Kia Credos

The Kia Credos in South Korea and Australia (known as Kia Clarus in Europe) was Kia's first mass production large family sedan, and was based around the running gear of the pre-1997 Mazda 626, which went on sale in Korea in 1995, and in Australia in 1998.

It was powered by one of two Mazda sourced petrol engines with 1.8 and 2.0 litres, which proved to be unremarkable in performance but excellent for reliability. A diesel-powered alternative was not available. The car's interior was dull but spacious and comfortable, as well as the boot being massive. The asking price for the basic 1.8 SX was £11,000 - around £4,000 less than the equivalent Ford Mondeo.

Celebrated Mail on Sunday motoring journalist Russell Bray owns two Kia Clarus models. One is kept in pristine condition and has covered just 63 miles, the other he drives every day and has racked-up 183,000-miles. He famously documented this in his 1998 series of features: Clarity in a Clarus.

The Kia Clarus was replaced by the Optima in 2000.

References

Read More