Kia K2900 CRDi 2008 Review

What we liked
>> Long, low cargo area
>> Quiet, strong diesel
>> Price and equipment

Not so much
>> Almost unacceptable levels of safety
>> Poor traction on loose surfaces
>> Squeezy for three

Overall rating: 2.5/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 3.5/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 3.0/5.0
Safety: 1.5/5.0
Behind the wheel: 3.5/5.0
X-factor: 2.0/5.0

About our ratings

Kia has been the leader in this segment since it launched the K2700 in October 2002. By combining a cabin that looks like a super-sized front section of a light delivery van with a tray that is 3.1m long on a full chassis, Kia has consistently delivered the bestseller in the 2.5-3.5 Tonne light truck range for 2002-07. Over 50 per cent of the 4229 units delivered in that period were fitted with the factory dropside tray.

A prime attraction of this class is that it provides a similar load area to a mainstream small truck without the weight capacity and therefore sidesteps typical heavy vehicle driver license requirements.

Low running costs are also a benefit of the minimalist Kia approach although it comes at the cost of crash safety.

The main drawbacks of the previous K2700 included a feeble 55kW diesel that often struggled. Now, although the appearance of the new K2900 CRDi has not changed, what it achieves with its new diesel engine is dramatically upgraded and will place the K2900 CRDi on a new set of shopping lists. Fuel economy is also improved.

Kia hopes to make new inroads into applications such as mobile homes, removals, mobile catering, light furniture, food deliveries, landscaping and building trades, in addition to its established market for roadside and local maintenance crews.

Where the previous cab-chassis version offered a 1259kg payload, the new one jumps to 1740kg -- a 38 per cent boost. The factory steel tray's capacity leaps from 1000 to 1481kg -- a 48 per cent boost. Towing capacity is 1400kg.

Kia's new light truck can now offer a serious 1.5 tonne alternative to a one-tonne light truck at one-tonne prices and opens up a wide new range of cab-chassis applications. Where the previous model didn't meet current Euro-III emission requirements hence Kia's reliance on 2006 stocks, the K2900 leapfrogs these requirements and goes straight to the Euro-IV standard applicable locally from July this year.

Add in the new levels of grunt with the efficient new 2.9-litre diesel and three-seater capacity across the range and the $28,990 entry price starts to look particularly attractive even against the $24,990 figure of the previous model.

The new model also marks a clear demarcation between the local Hyundai and Kia ranges where van models now wear the Hyundai badge while Kia covers the truck range.

It is a timely upgrade when these new Euro standards are generating an invasion of several formidable European alternatives based on the larger light commercials and vans that have become so popular in Europe and now gaining traction in the Australian market.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
The base K2900 CRDi cab-chassis starts at $28,990 while the factory steel tray with drop sides adds $1500 for an all-up price of $30,490. An aluminium tray model which increases payload over the steel version is available for $30,790.

The factory steel tray is particularly well-engineered with plenty of tie-down hooks, strong ribbed tray, rubber-capped sides and easily-operated drop down catches. The tail lights are also large, with clearly separated functions which are of particular benefit when this category of truck is often operating in crowded and potentially hazardous traffic environments.

Kia's "Enjoy your work" philosophy has led to further enhancements in the cabin, already popular with workers whose working day is spent behind the wheel. The K2900 comes with standard air-conditioning, single CD-AM/FM sound system, cloth trim, remote central locking, electric front windows, twin grab handles, tilt-adjustable steering column and recline function for the driver's seat. A drop-down centre seat doubles as a lipped storage tray with twin cupholders when not required.

Colour choice is limited to Clear White or Marine Blue.

Improved fully-transferable warranty coverage extends to five years or 130,000km providing service requirements are met, which is now much easier when service intervals have been extended to 12 months/15,000km.

PACKAGING
The most popular version of the K2700 came with a factory steel tray. This tradition is continued in the K2900 CRDi with a load area that is 3110mm long and 1630mm wide.

Dual 12-inch rear wheels result in a relatively low 761mm load height, with drop panels side and rear for back-friendly manual loading and unloading.

The cabover engine bay design allows most of the load to be positioned within the K2900's 2615mm wheelbase and compact 5120mm length. The turning circle is a tiny 10.04m -- about the same as the best small cars.

Upfront it is similar to the old style snub-nosed delivery vans except for a neat front panel between the headlights that swings up to reveal all major fluid checkpoints and air filter. Because the engine lies under the centre seat, the driving position is the equivalent to sitting on the bonnet of a typical one-tonne LCV with feet resting on the front bumper ahead of all the hard bits. While the loss of an extended bonnet generates the extra load length, there are implications for safety and ride.

Operators with low underground car parks have welcomed the continuation of the K2900's low-profile cab design introduced by the previous model. On this basis alone, it will be the default choice for some.

To keep the turning circle so tight with such a long load length, cabin width is limited to 1740mm, about the same as a small car hence elbow room for three is not much better than the rear seat of a small to medium car.

After the centre seat back is folded down to become a centre tray with cupholders, comfort levels for two are surprisingly good, however. Instruments are exceptionally clear and the general dash and control layout is better than some passenger cars.

Most cabin surfaces while hard, are attractive. Oddment storage is reasonable given that the centre floor area has to be kept clear of centre storage compartments for legroom.

Power windows are a welcome comfort feature when they clear the door of window winders for optimum armrest placement ready to support the driver's right arm at the correct steering wheel position. The tilt-adjustable column contributes to this all-day comfort.

The seats have more padding in the right places than usual for this type of vehicle. Because they are not jammed against the rear window, there is useful storage behind the seats.

The main drawback in the cabin design is the in-between cabin height that is too low to 'climb' yet too high to slide into. Entry or exit will always be slightly awkward when it really requires a half leap and half turn while pivoting on the grab handle to enter either side in one motion. Wear on the front mats from those who climb in could be severe.

Prospective buyers with leg or back problems who need to jump in and out all day may need to assess this aspect more carefully.

MECHANICAL
The big news is the new commercial version of the Kia J3 four-cylinder diesel. In this application, capacity is boosted to 2902cc. While it retains twin overhead camshafts, Delphi's common-rail direct-injection and an intercooler, it does without the variable geometry turbocharger fitted to passenger vehicle versions.

Kia claims it doesn't need fancy blowers when the new engine's 92kW (at 3800rpm) power figure is a massive 59 per cent increase over the previous model.

Peak torque is now 245Nm at 2000rpm -- a 49 per cent boost. More importantly for a light truck, 90 per cent of this torque is available from 1550-3200rpm.

The extra torque and efficiency in combination with its standard five-speed manual transmission cuts fuel consumption by six per cent for an average 10.2L/100km. This delivers a range of up to 637km from the 65 litre tank.

The engine is also much quieter and CO2 emissions are cut by almost five per cent.

The front independent suspension is closer to typical one-tonner practice than a purpose-built truck with double wishbones, torsion bars and anti-roll bar at the front. The huge ventilated front disc brakes (356mm) with tandem brake boosters and larger 15-inch front wheels are new. These provide some compensation for the rear drum brakes limited by the tiny 12-inch rear wheel size.

The live rear axle features hefty multi-leaved rear springs. Gas dampers are fitted all round.

SAFETY
After the NRMA assessed the previous model as the best tray top or ute in class for safe reversing, Kia has ensured that this capability continues unchanged. That is about the best that can be said for the K2900 on the safety front.

It only takes a quick peek under the large plastic front fascia to realise there isn't much to separate a frontal collision from the occupants' legs. All the major mechanical components are behind or under the seats.

It is in this area that Kia takes a very different approach to its European rivals which place the occupants behind the front wheels and mechanicals with passenger car levels of crash safety -- at a price.

Although the K2900 features powerful ventilated front disc brakes with tandem assistance, neither ABS nor airbags are available at a time when both features have become the bottom line for its European rivals. A lap-only seatbelt is supplied for the centre seating position.

COMPETITORS
There are many alternatives that will perform the same function but not at the Kia price. Most are also more powerful.

More safety-conscious buyers would need to consider various European rivals especially if rear-drive, high cruising speeds and extra long distance ability are all priorities.

Even though the Ford Transit is closest in price, allow at least another $8000 as a starting point for the base cab-chassis.

Volkswagen offers a huge range of Crafter cab-chassis models that start at $40,600 and a dual-cab chassis version of the smaller front-drive Transporter. Mercedes-Benz has the Sprinter range to cover its light to medium duty cab-chassis applications.

Iveco has a range of Daily light commercials that also start in the $40,000 range. Fiat offers a competitive Ducato cab-chassis in the same price range as the other Europeans.

Mitsubishi lists a small version of the Canter starting in the mid-$40,000 range while the Toyota Dyna remains the longterm, almost traditional, choice in this forward-control light truck market but the low chassis model also starts from $40,600.

ON THE ROAD
There was little point to Kia inviting the media to drive their new truck around the block so the Carsales Network, several of whom are keen cyclists, devised a role for the new truck that encompassed at least three of Kia's intended functions for the new vehicle. Because it was almost an exact repeat of last year's Ford Ranger Dual Cab test, it also presented the opportunity to look at the relative merits of the two vehicle types which are priced within $1000 of each other.

Hence, the new K2900 CRDi was thrown into the role of signage vehicle, breakdown and recovery, food and water distribution then signage removal over a non-stop 12-hour shift for one of Melbourne's most popular leisure cycling rides in the Hanging Rock area. Because the extended cycling route was 110km, the Kia covered over 420km during the course of the day with extended cruising, long periods of idling, full cab with luggage, empty cab with driver-only, heavily laden and unladen. In other words, it was pretty well much an average day for the many roadside signage crews who use these vehicles.

When the volunteer signage crew was unavoidably reduced from three to two, the Kia's sharp turning circle and easy load access proved to be the difference between getting the signage erected before the start of the event and not. For applications where quick loading and unloading in tight or hazardous locations is critical, the K2900 is outstanding.

In this case, dozens of star pickets and heavy slide hammers had to be accessed quickly on the roadside while exploiting the Kia's large hazard flashers and its ability to turn on a 20 cent piece and deliver its load right up to the exact location. In fact, this shaved an hour from the same task last year which utilised a three-man crew in the Ford Ranger Dual Cab.

The huge turning circles of most Japanese one-tonners and increasingly high sides of their factory load trays reduce efficiency by at least 30 per cent in this sort of application. In the time it took last year's Ranger driver to steer and position the vehicle alongside a signage location, the Kia driver could be out of the vehicle and have the sign erected.

The outstanding vision and dual section mirrors were a big factor here as well. It graphically highlighted why the Kia is enjoying such success in this segment.

In its second role as breakdown and recovery vehicle, its two passenger capacity and ease and speed with which expensive bicycles could be removed from the roadside and safely secured on the tray added an extra dimension of safety to the event. Even with three hefty cyclists onboard (including the driver), the K2900CRDi made several tolerable if not totally comfortable 50km trips back to base.

Passengers did note that riding in the cab was not unlike sitting on top of a pogo stick as you would expect over choppy rural roads, yet were complimentary on the overall smoothness and lack of harshness over broken surfaces. Initial ride impact harshness is better than most modern passenger cars and is closer to what you would expect from a Commodore or Falcon ute.

The new diesel is also refreshingly quiet and just gets on with the job with a strong pull from low revs even when heavily laden with steel pickets.

With two occupants only, the drop down centre console with drinkholders is a real bonus although it makes access to the handbrake and gear lever tighter than ideal for someone with a big hand. Gear lever operation for the quiet RT-10 five speed manual is much better than expected.

A dual-cab K2900 CRDi would still leave a longer load area than most at the price. Such a model would therefore be a useful addition to the range and is currently on Kia's wishlist for Australia.

In its third role as a mobile food and water distribution point in the more isolated sections of the ride, the Kia also excelled. Its dropsied tray allowed riders to move quickly around the vehicle, pick what they needed and move on. For small primary producers and market stall holders, the long tray with its low height and drop sides could prove ideal as a mobile 'showcase' for stock.

There is one proviso. Do not head into steep locations where access is by loose surface only without planning on how you intend to get out. Even when laden, traction on loose surfaces with the tiny rear wheels is minimal. If the cab is pointing in the wrong direction on a slope, you won't be going anywhere when the rear wheels will just dig holes.

For the same reason, it is also just as well that the front brakes have been set up to do most of the work.

The test began and ended with freeway running which highlighted the Kia's other main shortfalls. At 100km/h the engine is turning over at around 2800rpm and while this is not excessive, it is at a point where a diesel can start to work and use fuel.

In this case, it seemed that the extra frontal area of the tall cabin forced the K2900 CRDi to work harder than a vehicle with a conventional bonneted cab. Although it didn't seem to blunt performance as it did on the previous model, there is the reality that over constant high-speed running, fuel consumption might be as much as 1.5L/100km higher than a typical turbodiesel one-tonner.

Over short haul, urban use where wind resistance is not a factor, fuel economy should be as good if not better than most one-tonners. Our overall figure for the day was just over 11L/100km.

The other shortfall which is not so easily addressed is the ongoing awareness of how perilously close to any action the Kia "tadpole" (as several described it) will place its occupants in a collision. It reminded this writer of an incident involving a similar-looking Toyota HiAce van I owned 30 years ago. While sitting in a parking spot reading the paper, I suddenly noticed the shape of a tow bar forming near my left foot after the driver in front backed into me without warning.

Just parking the K2900 next to the new Hyundai iLoad vans from the same company will immediately highlight the generational differences in crash safety.

The reality is that Kia shaves a metre or so off the K2900's length and up to $10,000 off the price by placing crash safety down the priority list. It delivers a more agile and frugal vehicle in the process, but in combination with the bouncy highway ride and poor loose surface traction, such basic safety levels could be an added compromise for some corporate or mobile home buyers.

It simply highlights how the K2900 functions at its best in short haul, sealed-road urban situations within a fairly tight set of parameters.

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