This is a Kia Capital SLX, seen in the far northeast of Beijing in May 2016. The old Kia sedan was in reasonable shape for its years, painted in white with Daewoo-branded wheel covers and early blue Beijing 京A license plates.
The Kia Capital
The Kia Capital was a mid-size sedan, manufactured from 1989 to 1996, with updates in 1990, 1992, and 1994. The car in the photos is a post-second-facelift Kia Capital SLX, made from 1991 to 1994.
The Capital was a slightly shorter and budget-oriented variant of the Kia Concord sedan. However, unlike what is often reported, the Capital did not have a shorter wheelbase. Let’s compare:
- Kia Concord: 4570/1705/1405, 2520.
- Kia Capital: 4480/1705/1405. 2520.
Shorter bumpers caused the 90 mm difference. The body itself was the same size. Both the Kia Concord and the Kia Capital were based on the third-generation Mazda Capalla. At the time, many Korean cars were either rebadged Japanese cars or shared their platform with Japanese models.
The metal license plate frames were a popular accessory in China in the 2000s.
The Daewoo wheel covers look quite nice on the Kia Capital.
The interior
The cabin looked a little worn out. There are two sets of seat covers on the seats. Well, why replace them when you can just put another one on top? Perhaps there’s a third cover underneath…
The thick steering wheel cover was a popular extra as well, especially in the winter. The winters in northern China were still cold then, regularly hitting -20 degrees Celsius, even during the day. Cars didn’t have heated steering wheels, so a thick cover was the best way to keep your hands warm.
It seems the bench hasn’t seen much use; the top cover looks almost as-new. Note the blue bag with the 欧司朗 characters. That’s the Chinese name of Osram, a major German company that makes electric lights, mainly for the automotive industry.
Specifications of the Kia Capital
The 1991-1994 Kia Capital SLX had a new 1.5-liter DOHC 16-valve gasoline engine under the hood, with an output of 114 hp and 152 Nm. Kia mated the motor to a five-speed manual gearbox, sending horsepower to the front wheels. The top speed was 175 km/h. The exhaust pipe tips look like a cheap aftermarket extra, but they are original, just a bit messed up.
Other interesting details
Kia used this logo from 1986 until 1993. It shows the word ‘Kia’, topped by a flag with three flowing curves. At the time, Kia said the flag “represented Kia’s aspiration to grow into a global automotive powerhouse.” Well, the company sure did achieve its goal!
Another popular extra in China in the early 2000s. This Kia has it all! These are bullet-belt-style bumper protectors, with some of the bullets missing. It seems the protector has seen quite a few bumps already.
Blue 京A license plates are not the same as black 京A license plates. In the early 1990s, the Beijing government issued blue 京A plates to the first batches of privately registered cars, as opposed to cars registered to companies or the government.
Kia did not sell the Concord and the Capital in China, but some cars arrived via the gray market and diplomatic channels. Some were even smuggled, especially in Shandong Province, which is geographically near South Korea. But no matter how it came here, it sure is rare. In all my years of car spotting in China, I have only seen two.