Ground clearance Kia Sid station wagon or clearance like for any other passenger car is an important factor on our roads. It is the condition of the road surface or its complete absence that makes Russian motorists interested in the clearance of the Kia Ceed SW and the possibility of increasing ground clearance using spacers or reinforced springs on the rear suspension.
To begin with, it's worth honestly saying that real clearance Kia Sid wagon may seriously differ from that declared by the manufacturer. The whole secret is in the method of measurement and the place of measurement of the ground clearance. Therefore, you can find out the real state of affairs only by yourself armed with a tape measure or a ruler. Official clearance of Kia Sid station wagon is 150 mm, which is not enough for a practical car for trips to the country. Moreover, the real clearance is even smaller.
Some manufacturers go for the trick and declare the size of the ground clearance in an "empty" car, but in real life we have a full trunk of all sorts of things, passengers and a driver. That is, in a loaded car, the clearance will be completely different. Another factor that few people have in mind is the age of the car and the wear and tear of the springs, their "subsidence" from old age. The issue is solved by installing new springs or buying spacers under sagging springs Kia Sid station wagon... The spacers allow you to compensate for the spring sag and add a couple of centimeters of ground clearance. Sometimes even a centimeter in the parking lot at the curb plays an important role.
But do not get carried away with the "lift" of the ground clearance of the Kia Sid station wagon, because the spacers to increase the clearance are focused only on springs. If you do not pay attention to the shock absorbers, the travel of which is often very limited, then self-modernization of the suspension can lead to loss of control and damage to the shock absorbers. In terms of cross-country ability, high ground clearance in our harsh conditions is good, but at high speeds on the track and in corners, there is a serious buildup and additional body roll.
A detailed video of the installation of spacers to increase ground clearance on the LED station wagon.
Installing reinforced springs on the Kia Ceed SW.
When designing a suspension and choosing the amount of ground clearance, any car manufacturer is looking for a middle ground between handling and cross-country ability. Perhaps the easiest, safest and most unpretentious way to increase clearance is to install wheels with “high” tires. Changing wheels makes it easy to increase the ground clearance by another centimeter. Do not forget that a serious change in ground clearance can damage the CV joints of the Kia Ceed SW. After all, "grenades" will have to work from a slightly different angle. But this only applies to the front axle. Do not forget that with a large suspension lift, you will have to change the brake hoses, because their length may not be enough for normal operation.
In Russia, the model is sold in three body configurations: a three- and five-door hatchback (Kia pro cee’d and Kia Cee’d), as well as a station wagon (Kia Cee’d sw). A wide range of motors allows you to get modifications with very different technical characteristics. The starting engine is a 1.4-liter 1368cc Kappa unit. see, delivering up to 100 hp. power and up to 134 Nm of torque. The rest of the engines represent the Gamma family almost in its entirety. It:
- 1.6 MPI with 129 hp (157 Nm) with multipoint fuel injection;
- 1.6 GDI with 135 hp (164 nm) with direct injection and a phase change system on both timing shafts. The engine pistons have special notches for better fuel injection and combustion of the mixture. The compression ratio is 11.0: 1 (the normal MPI has a ratio of 10.5: 1).
- 1.6 T-GDI is a turbocharged unit built on the basis of an atmospheric 1.6 GDI engine with the addition of twin-scroll supercharging. Unit power - 204 HP, peak torque - 265 Nm (available from 1500 rpm). The car equipped with such an engine received the GT prefix. It only relies on Kia Ceed hatchbacks.
Gearboxes available for the car: 6-speed manual transmission (for 1.4 MPI, 1.6 MPI and 1.6 T-GDI engines), 6-range automatic transmission (1.6 MPI) and 6DCT preselective "robot" (combined with 1.6 GDI 135 hp)
In Europe, the list of Kia Sid engines is longer. It includes, for example, a 1.0-liter three-cylinder turbo engine in two boost options (110 and 120 hp), as well as a 1.6 CRDi diesel with various settings. The newest seven-speed "robot" DCT is paired with a 136 hp diesel unit.
Returning to the Russian specification, let us note the dynamic characteristics of the Kia Ceed GT with a 204-horsepower turbocharged "four". Such a car accelerates to 100 km / h in just 7.6 seconds, which is facilitated by a wide torque shelf (1500-4500 rpm), a ground clearance reduced to 140 mm (150 mm clearance for conventional versions), and a clamped suspension.
In terms of fuel consumption, the "junior" 1.4 MPI engine looks most preferable, consuming about 6.2 liters per "hundred" in the combined cycle. Versions with 1.6-liter units burn just a little more - from 6.4 liters.
The most impressive luggage compartment is in the Kia Ceed sw station wagon. Behind the backs of the rear seats, it can hold up to 528 liters of cargo, behind the backs of the front seats with the rear seats folded down - up to 1642 liters.
Specifications Kia Sid hatchback 5-door
| Parameter | Kia Sid 1.4 100 hp | Kia Sid 1.6 MPI 129 HP | Kia Sid 1.6 GDI 135 HP | Kia Sid 1.6 T-GDI 204 HP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | |||||
| Engine code (series) | Kappa | G4FG (Gamma) | G4FD (Gamma) | G4FJ (Gamma) | |
| engine's type | petrol | ||||
| Injection type | distributed | direct | |||
| Pressurization | No | Yes | |||
| Number of cylinders | 4 | ||||
| Arrangement of cylinders | inline | ||||
| 4 | |||||
| Volume, cubic meters cm. | 1368 | 1591 | |||
| Diameter / piston stroke, mm | 72.0 x 84.0 | 77 x 85.4 | |||
| Power, h.p. (at rpm) | 100 (6000) | 129 (6300) | 135 (6300) | 204 (6000) | |
| 134.4 (4000) | 157 (4850) | 164.3 (4850) | 265 (1500-4500) | ||
| Transmission | |||||
| Drive unit | front | ||||
| Transmission | 6MKPP | 6MKPP | 6АКПП | 6DCT | 6MKPP |
| Suspension | |||||
| Front suspension type | independent, McPherson | ||||
| Rear suspension type | independent, multi-link | ||||
| Brake system | |||||
| Front brakes | ventilated disc | ||||
| Rear brakes | disk | ventilated disc | |||
| Steering | |||||
| Amplifier type | electric | ||||
| Tires and rims | |||||
| Tire size | |||||
| Disk size | |||||
| Fuel | |||||
| Fuel type | AI-95 | ||||
| Environmental class | — | ||||
| Tank volume, l | 53 | ||||
| Fuel consumption | |||||
| Urban cycle, l / 100 km | 8.1 | 8.6 | 9.5 | 8.5 | 9.7 |
| Country cycle, l / 100 km | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 6.1 |
| Combined cycle, l / 100 km | 6.2 | 6.4 | 6.8 | 6.4 | 7.4 |
| dimensions | |||||
| Number of seats | 5 | ||||
| Number of doors | 5 | ||||
| Length, mm | 4310 | ||||
| Width, mm | 1780 | ||||
| Height, mm | 1470 | ||||
| Wheelbase, mm | 2650 | ||||
| Front wheel track, mm | 1555 | ||||
| Rear wheel track, mm | 1563 | ||||
| Front overhang, mm | 900 | ||||
| Rear overhang, mm | 760 | ||||
| 380/1318 | |||||
| 150 | 140 | ||||
| Weight | |||||
| Curb (min / max), kg | 1179/1313 | 1189/1323 | 1223/1349 | 1227/1353 | 1284/1395 |
| Full, kg | — | ||||
| Dynamic characteristics | |||||
| Maximum speed, km / h | 183 | 195 | 192 | 195 | 230 |
| Acceleration time to 100 km / h, s | 12.7 | 10.5 | 11.5 | 10.8 | 7.6 |
Specifications Kia pro Ceed
| Parameter | Kia Sid 1.6 MPI 129 HP | Kia Sid 1.6 GDI 135 HP | Kia Sid 1.6 T-GDI 204 HP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | ||||
| Engine code (series) | G4FG (Gamma) | G4FD (Gamma) | G4FJ (Gamma) | |
| engine's type | petrol | |||
| Injection type | distributed | direct | ||
| Pressurization | No | Yes | ||
| Number of cylinders | 4 | |||
| Arrangement of cylinders | inline | |||
| Number of valves per cylinder | 4 | |||
| Volume, cubic meters cm. | 1591 | |||
| Diameter / piston stroke, mm | 77 x 85.4 | |||
| Power, h.p. (at rpm) | 129 (6300) | 135 (6300) | 204 (6000) | |
| Torque, N * m (at rpm) | 157 (4850) | 164.3 (4850) | 265 (1500-4500) | |
| Transmission | ||||
| Drive unit | front | |||
| Transmission | 6MKPP | 6АКПП | 6DCT | 6MKPP |
| Suspension | ||||
| Front suspension type | independent, McPherson | |||
| Rear suspension type | independent, multi-link | |||
| Brake system | ||||
| Front brakes | ventilated disc | |||
| Rear brakes | disk | ventilated disc | ||
| Steering | ||||
| Amplifier type | electric | |||
| Tires and rims | ||||
| Tire size | 195/65 R15 / 205/55 R16 / 225/45 R17 / 225/40 R18 | |||
| Disk size | 6.0Jx15 / 6.5Jx16 / 7.0Jx17 / 7.5Jx18 | |||
| Fuel | ||||
| Fuel type | AI-95 | |||
| Environmental class | — | |||
| Tank volume, l | 53 | |||
| Fuel consumption | ||||
| Urban cycle, l / 100 km | 8.6 | 9.5 | 8.5 | 9.7 |
| Country cycle, l / 100 km | 5.1 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 6.1 |
| Combined cycle, l / 100 km | 6.4 | 6.8 | 6.4 | 7.4 |
| dimensions | ||||
| Number of seats | 5 | |||
| Number of doors | 3 | |||
| Length, mm | 4310 | |||
| Width, mm | 1780 | |||
| Height, mm | 1430 | |||
| Wheelbase, mm | 2650 | |||
| Front wheel track, mm | 1555 | |||
| Rear wheel track, mm | 1563 | |||
| Front overhang, mm | 900 | |||
| Rear overhang, mm | 760 | |||
| Trunk volume (min / max), l | 380/1225 | |||
| Ground clearance (clearance), mm | 150 | 140 | ||
| Weight | ||||
| Curb (min / max), kg | 1181/1307 | 1215/1336 | 1220/1341 | 1284/1395 |
| Full, kg | — | |||
| Dynamic characteristics | ||||
| Maximum speed, km / h | 195 | 192 | 195 | 230 |
| Acceleration time to 100 km / h, s | 10.5 | 11.5 | 10.8 | 7.6 |
Technical characteristics of Kia Sid station wagon
| Parameter | Kia Sid 1.4 100 hp | Kia Sid 1.6 MPI 129 HP | Kia Sid 1.6 GDI 135 HP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | ||||
| Engine code (series) | Kappa | G4FG (Gamma) | G4FD (Gamma) | |
| engine's type | petrol | |||
| Injection type | distributed | direct | ||
| Pressurization | No | |||
| Number of cylinders | 4 | |||
| Arrangement of cylinders | inline | |||
| Number of valves per cylinder | 4 | |||
| Volume, cubic meters cm. | 1368 | 1591 | ||
| Diameter / piston stroke, mm | 72.0 x 84.0 | 77 x 85.4 | ||
| Power, h.p. (at rpm) | 100 (6000) | 129 (6300) | 135 (6300) | |
| Torque, N * m (at rpm) | 134.4 (4000) | 157 (4850) | 164.3 (4850) | |
| Transmission | ||||
| Drive unit | front | |||
| Transmission | 6MKPP | 6MKPP | 6АКПП | 6DCT |
| Suspension | ||||
| Front suspension type | independent, McPherson | |||
| Rear suspension type | independent, multi-link | |||
| Brake system | ||||
| Front brakes | ventilated disc | |||
| Rear brakes | disk | |||
| Steering | ||||
| Amplifier type | electric | |||
| Tires and rims | ||||
| Tire size | 195/65 R15 / 205/55 R16 / 225/45 R17 | |||
| Disk size | 6.0Jx15 / 6.5Jx16 / 7.0Jx17 | |||
| Fuel | ||||
| Fuel type | AI-95 | |||
| Environmental class | — | |||
| Tank volume, l | 53 | |||
| Fuel consumption | ||||
| Urban cycle, l / 100 km | 8.1 | 8.8 | 9.5 | 8.5 |
| Country cycle, l / 100 km | 5.1 | 5.7 | 5.2 | 5.3 |
| Combined cycle, l / 100 km | 6.2 | 6.7 | 6.8 | 6.4 |
| dimensions | ||||
| Number of seats | 5 | |||
| Number of doors | 5 | |||
| Length, mm | 4505 | |||
| Width, mm | 1780 | |||
| Height, mm | 1485 | |||
| Wheelbase, mm | 2650 | |||
| Front wheel track, mm | 1555 | |||
| Rear wheel track, mm | 1563 | |||
| Front overhang, mm | 900 | |||
| Rear overhang, mm | 955 | |||
| Trunk volume (min / max), l | 528/1642 | |||
| Ground clearance (clearance), mm | 150 | |||
| Weight | ||||
| Curb (min / max), kg | 1204/1349 | 1214/1357 | 1248/1385 | 1255/1392 |
| Full, kg | — | |||
| Dynamic characteristics | ||||
| Maximum speed, km / h | 181 | 192 | 190 | 192 |
| Acceleration time to 100 km / h, s | 13.0 | 10.8 | 11.8 | 11.1 |
There are motorists, especially beginners, who do not know what clearance is, what to do with it. It is often confused with another similar word. But this is, as they say, "from another opera." In general, why do you need it? We will try to help in this matter. Let's take a closer look, what is the clearance of the KIA Sid?
So what is ground clearance and how to measure it “correctly”? The ground clearance of a car, including that of KIA Sid, is the distance from the ground to the lower protruding part of its central part. It is also called ground clearance. This clearance does not allow the car to "belly shuffle" on the road surface. There is one trick. Determining the extreme point is difficult. There are many protruding parts on the underside of the car, making it difficult to accurately determine this distance. These are elements such as a muffler, transmission, etc. In addition, the main weight of the car falls on the front of the vehicle. This is due to the installed power unit. Considering all this, the clearance of the KIA Sid is measured in the front part.
Depending on the ground clearance, cars can be roughly divided into several categories.
- Passenger car category where the clearance is between 13 and 17 cm
- Crossovers and SUVs - here the clearance varies from 17 to 21 cm
- SUVs with a ground clearance of 21 to 42 cm
- There is also more ground clearance. But this is rather an exception to the rule than a rule. We are talking about frame jeeps "shod in non-standard shoes" (rubber).
The feature of measuring the ground clearance of the KIA Sid when the engine protection is installed
Many manufacturers now install crankcase guards to prevent damage. It can be made of plastic or metal. So it is precisely such protection that takes a few precious millimeters from the clearance of the KIA LED.
Therefore, when buying a car, you need to find out what distance the manufacturers said, and what a real gleam. Sometimes the installed protection reduces the clearance by 3-4 centimeters! You do not need to be ashamed to find out such "little things" when buying. You must understand what is the safe distance for the purchased car. This issue seems to be over. Now let's talk about the lower bumper overhang.
"Overhangs" KIA SID
Moving over obstacles, overcoming the curb, snow-covered sections of the road, we sometimes hear an unpleasant grinding sound. This is a plastic protrusion (bumper) "met an obstacle". From contact, it can simply split. This is due to the low front overhang of the machine. Places of the most common "traps" are car washes, gas stations. Although in urban conditions it can be anything! Low car stance is inherent in sports car models and "tuned" cars.
Perfect ground clearance for the car
European drivers are used to driving comfortably. Excellent smooth roads contribute to this. The road surface allows you to move by cars with a minimum ground clearance of 13 cm. The danger of getting into an "unpleasant story" for the driver is negligible. The same cannot be said about the majority of the road surface in Russia and the CIS countries !!! In our native open spaces, you can often find pits with a depth of more than 15 cm. This means that cars with increased ground clearance are needed to move along our highways. The recommended minimum ground clearance for our roads is 16 cm. Manufacturers specially adapt their vehicles to our roads in various ways. Increasing not only the power of the car, but also the suspension itself. They try to "lift" the car. Our craftsmen, in turn, are also on the alert. Find solutions (sometimes original) in order to increase the clearance of the car. Including the ground clearance of the KIA Sid.
Vehicle clearance and KIA ceed
The current ground clearance of the KIA LED is only 15 cm... This is a statement by the "officials". The installed engine crankcase protector reduces it. What to do? Crawling like a snail, crushing obstacles? Or is there another, more acceptable solution to this issue? Is it possible to increase the clearance of the KIA Sid? The answer is unequivocal - you can.
This can be done in two ways:
install discs with a larger diameter (within the limits allowed by the manufacturer)
increase ground clearance due to additional spacers
These methods can be used both separately and in combination.
However, having increased the ground clearance of the KIA ceed by changing the size of the rims, let's think for a moment what we gain and what we lose. It is clear that the increase in the vehicle's clearance, in terms of cross-country ability, is a positive moment. But at the same time, we will face difficulties when passing sharp turns at high speed. Changes in vehicle handling when driving at high speed are also possible. As for the second option for increasing the ground clearance on the KIA Sid car, we will tell you in more detail about this in another article. Let's consider how you can carry out such work yourself. What is the order of such work.
Almost no one doubts that the Kia Sid, produced by a Korean company especially for the European consumer, is a wonderful car. Excellent appearance, increased comfort, powerful and, there is everything here to please the European and domestic car enthusiasts. But, given the quality of our roads, a potential domestic buyer is confused by the low Kia Sid ground clearance, which is 150 mm, and in fact, in the area of the lower plane of the beam - 140 mm.
That is why curbs, bumps, home-made "speed bumps" that amaze the imagination of Europeans, problems with a full load of a car can be a serious problem for its owner, and this is not to mention trips to nature. Although, of course, by the manufacturer itself, Kia Sid is positioned as a city car, the element of which is asphalt.
But what does such a low seating position of the car give, and what can its owner lose if he tries to "raise" it with the help of skilled craftsmen, who have never been lacking in our people? This is, above all, excellent handling and road stability, one of the best in its class. The dynamics of the car, balance, comfort (due to low noise) and safety (after all, it was calculated by the engineers of the Korean company). In this case, the ground clearance can decrease with loading, settling of springs and even abrasion of the wheel tread.
How can you fight this phenomenon so as not to disturb the suspension settings and at the same time increase at least a little Kia Sid ground clearance? The simplest solution is to replace the tires with a higher profile, then you will definitely increase the ground clearance, and strict monitoring of the pressure in them will help keep it at the same level. It is desirable to maintain a constant pressure of 2.2 atmospheres, although this value can vary depending on the preference of the owner and the type of tire. This can add about 18mm of ground clearance without altering the suspension settings at all, and therefore not compromising its performance. On many cars, owners balance the suspension by installing polyurethane cushions on each spring. They increase the clearance by an average of 5 mm by stabilizing and reducing swing, for example, "dive" when braking, so they help to maintain the integrity of the bottom. Why not use this technology on the Kia Sid, especially since there are such pillows on the market? Installing a special strut should make the suspension more balanced. And, of course, it is better not to overload the car, artificially reducing the ergonomics of its suspension.
These few simple steps will surely bring the characteristics of the Kia Sid closer to other brands of cars, getting pleasure from driving without thinking about the problems associated with low ground clearance.
A lot of money is spent annually on the repair of Russian roads, but this does not change the overall situation. If in cities they try to regularly repair the road surface, then it is worth leaving the city not on the federal highway, as the asphalt suddenly ends. It is because of this that the value of ground clearance is one of the priority factors when buying a car for motorists living outside the city.
And how to decide whether, for example, the ground clearance of the Kia Sid station wagon is suitable for the conditions of your place of residence? To begin with, it is worth deciding what exactly is meant by this value.
What is meant by clearance
It is generally accepted that ground clearance is the distance from the ground to the lowest point in the vehicle. It is not difficult to give a definition, but it is another matter to find this point. Anyone who has ever seen a car from below can imagine how many parts there are that could easily be mistaken for this point. Since the car usually moves forward most of the time, the front bumper is the first to suffer. Therefore, when choosing a car, it is necessary to measure the distance between it and the ground first. The ground clearance of the Kia Sid station wagon, according to the technical documentation, is 150 mm... The amount of ground clearance from the front bumper to the road surface and class membership looks something like this.
As you can see, our Kia cee'd SW fits perfectly into the station wagon category.
But this distance is not the minimum ground clearance set by the manufacturer for this vehicle. Often a kind of protection in the form of a plastic skirt is placed on the bumper. Its purpose is to signal with a bang about a collision with an obstacle that is too high, and also to protect the bumper from damage. Many people get rid of it in order to increase the clearance between the bumper and the road, but in case of damage, they will have to change the front bumper. This is a more expensive procedure than replacing the protective skirt.
Moving further, we notice that the distance from the front suspension to the ground is even less. Can this be considered a ground clearance? It is possible, but the total area of possible contact is small and therefore is not taken into account. The distance to the oil pan will be even smaller in value, and knowledge of this value will be very important for overcoming obstacles. The amount of ground clearance from the oil pan to the road surface and the same belonging to the auto category will be as follows.
As a standard, the manufacturer installs plastic protection, but it does not work for long on Russian roads. Therefore, it is worth spending a little time and replacing the plastic with metal, which will more reliably protect the oil pan from possible penetration. These three points are located, as a rule, in the front of the car, but having passed an obstacle with it, you still need to be careful, since the likelihood of catching it with elements of the exhaust system is no less than the oil pan. Only by leaving the obstacle behind the stern of the car, you can be sure that everything worked out.
Experienced drivers advise beginners to study all the parts protruding under the car in order to know exactly how to properly drive through an obstacle on the road.
Is it possible to increase the ground clearance?
There are at least two options for how to do this.
- The first is to increase the dimension of the wheels. Installation of wheels with a large disc radius, of course, increases the clearance value, but such an operation can damage the speed sensor and will affect the speedometer indicator.
- The second is the replacement of shock absorbers and springs in the suspension. The ground clearance will increase, but the center of gravity will change, which will lead to a decrease in vehicle stability when cornering and making sharp turns.
Based on the above, we conclude that it is worth increasing the vehicle's clearance only because of the need for frequent trips on a difficult road, and not because of the whim of the owner. At the same time, we will take into account that you will have to move at a slower speed in order to comply with your own safety.
