Looking Back At The Sephia’s History.

43 Sephia Looking Back At The Sephia’s History.

Looking at the history of Toyota Los Angeles, consumers have seen vehicle models that have come and go, and then those few that have withstood the tests of time; Camry and Corolla should come to mind.  Other auto manufacturers like Mercury, which you can find their vehicles at any Charlotte Mercury Dealer, is doing very well with their new Milan model and the Mountaineer has always been great.  Kia, a South Korean auto maker, has gained an increasing reputation for quality since entering the competitive American market.  Even longstanding Volkswagen Peoria is having to work hard with model redesigns to keep the attention of the American market, such as plans to redesign the Jetta.

The Kia Sephia entered the American market in 1993 after a successful year of sales in Korea.  It was introduced in the western United States and offered an affordable alternative to the Hyundai Elantra or Ford Escort.  It got great reviews for its low price and impressive fuel economy.  However, consumers complained about the noisy driving experience, location of convenience controls, and overall quality of the vehicle production.  For a few years, the comparable Honda Civic and Geo Prizm dominated the small passenger vehicle class.

In 1995, the Sephia became available as a base RS model, LS, and GS trims; antilock brakes were now an option.  One year later, antilock brakes became standard equipment only on the highest GS trim level.  At this same time, the Sephia was available in 20 states and came standard with dual air bags.  1996 also marked the introduction of two engine options; 1.6 liter with 105 horsepower or the 1.8 liter with 122 horsepower, both dual-camshaft four cylinder.  In 1998, a power package was an available option for the LS trim.  1999 did not bring changes for the Sephia but Kia was bought by Hyundai.  In 2000, additional standard equipment was added to the base model, such as power steering, AM/FM cassette, and fold down backseat.  The big change happened in 2001 when Kia introduced their 10 year 100,000 mile powertrain warranty.  2002 was the first redesign of the Sephia and Kia worked on making the interior cabin quieter.  The 2003 model was the best for improvements; rear wiper function, decreased road noise, CD player, and illuminated ignition switch. 2004 was the last year for production of the Kia Sephia.

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