Kia Credos
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| Manufacturer | Kia Motors |
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| Also called | Kia Clarus Kia Clarus Wagon Kia Parktown[1] (Korea, station wagon) |
| Production | 1995–2001 |
| Assembly | Hwasung Plant, Hwasung, South Korea |
| Predecessor | Kia Concord |
| Successor | Kia Optima |
| Class | Mid-size |
| Body style | 4-door sedan 5-door station wagon |
| Layout | FF layout |
| Engine | 1.8L Mazda F I4 petrol 2.0L Mazda F I4 petrol 2.0L Rover KV6 petrol |
| Transmission | 5-speed manual 4-speed automatic |
| Wheelbase | 2,665 mm (104.9 in) |
| Length | 1995-1998:4,710 mm (185.4 in) 1998-2001: 4,745 mm (186.8 in) Wagon:4,760 mm (187.4 in) |
| Width | 1,780 mm (70.1 in) |
| Height | Sedan: 1,400 mm (55.1 in) Wagon: 1,480 mm (58.3 in) |
| Related | Mazda 626 |
The Kia Credos in South Korea and Australia (known as Kia Clarus in Europe) was Kia's first mass production large family sedan, and was based around the running gear of the pre-1997 Mazda 626, which went on sale in Korea in 1995, and in Australia in 1998.[2][3]
It was powered by one of two Mazda sourced petrol engines with 1.8 and 2.0 litres, which proved to be unremarkable in performance but excellent for reliability. A diesel-powered alternative was not available. The car's interior was dull but spacious and comfortable, as well as the boot being massive. The asking price for the basic 1.8 SX was £11,000 - around £4,000 less than the equivalent Ford Mondeo and Opel/Vauxhall Vectra.
Celebrated Mail on Sunday motoring journalist Russell Bray owns two Kia Clarus models. One is kept in pristine condition and has covered just 63 miles, the other he drives every day and has racked-up 183,000-miles. He famously documented this in his 1998 series of features: Clarity in a Clarus.
The Kia Clarus was replaced by the Optima in 2000.
[edit] References
- ^ (Italian)Kia Parktown debut in Geneva 1998
- ^ "Kia Credos: Korea Gets Serious About Larger Cars". AutoWeb. Web Publications. 1998-05-21. http://www.autoweb.com.au/cms/A_50485/article.html. Retrieved 2009-07-28.
- ^ "1998 Kia Credos sedan - Car review - The Car". GoAuto. John Mellor. 2001-05-16. http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mellor.nsf/story2/92E94F2265E23944CA256A4E00055739. Retrieved 2009-07-28.
| Kia Motors, a division of Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, road car timeline, 1970s–present | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Type | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | ||||
| City | Visto | Morning/Picanto | Picanto | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Subcompact | Kia Brisa | Pride | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Avella | Rio (DC) | Rio/Pride (JB) | Rio (UB) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Venga | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Compact | cee'd | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sephia/Mentor | Spectra/Shuma | Spectra5/Cerato | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sephia/Mentor | Sephia/Mentor | Spectra/Shuma | Spectra/Cerato | Forte/Cerato | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Capital | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mid-size | Concord | Credos/Clarus | Optima/Magentis | Optima/Lotze/Magentis | Optima/K5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full-size | Enterprise | Opirus/Amanti | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Potentia | Cadenza/K7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sports car | Elan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Compact SUV | Sportage | Sportage | Sportage | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retona | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SUV | Sorento | Sorento | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mohave/Borrego | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Compact MPV | Carens | Carens | Carens/Rondo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Joice/Carstar | Soul | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minivan | Carnival/Sedona | Carnival/Sedona | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pickup truck | Bongo | Wide Bongo | Bongo Frontier | Bongo III | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bus | (Asia Combi) | Combi/Power Combi | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Granbird | Granbird | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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