2007 Kia Magentis Preview

2007 Kia Magentis Preview
by Trevor Hofmann / Canadian Auto Press

Revised Magentis to Premiere in Frankfurt this September

Since it debuted in model year 2001, Kia's Magentis has been a bit of a wallflower in the hotly contested midsize sedan market. The top selling

Since it debuted in model year 2001, Kia's Magentis has been a bit of a wallflower in the hotly contested midsize sedan market. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

Honda Accord and Toyota Camry get most of the limelight, and more recently Chrysler's 300, albeit more of a large car, has literally stolen the show.

But Kia hopes its new, completely revised Magentis gets a little more attention than its conservatively penned predecessor, thanks to sleeker styling, a larger overall footprint, and the always critical value proposition the South Korean brand's vehicles offer.

And there's a good chance that its new D-segment four-door will turn more heads than the original. While hardly as neck-snapping as Dodge's new Charger, for instance, the new Magentis will appeal to those looking for a slightly less dramatic, but still understatedly elegant entrance. After all, some people would rather not have their car announce its arrival from blocks away, preferring a more subtle approach.

This is one of the reasons why Toyota sells so many Camrys, that and

Kia hopes its new, completely revised Magentis gets a little more attention than its conservatively penned predecessor. (Photo: Kia Canada)

unshakable customer loyalty developed over decades of reliable service. But Kia, ranked quite low in J. D. Power and Associate's dependability (VDS) and initial quality (IQS) studies, doesn't have such laurels to rest on, and therefore has to be better than the best when it comes to styling, performance, and perceived quality, plus hit the market noticeably more affordable than its top-selling Japanese rivals.

While the Magentis has clearly been designed so as not to offend, and performance is limited to a 2.4-litre inline four-cylinder in base guise and 2.7-litre V6 in top trim levels, its value proposition will have to be very convincing indeed.

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