Who would have thought that Kia would be where it is now? Kia is a relatively recent addition to the car manufacturer world and has done a superb job of achieving excellence in such a brief time period. Kia is now the fastest growing car company in the world and has the resources of Hyundai behind them to keep them moving forward. Engineering excellence and build quality are as good as they get. Kia have now well and truly moved forward into the executive luxury car market with the new Kia Magentis, taking on established marques like that of the Accord, Camry, Mazda6 and Chrysler Sebring.

Let’s hop inside the Kia Magentis. The base model still offers a top level of niceties. Air conditioning, plush cloth seats, a 180 W six-speaker stereo that is MP3 compatible, power windows with a driver’s auto up/down feature, cruise control, central locking with a remote and an alarm, audio controls on the steering wheel and six airbags all come as standard in the Kia Magentis. The Kia Magentis also has standard active front head restraints which help prevent whiplash in the event of a collision. Also standard is a useful tyre pressure monitoring system. The already impressive specs can be added to, and for a few extra thousand dollars, you could have what the luxury models boast: climate control with an air quality control system for added comfort, fog lights, telescopic steering with tilt adjustment, sunroof, trip computer, leather seats (driver’s 8-way adjustable), leather steering wheel and gear knob, chrome interior trim accents and a very smart black grille with a chrome surround housing the Kia badge.

But what’s the Kia Magentis like to drive? Ride comfort is excellent and can be enjoyed with some very comfortable seats that support the back well. Leg room is ample in the rera and headroom is superb; an armrest in the rear adds to the feeling of luxury. The suspension is taut for enthusiastic driving and yet compliant enough to soak road bumps commendably well. The Kia Magentis offers crisp handling and good levels of road holding, whatever the demanding driver requests of the chassis’s well-engineered credentials. Shod with either 16″ or 17″ alloys (luxury models of Kia Magentis) the grip is surefooted. Active safety items like ESP and ABS ensure you maintain control of the swift progress.

The powerplants on offer are the 2.4 litre 4 cylinder motor available in the Kia Magentis 2.4LEx and 2.4LEx Luxury models. Power in the four-cylinder motor is adequate and willing. The maximum power output is 119 kW at 5800 rpm and the engine torque has a useful 221 Nm at 4250 rpm. Step up to the 2.7 litre Ex Luxury model and underneath the sleek Kia Magentis bonnet line sits a powerful V6 DOHC CVVT powerplant with 138 kW of power at 6000 rpm on offer. A much gruntier torque figure of 247 Nm at 4000 rpm is at one’s right foot and can be sourced readily via the flexible engine and the smooth five-speed tiptronic auto that is very slick. Both motors are smooth and deliver excellent fuel economy figures. The 2.4 litre Kia Magentis consumes 8.1 l/100 km (5 speed manual) or 8.6 l/100 km (auto), which is very competitive. The 2.7 litre motor consumes 9.3 l/100 km on average and again is comparable with other car marques.

The Kia Magentis is a uniquely designed modern car that is stylish and classy. Its distinct proportions are well balanced and offer a strong on-road presence. The sleek lines are accentuated by the sweeping C-pillar and are complemented by the upright nose and chunkier hind quarters. Enjoy the pleasure of standing out from the crowd in the stunning new Kia Magentis and make driving a pleasurable experience.

Current model series include:

• Kia Magentis EX 2.4
• Kia Magentis EX Luxury 2.4
• Kia Magentis EX Luxury 2.7

For anymore information on the Kia Magentis, or for that matter any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181. If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quotes requests out to our national network of Kia dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours. Private Fleet – car buying made easy!

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