2007 Kia Magentis Preview

To its credit is the new Magentis' overall size, longer, wider and taller than the outgoing model. The wheelbase has been pushed out to 2,720 mm, which allows greater legroom front and rear, a larger trunk, and a smoother ride. Its 4,735 mm length, 1,805 mm width and 1,480 mm

A little checking will show that it's almost identical in size to its Korean segment rival, the recently revised Hyundai Sonata. (Photo: Hyundai Canada)

height, make it one of the largest in its segment. Yes, a little checking will show that it's almost identical in size to its Korean segment rival, the recently revised Hyundai Sonata, which measures in with a 2,730 mm wheelbase, plus a length of 4,800 mm, width of 1,832 mm, and height of 1,475 mm.

This "coincidence" is hardly news to those up on Kia. As you may remember from the previous 2005 Spectra, 2005 Sportage and 2006 Rio reviews, which share general architectures with the upcoming Hyundai Elantra, new Tucson and future Accent respectively, Kia was purchased by its larger competitor recently and is now undergoing a systematic metamorphosis, with the replacement of each new model, whether Kia or Hyundai, sharing as many common components as possible. And compared to some competitive automakers which try to take advantage of economies of scale by cloning a successful model, giving it a new grille treatment and selling it under another banner, Kia and Hyundai have done a pretty good job of separating their twins at birth.

Only the rear end design shows similarities with the new Hyundai Sonata, mostly in the taillights. (Photo: Kia Canada)

The new Magentis is no exception to this rule, sharing much with Hyundai's terrific new Sonata and looking fairly different in the process. Only the rear end design shows similarities, mostly in the taillights, but the changes are enough to give Kia's new sedan a unique fingerprint on the midsize segment.

Due to the new Kia's roots, it's safe to assume it will be a strong performer in a variety of ways. First of all, it should handle as well or better than most of its peers while delivering a compliant ride. Compared to its rivals, acceleration should be strong in base guise, but most likely biased more towards fuel economy rather than out-and-out speed.