Driven - Kia Pegas
Quick Facts:
- Price: From R275 000
- Engine: 1.4-litre petrol engine
- Transmission: 5-speed manual/4-speed Auto
- Power/Torque: From 69 kW / 132Nm
Since almost every brand is abandoning sedans in favour of crossovers and compact SUVs, Kia decided to stick to the sedan market and continue to offer it. I spent a week sampling their all-new Pegas in what was a frugal and practical week.
Upfront, the Pegas looks like its sibling the Rio. The tiger-nose grille with chrome inserts as well as the Piano black inserts give it a really good look, and at first glance, it would be easy to mistake it for one. A set of halogen headlights and fog lamps completes the front end. The rear does not look that enticing and it looks like not much thought has gone into it and that is something I am not particularly mad at, after-all, this is a budget car with a starting price of R225 000. The boot is incredibly massive at this price point measuring a great 475-litres (read it can fit a lot of stuff, trust me).
On the inside of the Pegas, there is nothing to complain about. It has a well thought out interior, with a seven-inch infotainment screen with screen mirroring, Bluetooth, and auxiliary port. Oh yes, and a reverse camera which is crystal clear! Despite the comfortable seats and faux leather, finding a decent sitting position is difficult. In addition, the multi-functional steering wheel feels good in the hands. There is ample room for both front and rear passengers, and this is one thing I have always loved about sedans, both are comfortable without feeling cramped.
Powered by a 1.4-litre engine with 69kW/132NM of torque, the Kia Pegas can be had with either a 5-speed manual transmission or a 4-speed automatic transmission. Although it drives quite smoothly for the car it is, with simple and hassle-free clutch and gear changes, you drive over 120km/h and a light illuminates on the instrument cluster, and it starts beeping, literally at 121km/h, and you cannot turn it off. A good and a bad thing depends on how irritated you are that day.
The ride is comfortable for the price point and the ride refinement is also good for what you are getting. I found that it thrived in a couple of departments, including fuel consumption, with the highest figure coming in at 5 litres per 100 kilometres during my time with it and a mix of highway and city driving.
Safety - The Kia Pegas is equipped with dual front airbags, ISOfix child-seat anchors and ABS with EBD.
Overall, the Kia Pegas is a great proposition in what is a Crossover/Compact SUV dominated industry and we forget just how great a budget sedan is.
Pricing
From R225 995
The Pegas is sold with a 5-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty (inclusive of roadside assistance), as well as a 4-year/60 000 km service plan.
