Kia Magentis Range : MAGENTIC ATTRACTION

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Kias Magentis is back once again, trying to convince us that big South Korean saloons are a good idea. Andy Enright reports

While many car buyers will consider a small Korean car, theres something about larger ones that puts them off. Maybe its the lack of sophistication or the thought that a big car with a low-rent badge is an indicator that its driver is trying a little too hard but sales of larger Korean models have been slow. This is an undoubted fact but rewind twenty years, replace the word Korean with the word Japanese and youll probably agree that Korean cars are bound to shake off their urban runabout image through relentless product development. Cars like Kias latest Magentis give us a valuable insight into how far along that road theyve come.

First impressions are promising. The styling of the old Magentis was always something of an acquired taste. It was almost as if the Koreans had decided that lots of chrome equated to a dignified and upmarket presence and didnt hold back. The latest car is far more restrained and mature in its design philosophy.

Some would say its less conspicuous but thats not always a bad thing. Created by Kia design teams in Korea, Germany and the USA, the Magentis must cater to the tastes of all three markets, so something a little less gaudy was always on the menu. Although it looks more compact than its rather presidential predecessor, the tape measure doesnt lie and the current car is actually a few millimetres longer, significantly taller by 70mm and a tad wider. More importantly, it adopts more modern packaging practices which put a wheel at each corner, freeing up wheelbase and offering more rear passenger legroom and a bigger boot as well.

The 420 litres of space back there for your bags make it a better load lugger than a Jaguar S-TYPE. The engine of most interest to UK buyers is a 2.0-litre 140bhp CRDi diesel unit which features a variable geometry turbocharger to plump up torque at low revs and a diesel particulate filter, helping the Magentis comply with Euro4 emissions regulations. With 305Nm of torque to call upon, its not going to run out of breath attempting an overtaking manoeuvre too often.

Two petrol engines are also offered, starting with a 144bhp 2.0-litre Theta unit and topping out with a 187bhp 2.7-litre Mu V6 with VIS (variable intake system).

"The latest Magentis could well change your view of Korean cars"

Prices start at £14,545 and of course, the car is very well equipped. All versions have air conditioning, an MP3-compatible radio/CD player, driver's seat height adjustment and a tilt-adjust steering column, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, powered and heated door mirrors, four electric windows and remote central locking. Plusher LS models have in addition automatic lights, a trip computer, telescopic steering wheel adjustment, full climate control with an air quality monitoring system, 8-way powered drivers seat and heated front seats and stability and traction control with emergency brake assist. Riding on the companys new MG platform, the Magentis uses MacPherson strut front suspension and a multi-link independent rear setup. Unusually in this class, all of the Magentis engines will be offered with an automatic gearbox option.

The 2.0-litre petrol and diesel powerplants can be specified with a four-speed auto while the 2.7-litre is mated as standard to a five-speed self-shifter that features Kias Sport Mode if you want to take over proceedings and change gears up and down sequentially yourself. The auto box is an optional extra on the two-litre models however, and in basic showroom trim, the petrol car comes equipped with a five-speed manual while the diesel gets a six-speed box.

The Magentis offers plenty of car for the money: but then Kias have always done that. The question is whether this one really will be able to make a dent in the mainstream market here in the UK. It will certainly have its work cut out against the usual suspects such as the Ford Mondeo and Vauxhall Vectra models though if you want one of those with similar specification, be prepared to pay £2,000-£3,000 more for it. Even so, it is perhaps fairer to compare this car with something a little less European and more in line with the Magentis value proposition.

Hyundais Sonata for instance. Kia have worked at a certain amount of tailoring to each major market. Instead of the grey and beige two-tone interior that has tested so well in Asian and American markets, the rather more style-conscious Europeans get either all black or grey and black seat and trim combinations with longer cushions and larger side bolsters to cater for our higher average cornering speeds. Kia have also spent a lot of time tuning the suspension for each markets separate requirements.

Magentis sales projections look pretty modest given that a Focus can comfortably notch up over 20,000 sales in a decent month, but perhaps its best to get some sort of perspective here. After Hyundai rescued the company from bankruptcy in 1998, its total UK car sales stood at around 2,000 for that year. With 10,000 Magentis sales expected this year in Europe and a good proportion of those earmarked for the UK, this is a car that must pull its own weight instead of allowing smaller models like the Focus-sized Rio, the Picanto citycar and the Cerato family car to keep this momentum going. So judged against the total number of units that Kia is looking to sell, the importance of the Magentis to the British importers becomes evident.

Although the Magentis is never going to be the breakthrough model that suddenly elevates Korean cars to a position of equality with the major European marques, it is definitely chipping away at the gap in class and sophistication. Alongside the Hyundai Sonata, its the first generation of big Korean cars that need no pre-arranged excuses.

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Kia Magentis range
PRICES: £14,545-£17,545 on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 13-15
CO2 EMISSIONS: 162-220g/km
PERFORMANCE: [2.0 petrol] 0-60mph 10.2s / Max Speed 129mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [2.0 petrol] (urban) 26.9mpg / (extra urban) 46.3mpg / (combined) 36.7mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags / ABS with EBD
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 4735/1805/1480mm