 14" x 5.5" steel wheels, P185/65HR14 BSW A/S tires; compact steel spare wheel; AM/FM stereo, seek-scan feature, cassette player, 4 speakers, fixed antenna; child-safety rear door locks, remote trunk release, remote fuel door release; 1 power accessory outlet, front lighter element, driver's foot rest, smokers' package; instrumentation displayincludes water temperature gauge, in-dash clock, trip odometer; warning indicators include oil pressure, battery, lights on, key in ignition, low fuel, door ajar, brake fluid; driver's and passenger's front airbags; tinted windows, manual front and rear windows; fixed-interval front windshield wipers, rear window defroster; seating capacity of 5, front bucket seats with adjustable headrests, center armrest with storage, driver's and front passenger's seats include 4-way adjustment; 60/40 folding rear bench seat with fixed headrests; height-adjustable front seatbelts; cloth seats, cloth door trim insert, full cloth headliner, full carpet floor covering; interior lights include dome light; day/night rearview mirror; full floor console, glove box, front cupholder, instrument panel bin, driver's and passenger's door bins; carpeted cargo floor, cargo light; body-colored grille, black side window moldings, black front windshield molding, black rear window molding and body-colored doorhandles.
LS (5M) (in addition to or instead of BASE (5M) equipment): Body-colored bodyside molding; air conditioning; instrumentation display includes tachometer, power front and rear windows; driver's seat includes 6-way adjustment; steering wheel with tilt adjustment; passenger's side vanity mirror.