This Kia Spectra5 was spotted today traveling north from KL to Penang on the North South Highway. The Kia Spectra5 is also called the Kia Cerato in other markets, and it comes in both sedan and 5-door hatchback form.
From the looks of it, the 5-door hatchback might be making it’s way onto our local shores before the sedan. Fans of 5-door hatches will have an additional choice soon – there are not many C-segment hatches around here unlike the many B-segment hatches. As far as I can recall, we only have the Optra5 and the Ford Focus 2.0, and in a way, the Skoda Octavia, though that is technically a lift-back instead of a hatch.
After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history. An avid electronic gadget aficionado as well as big-time coffee lover, he's also the executive producer of the Driven motoring TV programme.
oh cerato… this should be the caravan mover…
is it true that korean cars have a shortage in spare parts lately in malaysia and if we need them we might have to wait for about 2 months? my friend had an accident with his kia spectra lately and he encountered this problem.
cool… more cars to be launched… wonder if CBU or CKD… this car sells pretty well in singapore, if i aint wrong…
wooo lately lot of new cars…
its bonnet remind me to kelisa .. lol~~
Replacing the carens? When can we get the Cee’d
I think this could be the new car that’s gonna be launched by Kia this 15th August.
I’ve seen quite lots of this car in S’pore. My relative owns one.
Paul, Is it same class with Nissan Livina?
oh cerato…the one where JC and 2 of ‘em use it to tow caravans…….
Good, more choices for consumers!
How about the price?
While others manufacturers spend time plasting duct tape all over the body for disguise, KIA is doing a pre-launch advertising on the road. Even dare to put a big “Spectra 5″ plate on it.
i have found this site to have a closer look at it :-
http://newcarens.kiamotors.com/
or this site to look at all models
http://www.kiamotors.com/
boring…proton brings more excitements
Hmmm…wonder how much will it cost?
I think Naza-Kia still suffers from the penalty on their duty by the custom. Kia Rio is not selling well due to its high price. I think the same fate will go to this Spectra. Is it assemble in Kulim or Pekan plant? Malaysian still sceptical on Korean’s cars. The FC is quite high and it’s hard to get spare part from ‘kedai potong’ like the Japanese make. The one we have is only the brand new from Naza-Kia.
y spectra become hatch back ~ …. ?? design for family ?? …. hope new model coming soon
korean car always no good looking taillight fo me..
This is not a new KIA… in Malaysian market yes, but in international market this model is old already… they should bring in CEE’D and just skip this one.. anyway we just see how well it can sell.. and then see how Naza rebadge it and the price dropped some more..
Aha! Lot of choices coming for malaysians.
Paul, if this spectra5 or kia cerato hatchback known for KIA,
what about cerato sedan, is it possible to be NAZA sedan?
assuming to be launched also this year, maybe 3rd quater 2007?
p/s: KIA Cerato is Kia Spectra and NOT Caren = NAZA Sedan (name?)
KIA Caren is NAZA Citra
is that something like Optra5?
I saw this car when i was driving in JB town…. it doesn’t really tickle my fancy.
Also just now, heard on the radio that KIA will laucnh 2 models which are KIA SPECTRA5 & KIA OPTIMA
Brakefader,
Technically, unlike Proton, other manufacturers cars have already been launched somewhere else in the world before finding its way to our shores. By the time it gets here, everyone already knows how the car looks like thanks to the internet. But of course, before they were launched, they were also all taped up and disguised while undergoing their trials and testing periods. All manufacturers do that. As for Proton, Malaysia is its homebase. All its cars are built and designed here, and no one else in the world has seen the cars yet, so it makes sense for them to disguise the car during testing on public roads.
as for this kia, for some strange reason, station wagons in Malaysia have never really proved popular in recent times.. probably thanks to the pickups, SUV’s and MPV’s.
This the Kia Cerato in Spore where I am based. It is a hatchback version of the Ceraot sedan. In Spore they are sold in with 1.6 engines and they are pretty cheap.
Kia cars in general are not headturners but nevertheless most of them are nice to look at. Nothing too radical or too boring IMHO.
I have seen the car boot of the hatch in a road show and i was amazed by the boot size. The boot size is pretty big despite it’s a hatch. Its nothing like the Satria or equivalent.
I hope they will be selling this with the new engine. The Cerato has gone thur a minor facelift here and the newer version has a different engine that is pretty fuel efficient. Some car forum members claim it can match Altis 1.6 fuel efficiency.
Boring…
Like old Kia Rio la
Out of topic. Last night 7 Edition show Chaku’s Ah Beng’s Persona on its montage for the news Proton might build a plant at Egypt.
azrai said,
August 7, 2007 @ 10:28 am
Out of topic. Last night 7 Edition show Chaku’s Ah Beng’s Persona on its montage for the news Proton might build a plant at Egypt.
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Chaku’s going nationwide…. more people can see his works yesterday… good for him
is this somekind of plagiarism? in naming the the, Spectra5.
the same with Mazda, is it?
I got this terrible thought upon Korean cars. I am sorry. It is so bad that given the choice of a Proton or a Spectra, i would rather go for Proton.
I am hoping the new Kia generation of admin produce something that can make me give away my terrible feeling on those cars.
wehhh front snapshot takda ker? spectra5 buntut dah ok. nothing fancy though. hurmmmmm just love the ceed looks. sooo masculine.
Looks like the older Kia Rio with a change in design of the rear lights!
im trying to tink of a more boring car…bt cant find !
Design to blend. Not bold and radical enough.
Me guess blogger’s block. ‘Move on! Nothing to see here’
i saw aveo sedan .
yes paul,waiting for the next topic,this one is a non event !
nissan latio also offers hatchback version!
peugeot 307
Saw this in SG Reg plate since 2005! Yes 2005!
correct me if i’m wrong!
and CBT have a report that its journalist were invited to somewhere in Europe to “review” Cerato! but its a diesel there!
ops… CBT article was print/published around first quater of 2006 about Cerato!
hv seen this at SG June 2006…Sedan look a bit nice for me. Price rage at SG 48,999.
So how about in Malaysia? 100k over?
Saw today advertisement.
Will launch on 15 Aug.
i’ve seen it on the same day at R&R bukit gantang in metallic blue. managed to chat with da naza kia personnel and he told me they’ll launch d spectra 5 beside the new optima on 15th Aug 2007!!! -the same day as the launching of d new Proton Persona!!!
albagmane … wasn’t that a long time ago on Topgear? The caravan mover that doesn’t move? The car that doesn’t accelerate after it hits 30 mph? Cool, it’s here now.
sure coming to malaysia.. http://s141.photobucket.com/albums/r76/hazri03/?action=view¤t=promo2.jpg
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r76/hazri03/promo2.jpg
do u knw y spectra5 is very rare in sarawak (at least in miri)?
less than 10 unit!!
i just spoke 2 d salesman.
wanna get novus spec but they dunno when is d nx stock comin.
according to them (salesmen), spectra5 is imported n ‘under-declared” to get lower tax.
but i survey online, for msia market, spectra5 consist of 43-45% of local content.
according 2 foreign review (in US mostly), this car received a good review..
im gettin one…….
this is a nice car
The New 2009 Kia Cerato….
hi….
do u know whether we will see any new KIA CERATO here in Malaysia..?
any news on it…?
From the website that i stated below and a few reviews ovrseas…it seems like a nice car…
http://www.kiamotors.com/
gud to have your feedback…
thx..cheers..
hi,
kia spectra 5 (1.6 auto)
friendly speaking it's good car amoung the asean car in terms of quality and performance unfortunately HUMAN being being a main role have spoilt the name of kia and naza kia motor
why …why…. read my sad and disappointment story
i collected the car from salesman A on 2/7/09 at 7.30pm while i m driving at mrr2 ring raod at 80km speed i realize my stearing vibrating very strongly until i stoped the car and drive back slowly to my home..i contacted the salesman A he said could be balancing and alignment problem…advise me to take the car to nearest kia service centre..
on 3/7/09 at 10.30am took the car to kia service centre setapak they took 2hrs to do alignment but still same problem while driving vibrating at 80km speed
turn back again to kia service centre they ask me go to shah alam glenmarie silverstone dealer to check the tyre…
the personal told me they can replace because it is 2007 tyre….i surprised bcoz in JPJ grand made year is 2009 and registerd on 2/7/09
how this could happened….. where is PDI inspection…this all due to
"Tidak Apa Attitude "
please dont spoilt the name of naza kia bussiness…all cars fr naza are good car but human being failed to do their duty as assign or dedicate to them
naza people who read this msg please speed up my request to replace new tyre
tq
Sam!
It seems like I'm having the same problem with you, car vibrating all the way.
I noticed the car tyre also made in year 2007 and my car is registered in June 2009.
I went to service centre and doing tyre balancing and allignment already but the problem is still there.
By the way, it is Spectra5 also.
I love this car!!!! fast, sporty, great road handling, great braking system, economical FC, spacious…etc, its a 'big' hatch & much more better than the malaysian made car! I really satisfied with it.
DEAR MSS YOU SHOULD ASK KIA SERVICE CENTRE REPLACE NEW TYRE
1 week after report KIA has called me for tyre replacement with not much question asked.
I think KIA has started to improve
suka kereta ni dan ingat beli secondhand. tapi bimbang dgn sparepart. betul ke sparepart dia sama dgn forte?
shares the same engine block (G4FC) and shiftronic gearbox with the new Kia Forte 1.6. Also shares common parts with Accent 1.6 (the accent uses conventional timing belt, whereas the Spectra5 & Forte uses timing chain), dont think the spare parts will be a problem la