Kia Cinco adds hatch door to Rio sedan in a new wagon design
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
|
PHOENIX, Ariz. -- On the I-17 freeway shooting north out of Phoenix, we're steering a new hatchback wagon that comes in subcompact dimensions with a pint-size powertrain and rock-bottom price tag.
This new vehicle wears the badge of Kia from South Korea and goes by the name of Cinco -- a word in Spanish that translates into English as the number five, which happens to be the count of all doors on the wagon.
To create a new five-door hatchback, designers at Kia started with the subcompact Rio sedan -- lowest-priced car in the country -- but extended the roofline rearward while lopping off the sedan's trunk compartment and adding a rear gate in hatchback style for access to the back cargo bay.
Powertrain, most of the mechanical components and interior appointments employed by Cinco compare directly to those in Rio.
Our tester Cinco heads northward on the I-17 in Phoenix, moving in a thick clot of traffic on a course that will carry us out of the arid Arizona desert and, after a steep climb snaking up Black Canyon, over the Bradshaw Mountains to a verdant Verde Valley.
The convoluted route -- combining quick-clip traffic in a congested urban venue on the flat Sonoran Desert floor with an engine-draining ascent through the canyon to mile-high altitude in the mountains, then a downhill romp to the lush vale of the Verde River -- not only showcases the diversity of Arizona landscapes but forges a multi-task driving challenge to any vehicle that follows it.
So what impediments to power, performance and rider comfort will such a demanding path present to a car pitched as the year's bottom-dollar five-door hatch?
Well, the low price of Cinco -- with MSRP totaling to only $10,385 plus a delivery fee of $495 -- might logically suggest that a cheap vehicle would be constructed from flimsy material and behave in a manner that suits the sum of inexpensive parts and cost-conscious assembly.
Of course, it would also be bereft of pedal power as well as comfortable accommodations for passengers.
And putting it to the test of a harsh road trip covering freeways, long stretches of desert straightaways and dicey grades through mountain passes would become sheer torture for the vehicle and its riders.
However, that's not the way it works with Cinco.
The little wagon contains an impressive list of mechanical components, carries rather comfortable seats in surprisingly spacious quarters, and, as our drive quickly proves, demonstrates it can hold its own in freeway traffic or out on the open road.
It even feels zippy in the run up Black Canyon.
Cinco's four-cylinder engine, displacing 1.5 liters off an iron block with aluminum heads, carries dual cams on top and packs four valves in every cylinder.
Output only reaches to 96 hp at 5800 rpm, yet the torque -- 98 lb-ft at 4500 rpm -- favors lower speeds while efficient gear ratios in the manual transmission help pump up the action so Cinco can leap off the line at a stoplight and even at a quick clip on a freeway still feel gutsy.
An automatic transmission with four forward speeds is also available but inflates Cinco's bottom line and tempers the engine's responsiveness.
Like other automotive products in Kia's stable, Cinco contains respectable mechanical components that set up agile ride handling characteristics.
The suspension with independent elements up front combines MacPherson struts, coil springs and an anti-roll bar that checks lateral sway.
In back a semi-independent torsion axle with coil springs keeps the tail in line and rides smoothly.
Steering, quick and lively, uses a rack and pinion device with power assistance.
Brakes consist of discs in front and drums in back with hydraulic power assistance and an available four-channel anti-lock system.
We pumped the brake pedal repeatedly during that descent to the Verde Valley yet they remained resilient and showed no fade.
Exterior styling for Cinco looks sophisticated and curvy in a format that eases all hard edges. The soft shapes seem so fluid due to extensive use of monochromatic fascia, moldings and bumpers.
At the prow, large triangular clusters of multi-lens headlamps anchor front corners on either side of a narrow horizontal grille highlighted by chrome.
The arched roofline appears even more bowed due to blackened center pillars that fade into the window glass.
In back, the roof descends through shapely rear pillars into the forward-canted hatchback door accented by large triangular lamps etched into corners.
Cinco's wheelbase stretches for almost eight feet and the width expands to five and a half feet. The resultant area serves as a generous foundation to craft a spacious passenger cabin plus a cargo area with 25 cubic feet of storage space with rear seatbacks standing.
The cabin layout fits two bucket seats up front, followed by a rear bench with indentions for two more riders. These seats, contoured to fit even a full-frame adult, feel supportive and firm. Each seat position has more than adequate room to fit the head, shoulders and legs.
Due to the tall structure, Cinco's driver perches in high stance like you might sit in a living room chair, which sets up excellent visibility through expanses of windows.
All surfaces for dashboard and doors, clad in a soft-touch synthetic material, feel refined, which is not what you might expect in a bargain-priced vehicle.
Overall, we give Cinco high scores for the quality of its interior, logical design and placement of all instruments, and the comfortable seats.
Optional gear for Cinco loads the bottom line, but not severely. Extra items include the automatic transmission ($875), air conditioning ($750), a CD player for the audio system ($125), power door locks ($95), ABS ($400) and alloy wheels ($275).
Then Kia backs Cinco with an impressive guarantee called the Long Haul Warranty. The powertrain is insured for ten years or 100,000 miles and there's a five-year or 60,000-mile shield against defects plus five years and unlimited mileage for a roadside assistance program with emergency towing service.
|
| 2002 KIA CINCO VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS |
| Description: |
Subcompact 5-door wagon
|
| Model Options: |
Subcompact 5-door wagon
|
| Wheelbase: |
94.9 inches
|
| Overall Length: |
165.9 inches
|
| Engine Size: |
DOHC 1.5-L I4
|
| Transmission: |
Manual/5, Auto/4
|
| Drive: |
Front
|
| Braking: |
Power disc/drum/opt. ABS
|
| Airbags: |
2 (front)
|
| Gas Mileage: |
M/5: 27/32 mpg
A/4: 25/31 mpg
|
| MSRP Price: |
$ 10,880 to $ 13,469 |
|
|
|
The Big Lot! is dedicated to privacy, security, and service. Read our Privacy Policy.