The Kia Magentis is a mid to large sized saloon from one of the premier South Korean automakers. With a spacious interior, a soft ride and an economical nature, it's actually quite up market and has a good overall driving experience. Clearly this is a car that's built to have a go in a notoriously competitive niche, and while it might not be as flashy or power hungry as its peers, there's certainly a lot to like. It's decent value for money too.
Sold under a number of different nameplates worldwide, the Magentis was introduced in 2000. The 4 door saloon has seen an array of updates and face lifts over the years, and has been transformed from relatively generic to incredibly bold and plain awesome. From a company renowned for safety and reliability, this is a typical offering that's fully loaded in all regards.
The latest versions of the Kia are unquestionably brilliant in terms of design, with a sleek profile, body sills, beefy alloy wheels and the famous 'Tiger Nose'. In actual fact this car trumps some big names in the visual stakes, and really is the business. Inside there's a good amount of space, and the cabin is distinctly European in nature. Ergonomic and intuitive controls are all within reach, and the quality is very impressive indeed. Although there?s only one trim (TR) in modern models, a whole heap of equipment is on offer, and the boot isn?t a bad size either. Overall it's kitted out nicely, but is lacking that 'x factor' that high end brands have.
An easy to drive car, the Magentis is almost effortless on the road. Not particularly engaging or exiting however, it just gets on with the job and doesn?t create or shout about anything. The latest versions are composed and surefooted thanks to a stiffer chassis, and the steering is relatively sharp too. A few different engines on older models, including a 2.7 litre V6, made way for high quality diesels on modern ones, and the story is you get a good amount of performance without large running costs.
Being a Kia, you can expect relatively low costs straight out of the blocks. However if you really want to capitalise on this car's impressive value, buying second hand is without doubt the best way. Here at MOTORS there's an excellent selection of pre owned cars for sale at ultra discounted prices, and you don't have to wait years to take delivery either. Grab a bargain used Kia Magentis and drive away in no time at all.
Look, while this car was aimed at a tightly packed and uber competitive area of the motoring market, it doesn't really have enough to make a real impression on the big guns. However, it's excellent all round nonetheless, and has some great features that'll appeal to families and executives on a budget. The latest versions are just awesome in design and drive very well too. For simple, straightforward motoring, the Kia is a good choice.
