Test drive Kia Optima (Magentis) 2001 - 2003 sedan
Reasonable sufficiency
Stop being cool, it's time to become practical, with such words one of the buyers took Kia Magentis from the cabin. Perhaps you can’t say better. A completely new business class car, assembled in Kaliningrad, cost a philosopher in 19400 dollars.This amount, of course, is rather big, however, compared with the price of the five BMW or the Mercedes-Benz Eshka, is simply a gift. And do not believe that for that kind of money you will be dried by a second -rate product. As it turned out, the new Kia Motors is a completely competitive car, and not only in price.
To begin with, Magentis is good outwardly. Quite modern, not blurry, and in some places even sharp shapes. However, even they do not hide the kinship of the model with Hyundai Sonata IV. The platform is one, and you can’t get anywhere from this.
The car we got, perhaps the most advantageous color for him, was like a black wing. Only in this case, chrome elements of the finish begin to play on the body. The sedan even seems richer than it really is. A powerful grille of the radiator, moldings, doors handles, edges of the side glasses, all this disks are all doused with chromium and looks pompous.
No less luxurious in appearance the front optics. It is made according to the fashionable scheme of non -relief glass and also do not mind playing the sun. By the way, fog lights are not so small, and it remains to be hoped that their ceiling have a sufficient margin of strength.
This also applies to the anterior bumper on which fog -tanks are installed. During an external inspection of the car, we drew attention to the unreasonably large, in our opinion, front overhang. And this is a low bumper. It is unlikely that it will be possible to hang it over a border stone when turning or parking, and the probability of pecking when the wheels enters the pit, on the contrary, is great.
Nevertheless, in general, the novelty looks good.
It is pleasant to the gaze and the decoration of the salon, but it looks much more modest than the outerwear of the car. Gray and not very soft to the touch plastic is the reason for some despondency. It somehow does the interior of the seemingly solid model. Whether the plastic with cream or black impression would be different.
But we were forgotten. After all, we do not have the most sophisticated equipment of Magentis, therefore we will be content with what is. And there are a lot of things here.
Let's start with the central console. It has a clock, a CD player and a climate control control unit. If neither the first nor the latter caused us special emotions, then the player of the CDs, combined with the tuner, simply struck. Unserrown in appearance, with a small display and inexpressive control buttons, he completely fascinated with his sound. Infrequently you will meet such full -time music in inexpensive cars.
The driver’s place is decorated much more colorful, although it also does not shine with special signs. On the instrument panel, a tachometer, speedometer, fuel level sensors and engine temperature. There are no more arrows. There are, however, letters, numbers and pictograms. The letters report which of the seven positions of the automatic box selector is now selected, the numbers have been passed how many kilometers are passed, and the icons, like all other machines, light up in case of a malfunction of a particular system.
Unfortunately, there is no side computer. Strange, because they are equipped with models and a lower class. The absence of a cruise control on a car equipped with a car equipped with a car. In general, from the bells and whistles that the driver can contact while driving, there is only a key of disconnection of the system that controls the traction force of the engine.
In addition to the climatic installation, Magentis is equipped with a fairly large hatch. It either opens or is pushed completely. Naturally, not by hand, but with an electrician. In general, everything is in order with an electrician. It does not act only to adjust the steering column and seats. Although the latter is also the cost of configuration. A little supplement and drive back and forth, up and down with the help of servo drives as much as you like.
If we are talking about seats, we note their hospitality. To be moderately tough, with a maximum of adjustments, they allow you not to experience discomfort on a long trip, being both in front and behind. The only thing you can complain about is weak lateral support. But the headrests are very convenient: they are adjusted in height, and also have four fixed tilt positions.
A few words about the trunk. 375 liters are not God the news, but quite sufficient in everyday life. In addition, the back of the rear seat folds both in its entirety and in a ratio of 2/3. That's just the bumper is too wide. To immerse something heavy, not leaning on it, is almost impossible. Therefore, scratches cannot be avoided. But the whole space of the trunk is offended by a thick fabric fabric. Even if something will ride there while driving, you will not hear this in the cabin.
Walking along the interior along and across, we did not find a single defect of the car assembly. Everything is qualitatively fitted and screwed. Moreover, Ratsukha was revealed, which was clearly made by our collectors. There are two unnecessary self -tapping screws in the mounting of the trunk lid. It is not difficult to calculate them very much from the branded ones. Apparently, without them, the upholstery would eventually begin to retreat in these places under their own weight. So you can’t refuse ours in the ingenuity.
Run the engine. Even during his inspection, we suggested that the car should be quiet and calm, without vibrations. The engine hung on powerful supports with elastic silent blocks and almost all was covered with a decorative cover, which serves as additional sound insulation.
So it turned out to be silence and peace. And it was quiet until we decided to spur all 136 horses. The two -liter engine roared, Kikdown worked, but we could not shoot. The machine accelerated reluctantly, losing its engine with each switching of automatic transmission. 1820 kg of full mass for this motor, apparently, are too big. What is complete! And the equipped with the limit of us in the car is only two, plus a bag with a camera. In general, accelerated dynamics with such an engine leaves much to be desired. By the way, it does not add agility to the car and turning off the control of traction. The motor is equally unable to crank the drive wheels either in the ON position or in the OFF position.
Otherwise, we liked Kia Magentis. He has a fairly comfortable suspension. Even transverse seams do not infuriate it. That's just in steep turns the car is a little more than we would like, and on the gentle waves it strives to struck with its massive bumper on the asphalt.
Conducted the steering. The hydraulic power steering was endowed with intelligence. When the speed is small, twist the steering wheel at least one finger, but if you fall along the highway already a hundred, before turning, be kind, take the steering wheel with both hands. Nevertheless, the reverse reaction on the steering wheel could be better. It feels in him some kind of inhibition, or something.
The brakes behave approximately the same. The front and rear discs, they are quite informative. Almost always you can predict their work and stop exactly where you want. But not on slippery coating. The inclusion of ABS confuses the cards. We specially slowed down several times in the same place, and each time the anti -circus system turned on unpredictably. Although, quite likely, these are features of a particular machine.
As for the weak engine, you can purchase Magentis with a 2.5-liter six-cylinder V-shaped engine. According to dealers, the peak of sales will have to be for this version. Moreover, with such a configuration on Magentis, in addition to a mechanical five -speed box, STEPTRONIC is installed, while 2.0 is either mechanics or a regular machine, as in our case.
Technical characteristics Kia Magentis 2.0
The body is 4-door, whole.
Number of places, people. 5
Equipped mass, kg 1320
Full mass, kg 1820
Dimensions (length/width/height), mm: 4730/1820/1410
Base, mm 2700
Maximum speed, km/h 195
Engine:
- type 4-cylinder, in order
- working volume, cm3 1997
- Power, L.S. at MIN-1 136/6000
- torque, NM at min-1 180/4500
- power supply system distributed injection
Transmission automatic., 4-speed
Tire size 205/60r15
Wheel suspension:
- the front are independent, on double transverse levers
- The rear is unenvalrated., Meloric.
Brakes:
- front disk., ventilated
- rear disc
Steering rheck, with an amplifier
Price, $ 19400
Text: Oleg Kalaushin
Source: Magazine 5 wheel [09/2001]
