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:

    Emission control system
    The emission control system of your vehicle is covered by a written limited warranty. Please see the warranty information contained in the Warranty & Consumer Information Manual in your vehic ...

    Manual Transaxle
    Manual transaxle operation The manual transaxle has 5 forward gears. This shift pattern is imprinted on the shift knob. The transaxle is fully synchronized in all forward gears so shifting to e ...

    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 ...