Kia Debuts Lifestyle Vehicle Cinco at SEMA Show

LAS VEGAS, Nov. 5, 2002 -- If everybody with saltwater in their veins and a limited budget had ocean access, they'd want to drive the Cinco Swim production concept 5-door sport wagon from Kia. Designed by Kia Motors America, the Kia Cinco Swim showcases the many ways consumers can personalize the versatile Rio Cinco to meet their unique lifestyles. The Cinco Swim is one of two concept vehicles Kia Motors America unveiled today at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) annual trade show in Las Vegas.

"We recognize that increasing numbers of our customers are interested in personalizing their vehicles to suit their daily life and activities," said Peter M. Butterfield, Kia's executive vice president and chief operating officer. "So we've taken a slice of life centered around a beach theme and outfitted two popular Kia models to show what you can do with some careful aftermarket parts shopping, or what we might do at some point in the future of a product cycle to maintain the appeal of our vehicles."

The Cinco Swim is designed to be the ultimate car for the ultimate surfer. Painted in a bright Pacific Ocean Blue with a "ghosted" Kia log on the hood, the exterior of the vehicle features many subtle, yet noticeable changes, including tinted windows, a custom fabricated roof rack, modified "ripple" grille design, rear spoiler and stainless steel dual tip exhaust outlets. The vehicle comes equipped with a custom painted "short" surf board to match the contour of the roof.

The Cinco Swim is powered by a 1.6-liter DOHC 16-valve four-cylinder engine coupled with a 4-speed, electronically controlled automatic transmission and brought to quick stops at the best surf spots by 4-wheel power disc brakes. To give the vehicle a sportier stance, it has been lowered two inches to accent its plus-one 15-inch tires and polished chrome wheels.

On the inside, the Cinco Swim is decked out in "wet suit" neoprene fabric that covers the seats, head rests, door panel inserts and the cargo area. Silver, black and blue "marbleized" accents can be found on the center stack trim, the steering wheel is wrapped in color-keyed leather and drilled metal foot pedals complete the theme of personalized, sporty fun. The vehicle also houses plenty of beach gear including water tank with pump, hose and spray nozzle, air compressor, elastic cords for hanging towels and wetsuits and more.

Because music is a huge part of the surf life, the Cinco Swim comes equipped with an upgraded Delphi "Sky Fi" audio system to receive satellite radio transmissions for blow-out sounds through upgraded speakers. And to quickly locate the secret surf locations, the car is equipped with a GPS-based navigation system as well.

The Cinco Swim is based on Kia's production Rio Cinco 5-door wagon which comes from the factory with a long list of standard equipment including 60/40 split folding rear seats, cupholders, tinted glass, day/night interior rear view mirror, map light with sunglass case, two 12-volt power outlets, cargo area light and garment hooks.

Optional equipment on the production model includes power windows, automatic transmission, air conditioning and antilock brakes. In addition, Cincos are offered with an Upgrade Package that includes power steering, tilt steering wheel, body side molding, tachometer, dual vanity mirrors and dual map lights with sunglass case as well as a separate Power Package that adds power windows and door locks.

Best of all, the production Cinco has a low suggested MSRP of $10,750, so surfers looking to personalize their ride can do it without dipping too deep into their cash stash.