By James Bergeron
Photo Gallery:
2009 Kia Magentis LX
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Well, I don’t have much of a funny anecdote to throw out there today — writer’s block, perhaps. Last week I was in the all-new Kia Borrego; this week, once again, I’m in a Kia, but this time, it is the Magentis. Refreshed only slightly for the 2009 model year, the Magentis is the sister car to the Hyundai Sonata, which has garnered a great amount of praise over the past couple of years.
My tester is the Kia Magentis LX with Premium Package; to be honest I was not very familiar with the package layout for the Magentis until I researched it today. The LX is the base model but still comes with a good number of standard features, such as air conditioning, power windows and locks, cruise control and a CD player — and is the only Magentis model available with a 5-speed manual transmission. You can read the full list in the Autos buyer’s guide here.
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The LX Premium adds 16-inch alloy wheels, tilt and telescopic wheel, power sunroof, fog lamps, eight-way power driver’s seat, and electronic stability control. My tester, however, seems to be missing the tilt and telescopic wheel. Either it was forgotten on the production line or perhaps this was a late addition; that would explain why my early-build model is missing it.
The family resemblance to the Sonata is rather striking. The body shape and interior feel and finish are so similar it is eerie — almost like General Motors badge engineering, but I won’t go there. The ride and handling is supposed to be tuned slightly differently for the Kia, adding a more sporty flair, although I’m not too sure many Magentis buyers are looking for a sports sedan.
From the short time I have had behind the wheel so far, I would say the Magentis pulls off traditional family sedan well. Let’s see if my perception changes over the course of the week.
2009 Kia Magentis LX
MSRP as tested (excluding destination): $25,495
For more information on Kia and the Magentis visit Kia Canada
