2004 Kia Spectra

small car / 4-door sedan

2004 Kia Spectra 4-door sedan

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Moderate overlap front: original test
Side: original test

Key

  • G
    Good
  • A
    Acceptable
  • M
    Marginal
  • P
    Poor
  • Superior
  • Advanced
  • Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 2004-05 models built after November 2003 and before February 2005

Tested vehicle: 2004 Kia Spectra EX 4-door

The Kia Spectra was redesigned during the 2004 model year. (The old design was produced through November 2003; these cars are also designated as 2004 models.) All 2004 Spectra models manufactured after November 2003 are the redesigned cars. (Information about when a specific vehicle was manufactured is on the certification label typically affixed to the car on the driver door or adjacent B-pillar.)

The Institute evaluated a 2004 Spectra manufactured after November 2003. Forces on the head and neck were high, leading to a marginal head/neck injury rating. This rating, along with acceptable or marginal ratings for the chest and both legs, contributed to a poor overall rating. In response, Kia reduced the size of the driver airbag vent holes to lessen the injury forces occurring on the head and neck. Cars manufactured after January 2005 are equipped with the new airbag design.

The evaluation of the Spectra below is based on the test of the 2004 model. Because no structural changes were made, the structure rating is based on tests of both the 2004 and 2005 models.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Leg/foot, left
Leg/foot, right
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
Dummy movement wasn’t well controlled. The dummy's head bottomed out the airbag and hit the steering wheel. During rebound, the dummy's head moved partway out the open side window and hit the B-pillar.

Action shot taken during the frontal offset crash test.

The dummy's position in relation to the steering wheel and instrument panel after the crash test of the 2004 model indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained well.

The dummy's head hit the steering wheel through the airbag, producing a high head acceleration.

Forces on both lower legs were high enough to indicate the possibility of injuries.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CEF0417 CEF0502
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm) 18 12
Left (cm) 20 20
Center (cm) 18 17
Right (cm) 15 14
Brake pedal (cm) 16 15
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm) 5 5
Right (cm) 5 4
Steering column movement
Upward (cm) 5 3
Rearward (cm) 0 1
A-pillar rearward movement (cm) 2 2

Driver injury measures

Test ID CEF0417
Head
HIC-15 483
Peak gs at hard contact 122
Neck
Tension (kN) 2.8
Extension bending moment (Nm) 43
Maximum Nij 0.67
Chest maximum compression (mm) 22
Legs
Femur force - left (kN) 0.1
Femur force - right (kN) 4.8
Knee displacement - left (mm) 0
Knee displacement - right (mm) 7
Maximum tibia index - left 0.97
Maximum tibia index - right 1.03
Tibia axial force - left (kN) 1.6
Tibia axial force - right (kN) 6.3
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 47
Right 118

How the moderate overlap front test is conducted

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2004-08 models built after November 2003 and before September 2007

Tested vehicle: 2004 Kia Spectra EX 4-door with standard front and rear head curtain airbags and standard front seat-mounted torso airbags

The Kia Spectra was redesigned during the 2004 model year. (The old design was produced through November 2003; these cars are also designated as 2004 models.) All 2004 and later Spectra models manufactured after November 2003 are the redesigned cars. (Information about when a specific vehicle was manufactured is on the certification label typically affixed to the car on the driver door or adjacent B-pillar.)

Kia has made structural and side torso airbag modifications beginning with 2008 models manufactured after August 2007, so these ratings do not apply to cars built after this date.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Driver head protection
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Rear passenger head protection

View of the vehicle and barrier just after the crash test.

View of the vehicle after the crash with doors removed, showing the side airbags and damage to the occupant compartment.

Action shot taken during the side impact crash test showing the driver dummy's head was protected from being hit by hard structures by the side airbags.

Smeared greasepaint shows where the rear passenger dummy's head was protected by the side airbag.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CES0422
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) -2.5
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Driver injury measures

Test ID CES0422
Head HIC-15 251
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.1
Compression (kN) 0.5
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 48
Lateral force (kN) 2.0
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 58
Average deflection (mm) 53
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 7.01
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 2.12
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 3.8
Acetabulum force (kN) 2.5
Combined force (kN) 6.3
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.3
L-M moment (Nm) 160
A-P moment (Nm) 31

Passenger injury measures

Test ID CES0422
Head HIC-15 294
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.3
Compression (kN) 0.5
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 34
Lateral force (kN) 1.9
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 55
Average deflection (mm) 35
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 6.18
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 1.09
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 0.4
Acetabulum force (kN) 1.5
Combined force (kN) 1.7
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.8
L-M moment (Nm) 297
A-P moment (Nm) -158

How the side crash test is conducted