Driving
The Kia is available with 2.0-litre or 2.7-litre V6 petrol engines, but we prefer the 2.0-litre turbodiesel. There's a fair amount of diesel clatter at idle, but once on the move it delivers power progressively, and at cruising speeds is impressive refined. It serves up its power in a progressive manner too. So it's a shame the Kia's clutch action is snappy which, combined with a less-than-slick gearbox, makes smooth progress difficult. What's more, dynamically the Magentis feels flimsy. It rolls through corners, and this increased body movement means it works its front tyres much harder. There's also a lot of dive when braking, and the middle pedal is soft under-foot too. The steering is light and vague, and never inspires confidence. Unfortunately, the soft dynamic set-up doesn't translate into a decent ride quality either, because while the Kia is cushioned over smooth surfaces, the dampers don't control suspension movement. As a result, it can become crashy over imperfections, while kickback through the wheel is a problem. Still, stability control is standard.
See also:
Hood
Opening the hood
1. Pull the release lever to unlatch the
hood. The hood should pop open
slightly.
2. Go to the front of the vehicle, raise the
hood slightly, pull the secondary latch
inside ...
Stop and Go available for two engines
By the end of 2010, Kia will be offering its fuel-stretching ISG (Intelligent
Stop and Go) system as an option on both the 1.7 diesel and 1.6 GDI engine. ISG
automatically switches the engine off ...


