The new 2.0-litre turbodiesel is a proven quantity, having been fitted to the recently facelifted and European built Sportage. The unit has been praised for its driving characteristics, thanks to the employment of Variable Geometry Turbo (VGT) first seen in the European designed, developed and engineered Kia cee'd CRDi engines. Smoother, more refined, torquey and clean, the new engine brings the not-insignificant additional benefit of lowering monthly company car tax bills for business users.

The CRDi engine is a single overhead camshaft, 1991cc, 16-valve four-cylinder unit featuring second-generation common-rail high-pressure fuel injection and electrically-actuated variable turbine geometry to ensure lively response throughout the rev band with clean emissions. A diesel particulate filter is fitted to trap the vast majority of the minute specks of soot contained within the exhaust gases.

The engine develops 147bhp at 4000rpm and 225lb/ft of torque all the way from 1800 to 2500rpm. Driving through the standard six-speed manual gearbox, it powers the new Kia Magentis from 0-62mph in 10.4 seconds and on to a maximum speed of 125mph. Combined fuel consumption is 47.1mpg, with CO2 emissions of 158g/km. This engine provides the Kia Magentis with an improved power, response, drivability and reduced emissions.

In terms of cash savings, the CO2 reductions are enough to drop the Kia Magentis down a category for VED for the automatic transmission. The manual reduces from 162 to 158 g/km whilst the automatic changes from 191 to 185 g/km, both representing real savings for car owners.

The automatic gearbox is an 'intelligent' unit with a dedicated transmission ECU to monitor a variety of parameters to guarantee smooth shifts as it adapts to individual driving styles. It also features Kia's Sport Mode system that allows the driver to exercise sequential manual shifting in place of fully-automatic operation. High top gear ratios ensure reduced fuel consumption and quieter cruising at high speeds.