Car reviews

Introduction

The Shuma is a hatchback that comes at supermini prices. The price is well reflected within the vehicle with the poor quality interior and the noisy cabin at higher speeds. The gear changes feel sloppy which doesn’t make you feel like you are driving a well built car. What you do get though outweighs these problems as you receive plenty of space to seat all occupants comfortably. The seats are comfortable and the engines are good for every day driving and the boot is a large usable space too.

Exterior & Interior

The Shuma isn’t a bad looking five door hatchback and although the interior isn’t great, it’s not terrible either. There is enough space in the back for the rear passengers to sit comfortably and the seats are all relatively comfortable if not exactly supportive. The boot is a good size and can be increased further by folding down the split folding rear seats for any large or unwieldy items of luggage. The dash and controls are all well laid out too, it’s just a pity that they don’t feel very robust and the dash looks cheap.

The entry level L trim isn’t too bad coming with electric windows and central locking, but if you want the most from your car go for one that was fitted with the SE trim as it adds air-con, alloys, CD stereo, front fog lamps, leather upholstery and parking sensors.

Drive

The driver’s seat and steering wheel both have plenty of adjustments so it shouldn’t be hard to find a comfortable driving position. There are also clear views out the front and back and if you go for a model with parking sensors, parking becomes a doddle. Compared to the previous Shuma this one drives fairly well with both engines being good day-to-day cars. It is refined and smooth on motorways, but it’s not likely to provide you with a thrilling driving experience. There is a lot of noise in the cabin especially at higher speeds when the engine is pushed and there is way too much body roll in the corners.

Faults & Repairs

There aren’t too many problems to look out for on the Shuma, but there are a few areas you should be sure to check. The air-con is the main problem so make sure to check it works properly whilst at a stand still. When driving there have also been some reports of serious drops in power when the air-con is turned on, if you experience this just walk away as this will be hard to fix and not worth the money. The interior trim is another problem with bits and pieces falling off or breaking so make sure everything feels solid, is still there and in place.

Servicing costs shouldn’t set you back too much with it only needing a service every 10,000 miles and with Kia’s cheap hourly rates, it shouldn’t hurt the wallet too much when you do have to service it. Repairs are a different story though with the average costs coming in a lot higher than you would pay for most of its rivals.