Kia Concord
Encyclopedia
The Kia Concord is a four-door sedan produced by South Korea
's Kia Motors
from 1987. Its two foremost competitors were the Daewoo Royale
and Hyundai Sonata
. All versions used Mazda four cylinder engines. The Capital/Concord lineup underwent a series of facelifts, eventually becoming the "New Capital" and "New Concord" in marketing material. Production of the Concord ended in 1995, while the cheaper Capital continued until late 1996. The car is based on the 1982 Mazda Capella
and was succeeded by the Clarus in 1996, which used the Mazda GE Platform.
99 PS 2 litre petrol
FE engine. During 1988 the engine programme was expanded considerably, with the 72 PS 2 litre diesel
"RF" added in April, a 95 PS 1.8 litre (F8) in May, a 110 PS fuel injected
version (called the 2.0i DGT) added in July, and finally an LPG powered 1.8 for taxi usage added in August. After the 1991 facelift the engine programme was somewhat restricted, but in March 1992 a comparatively powerful DOHC version of the 2.0 was added, with 139 PS at 6,000 rpm.
With the 1995 introduction of the Kia Credos, production of the Concord came to an end. The smaller Capital continued a little while longer.
After a change in legislation meaning that cars were now taxed based on displacement, with a large threshold at 1,500 cc, Kia engineers introduced a Twin Cam, 16-valve version of the little 1.5 in May 1990. This surprising development had 115 PS on tap at 6,500 rpm. Top speed was 170 km/h (106 mph), the same as for the fuel injected 1.5, but 0-100 km/h acceleration time dropped from 13.5 to 10.0 seconds. After the 1990 introductions of stronger competitors such as the Daewoo Espero
and Hyundai Elantra
, the Capital received a facelift in November 1991. The facelift was not very deep, the most obvious difference being the relocation of the rear license plate to the bumper rather than between the taillights. The facelift version offered the 1.5 engine as well as a downgraded version of the 1.8, now to carburetted specifications and producing a mere 82 PS at 5,000 rpm. This was mainly intended for taxi usage. There was also an export version with the carburetted two-valve 1.5 for Kia's very few export markets, with 73 PS.
In June 1994 the Capital received another facelift, featuring more rounded headlights and a new grille. This was called the "New Capital" in the marketing, although the badging on the car remained plain "Capital". The New Capital was only sold with the 16-valve B5 engine, in GS or higher LS equipment levels. Production of the Capital finally ended in December 1996, overlapping a few years with the Sephia
that would eventually replace it.
Kia continued its line of mid-size sedans with Credos (1995), Optima
(2000), Lotze
(2005) and K5
(2010).
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
's Kia Motors
Kia Motors
Kia Motors , headquartered in Seoul, is South Korea's second-largest automobile manufacturer, following the Hyundai Motor Company, with sales of over 1.4 million vehicles in 2010...
from 1987. Its two foremost competitors were the Daewoo Royale
Daewoo Royale
The Daewoo Royale is a series of mid-size cars that was produced by Daewoo Motors in South Korea from 1983, being replaced by the Daewoo Prince in 1991, although production of the top-line Daewoo Imperial continued until 1993...
and Hyundai Sonata
Hyundai Sonata
The Hyundai Sonata is a mid-size car/full-size car manufactured and marketed globally by Hyundai Motor Company. From the sixth generation onwards, it is known as the i45 in the Australian, Singaporean and New Zealand markets...
. All versions used Mazda four cylinder engines. The Capital/Concord lineup underwent a series of facelifts, eventually becoming the "New Capital" and "New Concord" in marketing material. Production of the Concord ended in 1995, while the cheaper Capital continued until late 1996. The car is based on the 1982 Mazda Capella
Mazda Capella
The second generation rear-wheel drive Capella was available between 1978 and 1982, in both sedan and coupe forms. It was known on export markets as the Mazda 626, with the exception of the United Kingdom, where it was called the Mazda Montrose, the name was changed to honour the local Mazda...
and was succeeded by the Clarus in 1996, which used the Mazda GE Platform.
History
First introduced in April 1987, the Concord received the carburettedCarburetor
A carburetor , carburettor, or carburetter is a device that blends air and fuel for an internal combustion engine. It is sometimes shortened to carb in North America and the United Kingdom....
99 PS 2 litre petrol
Petrol engine
A petrol engine is an internal combustion engine with spark-ignition, designed to run on petrol and similar volatile fuels....
FE engine. During 1988 the engine programme was expanded considerably, with the 72 PS 2 litre diesel
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
"RF" added in April, a 95 PS 1.8 litre (F8) in May, a 110 PS fuel injected
Fuel injection
Fuel injection is a system for admitting fuel into an internal combustion engine. It has become the primary fuel delivery system used in automotive petrol engines, having almost completely replaced carburetors in the late 1980s....
version (called the 2.0i DGT) added in July, and finally an LPG powered 1.8 for taxi usage added in August. After the 1991 facelift the engine programme was somewhat restricted, but in March 1992 a comparatively powerful DOHC version of the 2.0 was added, with 139 PS at 6,000 rpm.
With the 1995 introduction of the Kia Credos, production of the Concord came to an end. The smaller Capital continued a little while longer.
Kia Capital
The lower end Capital (K930-series) was added in March 1989 with a carburetted two valve SOHC version of the 1.5 litre B5 engine. Power was 80 PS at 6,000 rpm. There was also a 1.5 MPFi version with a claimed 95 PS, the same output as that of the fuel injected 1.8 litre GLX version available until the facelift.After a change in legislation meaning that cars were now taxed based on displacement, with a large threshold at 1,500 cc, Kia engineers introduced a Twin Cam, 16-valve version of the little 1.5 in May 1990. This surprising development had 115 PS on tap at 6,500 rpm. Top speed was 170 km/h (106 mph), the same as for the fuel injected 1.5, but 0-100 km/h acceleration time dropped from 13.5 to 10.0 seconds. After the 1990 introductions of stronger competitors such as the Daewoo Espero
Daewoo Espero
The Daewoo Espero is a mid-size car produced by the South Korean company Daewoo Motors from 1990 to 1997. It was technically based on the GM J platform and had the distinction of a body designed by Bertone. It bore more than a passing resemblance to the Citroën Xantia, itself also a Bertone design...
and Hyundai Elantra
Hyundai Elantra
Launched in 1990 , the Elantra received a mid-term facelift in 1993.The Elantra was powered by a Mitsubishi-designed 1.6 L straight-4 This DOHC 16-valve 1.6 L unit produced 113 hp at 6000 rpm and could push the Elantra to 60 mph in 9.5 seconds...
, the Capital received a facelift in November 1991. The facelift was not very deep, the most obvious difference being the relocation of the rear license plate to the bumper rather than between the taillights. The facelift version offered the 1.5 engine as well as a downgraded version of the 1.8, now to carburetted specifications and producing a mere 82 PS at 5,000 rpm. This was mainly intended for taxi usage. There was also an export version with the carburetted two-valve 1.5 for Kia's very few export markets, with 73 PS.
In June 1994 the Capital received another facelift, featuring more rounded headlights and a new grille. This was called the "New Capital" in the marketing, although the badging on the car remained plain "Capital". The New Capital was only sold with the 16-valve B5 engine, in GS or higher LS equipment levels. Production of the Capital finally ended in December 1996, overlapping a few years with the Sephia
Kia Sephia
The Kia Sephia is a compact car that was manufactured by the South Korean automaker Kia Motors from September 1992 to 2003. The name "Sephia" is an acronym of these words: "style", "elegant", "powerful", "hi-tech", "ideal", and "auto"....
that would eventually replace it.
Kia continued its line of mid-size sedans with Credos (1995), Optima
Kia Optima
The Kia Optima is a mid-size four-door sedan manufactured by Kia Motors since 2000 and marketed globally through various nameplates. First generation cars were mostly marketed as the Optima, although the Kia Magentis name was used in Europe and Canada when sales began there in 2002...
(2000), Lotze
Kia Optima
The Kia Optima is a mid-size four-door sedan manufactured by Kia Motors since 2000 and marketed globally through various nameplates. First generation cars were mostly marketed as the Optima, although the Kia Magentis name was used in Europe and Canada when sales began there in 2002...
(2005) and K5
Kia Optima
The Kia Optima is a mid-size four-door sedan manufactured by Kia Motors since 2000 and marketed globally through various nameplates. First generation cars were mostly marketed as the Optima, although the Kia Magentis name was used in Europe and Canada when sales began there in 2002...
(2010).