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By
EWAN KENNEDY
25 December 2006
Kia Magentis is yet another new contender in the medium-to-large car
market in Australia. And in a very Korean way, the company has gone
straight for the hip pocket in its marketing strategy. Pricing it from
just $25,990 means Magentis is sure to attract the attention of the
buyers searching for something big and comfortable for not a lot of
cash.
Kia Motors Australia (KMAu) hasn’t stripped the car down to
arrive at its low price, in particular it concentrates hard on
providing safety. Australian imports come not only with electronic
stability program (ESP) to assist the driver in avoiding a crash,
but also front, side and curtain airbags to give the occupants a
better chance of surviving should the worst scenario occur.
Styling is pleasant enough in a conservative sort of manner –
and many like it that way. There's an interesting combination of
Korean and European lines in its shape and it’s the sort of car
that will offend no-one.
There's good interior space for four adults without those in
the front having to move their seats too far forward. Two adults
and three children will have room to stretch out in real comfort.
The Magentis shares some out-of-sight components with the
Hyundai Sonata, that apparently odd situation having arisen
because Kia is controlled by Hyundai these days. But Kia says the
differences between the two are so significant that the Magentis
deserves to be regarded as a completely different model.
The biggest change between Magentis and Sonata is the use of a
smaller 2.7-litre V6 engine in Magentis compared with the 3.3 V6
in its big brother. There are also major differences in the front
suspension system although this latter feature isn’t really all
that obvious from inside the car.
The Magentis' suspension is on the soft side and the steering
doesn’t offer a lot of feel for what is happening at the front
wheels. Driven hard, a Kia Magentis tends to understeer rather too
soon for the tastes of keen drivers, but it’s all very safe and
stable as the suspension, assisted by ESP, sorts things out should
you approach extremes while driving.
Not all drivers want to push their cars hard and fast and the
Magentis certainly provides a smooth, quiet ride that will appeal
to the great majority of sensible buyers of cars. Its biggest
fault is that it becomes relatively noisy on coarse-chip bitumen
surfaces, but is hardly alone among imported cars in this regard.
Boot space is large and is relatively easy to load, though the
opening is compromised by the rearward placement of the back
window. This is quite common in today’s sedans so is hardly a
real blemish in the Kia.
Kia Magentis is unusual in this class in offering a choice
between four and six-cylinder engines. The four displaces 2.4
litres, so isn’t a lot smaller than the aforementioned
2.7-litre. Our test car was a six-cylinder, but we have also had
an introductory drive in the four.
As the V6 is relatively small, its fuel consumption depends a
fair bit on the way it’s driven. On motorways and fairly level
country roads the Magentis should have no trouble in keeping its
consumption down to as low as eight to nine litres per hundred
kilometres.
Drive normally in the suburbs and the consumption will rise to
about 10 to 11 litres per hundred, but push it hard around town
and fuel usage could soon be on the wrong side of 12 litres.
Magentis' official fuel consumption is listed as only 8.1
litres per hundred in five-speed manual format. That rises by just
half a litre per hundred when the five-speed auto is selected. The
automatic transmission is a real bargain at just $1500.
There's also a luxury version of the four-cylinder Magentis
with leather trim, climate-controlled air conditioning in place of
a standard system, an eight-way powered driver’s seat
complemented by four-way adjustment of the steering column instead
of two-way. As well as Michelin tyres and front foglights.
The Magentis V6 comes with all of the features of the luxury
2.4 but only with automatic transmission. It is priced at $31,490.
These days Kia in Australia is controlled directly by its head
office in Korea, the locally-based importer having relinquished
the marque early in 2006. It’s still too early to say what
effect this will have on resale values, which were nothing special
in the older series cars, but logically Kias should improve their
standing in buyers’ minds as the new range, spearheaded by
Magentis, hits the road.
Is Magentis seriously worth considering? Certainly, it is on
the conservative side in some ways but is competent enough on the
road and the safety and value for money are extraordinarily good.
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
EX 2.4-litre four-door sedan - $25,990
EX Luxury 2.4-litre four-door sedan - $29,490
EX Luxury 2.7-litre four-door sedan - $31,490
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Standard on all models
Air Conditioning: Standard on all models
Automatic Transmission: $1500 option on EX, standard on EX Luxury
CD Player: Standard on all models
Central Locking: Standard on all models
Cruise Control: Standard on all models
Driver Airbag: Standard on all models
Passenger Airbag: Standard on all models
Front Side Airbags: Standard on all models
SPECIFICATIONS (Kia Magentis EX 2.4-litre four-door sedan)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 2.398 litres
Configuration: Four cylinders in line
Head Design: DOHC CVVT
Compression Ratio: 10.5:1
Bore/Stroke: 88.0 x 97.0mm
Maximum Power: 119kW @ 5800rpm
Maximum Torque: 221Nm @ 4250rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: Front
Manual Transmission: Five-speed
Automatic Transmission: Five-speed
Final Drive Ratio: NA
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4735mm
Wheelbase: 2720mm
Width: 1805mm
Height: 1480mm
Turning Circle: 10.8 metres
Kerb Mass: 1426kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 62 litres
Towing Ability: 650kg (1700kg with braked trailer)
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: MacPherson struts
Rear Suspension: Multi-link
Front Brakes: Ventilated Disc
Rear Brakes: Disc
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: NA
Standing 400 Metres: NA
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Fuel Type: Petrol 91RON
Fuel Consumption - Combined Cycle (ADR 81/01): 8.1 L/100km
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Five years / 130,000km
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
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