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:

    Introduction
    How to use this manual Vehicle break-in process ...

    Leftlane’s bottom line
    Kia is no longer content to be the butt of jokes or the car of last resort for those who may be fiscally challenged. Although still very much a Hyundai rival, Kia finally has a design language a ...

    Other Cars to Consider
    In a class crowed with cars that offer a fair price, numerous standard features and good performance, the Kia Rio has difficulty competing. Kia offers another car, the Kia Forte, that makes up for ...