The new Kia Magentis FL

[Ferraricalifornia]

if you're talking about refinement, yes i agree with you...but for outright power, an in-line 4 will beat an in-line 6...for small cc engines...

 

Chevrolet Epica 2.0L 143bhp 0-100kph 11.5secs

 

Kia Magentis 2.0L 165bhp 0-100kph 11.1secs

[Friendstar]

IMHO, a few things to consider:

 

There are cars with higher bhp but their 0-100 is not impressive. Reasons could be it has a heavier body to pull or the engine is just about that. a few secs or even 0.X difference is quite significant. In a race, a few seconds difference spelled whether you're a winner or a looser.

 

Do you want your car to pull faster at pickup? look for car with higher number of gear ratio, equipped with S-mode that can help skip progressive shifting to jump straight to higher power ratio. Or those that allow you to downshift/upshift quickly with paddle shift handling. Also look at when peak power arrives i.e. at which RPM. Some engine when pushed hard, engine tone is very linear. Some when you stepped hard, no though the car moved faster but the engine roar is very unrefined. Listen to the engine tone when you test drive and pushed hard too.

 

IMHO, at the end of the day, driver still counts. Ever seen small stock 100bhp car that can keep up with higher cc TC cars on rack track?

 

Most of the time, higher bhp/Torque value were derived from the engine itself minus the body and etc. Not to say that the Mag bhp/torque is not true but Korean car maker ever kena sued for reporting false bhp by consumers before. Afterall, these figures are provided by the car maker, unless you get a 3rd party to dyno test it. Even some Magazine critics also suspect Audi gives false 0-100 number too. Hence, there was why, some people also look at the car racing history to determine its performance and road worthtiness. If the engine is good, it should do well on the track not just simply on the street.

 

Unfortunately, in SG, there is only so much distance that you can test drive. Just go with your heart and pick the one that give you the most butt feel.

 

My 2 cents.

 

Regards,

 

well said

 

[Eviltrap]

By the way, anyone knows what is the minimum petrol grade for the Magentis?

[Cttan456]

Sgcarmart in info for the Megane wrong leh. It has 6 airbags, not 4.

[Windchoco]

true...epica interior felt like altis...thailand quality...really cheap to the touch...nothing can beat the Magentis in this price range...

 

Yalor... Epica don't feel "Luxurious" enuff for its class..

[7007]

Though it is 2nd FL which looks so much better, who dares 2 buy one when u get flagged down as taxi????

[Leeshunda100]

Though it is 2nd FL which looks so much better, who dares 2 buy one when u get flagged down as taxi????

 

Bro, like what u said then buying a car will be very hard since sonata,magnetis, freed,wish, merc and etc all have turn into taxi

[Alfist168]

By the way, anyone knows what is the minimum petrol grade for the Magentis?

 

RON 91

 

you can download any Kia owners manual here

[Cttan456]

Though it is 2nd FL which looks so much better, who dares 2 buy one when u get flagged down as taxi????

 

Oh dear, not another one!

 

What has car buying decisions got to do with taxis?

 

If a car is not reliable and high maintenence, do you think a large corporation will buy it as a business tool?

 

Corporations make decisions based on extensive analysis and not on impulse.

 

 

[Eviltrap]

RON 91

 

you can download any Kia owners manual here

 

Cool!!

 

Thanks!

[Alfist168]

lol. ppl buy for image also mah. Who wants to buy a car that look like a taxi in sg?

 

That said, the facelift looks different from the taxi version. Very different. And the colour you choose also determines your car looks too. I saw a facelifted sonata with blue that looks a little greenish like that. Very nice colour.

Edited May 18, 2009 by Alfist168

[Alfist168]

Hey eviltrap... What colour of your Mag you bought? uu got request for any freebies and special body colour?

[Eviltrap]

Hey eviltrap... What colour of your Mag you bought? uu got request for any freebies and special body colour?

 

I got a metal bronze, coz my gf likes that colour. I had shortlisted silver (current ride's colour), midnight grey and black. But since I told my SE other people will be washing my car, he told me black is not for me. Haha. He also told me to forget silver since my current one is silver. He said midnight grey very common, so in the end, after some thoughts, I chose the colour my gf liked. She's gonna drive next time too, and it's better to get on her good side.

 

I think leather seats and chrome door handles come with the package. I also asked for solar films, reverse sensors, reverse camera, bluetooth set and 3M car mats. He also said he will give me factory remote (not sure what is this) and 16" rims (which should come with the package as well).

 

I will go back to CS-II for my PPS and then will also get my Bosch Aerotwin wipers once I know the size of the wipers. Initially wanted to transfer my gauges from my current ride to the Magentis, but after some thought, I decided not to. I still cannot imagine who in the right mind will install gauges in a so-called luxury car.

 

You getting one yourself too?

Edited May 18, 2009 by Eviltrap

[7007]

lol. ppl buy for image also mah. Who wants to buy a car that look like a taxi in sg?

 

That said, the facelift looks different from the taxi version. Very different. And the colour you choose also determines your car looks too. I saw a facelifted sonata with blue that looks a little greenish like that. Very nice colour.

 

 

The taxi version of the FL Sonata got into SG B4 the petrol version is available. Just ask any KM SE, they will tell the full story...

 

Nowadays, choosing so called 'safe' colours also no use, those smaller taxi operators choose any color available from PIs, so you can see all sort of colours and type of taxi, totally no uniformity liao.....

 

Just imagine how one would feel after pay so much for a car end up getting to be flagged down???

[Alfist168]

I no license. Still in JC. lol. Your gf got good sense of colour (I cannot say got good taste coz it sounds wrong. LOL). It would remind you of the bronze that some merc E classes have. And this is the colour that E-class owners now want coz black, silver and white are all used as taxis. Haha..

 

Factory remote is the remote control that comes along with the car. If it is factory one, then there should not be an ungainly sound that Avantes produce when the drivers use their lousy remotes to unlock their cars. For my dad's Sportage, the indicators blink twice when unlocking and give one long blink when locked. My dad's factory remote has damn long range. Can lock/unlock from my flat when the car is parked at the multi-storey carpark.

 

Remember to post your Magentis experience once you get your car (should be soon bah. haha) Takkare

[Alfist168]

Nah. PI korean cars is a bit impossible. Coz PIs wont earn much from PI-ing korean cars. Too many procedures liao.

 

And I think uu misunderstood me. I am saying that the facelifted version of the Magentis looks different from the taxi version of the Magentis. And different designs have different colour sensitivity e.g. Sonata looks ordinary in white but nice in blue-green (dunno what that colour is called), yet BMW 5 series look good is almost any colour. Therefore, like the Sonata which has relatively flat body panels, the Magentis should be specified with more adventurous body colours which 1. help it look nicer and 2. lessens the risk of the colour used for taxi.

 

Don't think bronze would be used by taxi operator bah. E-class owners and eviltrap will really cry.

Edited May 18, 2009 by Alfist168

[7007]

Nah. PI korean cars is a bit impossible. Coz PIs wont earn much from PI-ing korean cars. Too many procedures liao.

 

And I think uu misunderstood me. I am saying that the facelifted version of the Magentis looks different from the taxi version of the Magentis. And different designs have different colour sensitivity e.g. Sonata looks ordinary in white but nice in blue-green (dunno what that colour is called), yet BMW 5 series look good is almost any colour. Therefore, like the Sonata which has relatively flat body panels, the Magentis should be specified with more adventurous body colours which 1. help it look nicer and 2. lessens the risk of the colour used for taxi.

 

Don't think bronze would be used by taxi operator bah. E-class owners and eviltrap will really cry.

 

When I said PI I refer to the ready stock that PIs have already in hand... that's why you can see so many PIs cars are running around as taxi...

I got your message loud and clear.... It is a matter of time B4 the FL Magentis arrive in SG... wait a minute I believe I have seen KIA Caren taxi with CNG in bronze before... so please tell me which colour is 'safe' now???

Edited May 18, 2009 by 7007

[Alfist168]

When I said PI I refer to the ready stock that PIs have already in hand... that's why you can see so many PIs cars are running around as taxi...

I got your message loud and clear.... It is a matter of time B4 the FL Magentis arrive in SG... wait a minute I believe I have seen KIA Caren taxi with CNG in bronze before... so please tell me which colour is 'safe' now???

 

Got Carens in bronze meh? I thought Carens only in green? 1 light green, SMRT purchase 1, the other dark green which belongs to SMART.

 

Actually there are no safe colours, just that there are 'safer' ones.

 

Colours definitely not safe:

 

1. metallic blue (used by Azera and Freed)

2. Silver (used by Carnival - yeah I saw one.)

3. black (used by Merc)

4. metallic green and dark green.

5. white.

6. dark blue (used by some Camry PI Taxi)

Edited May 18, 2009 by Alfist168