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Affluent Amanti cuts no corners
Kia's near-luxury sedan pampers passengers and pockets
By Bob English
Thursday, December 11, 2003
VICTORIA, B.C. - The last time I drove a Kia I was pounding over potholes and bouncing off curbs in the company's entry-level Rio RX-V in the Targa Newfoundland rally. It therefore required a bit of mental realignment when I recently found myself on another island, at the other end of the country, at the wheel of a car at the opposite end of Kia's growing product spectrum - the new-for-2004, near-luxury Amanti.
It might take potential buyers a while to adjust their thinking to include Kia in this category, but company officials are confident they'll make the leap once they look at what Kia's new car offers and its sticker price. The mid-size Amanti comes with all the luxury and high-tech trappings you'd expect in a low-end luxury car - more in fact - but with a price tag of just $34,995.
Kia has rapidly become a serious player in Canada after hitting the ground running four years ago with just two models. It recently unloaded its 100,000th vehicle off the boat from Korea and, with the Amanti's arrival, now offers 20 models. It plans to sell 35,000 vehicles her next year (putting it ahead of a number of better known brands) and attain 50,000 by 2007.
President J.M. Park says the arrival of the Sedona minivan and then the Sorento sport-utility vehicle raised Canadians' perception of Kia, and the arrival of the Amanti takes Kia to another level by attracting a new group of buyers. Kia Canada will only get about 1,000 Amantis next year, however, for which its class rivals should perhaps be grateful.
The group of black and silver Amantis lined up in the driveway of the Empress Hotel certainly looked to be in their element. Styling is luxury sedan formal and borrows cues from a number of current high-end sedans, while maintaining a distinct look of its own. The Amanti is built on a new platform that will also be used for its parent company Hyundai's next-generation XG350.
The Amanti's structure feels suitably rigid and doors close with a nice, solid thunk. Paint quality looked fine and body panel shut-lines are tight and even - all marks of a well-built machine.
The suspension is independent with double-wishbones up front and a multi-link setup in the rear, while steering is by a speed-sensing rack and pinion system. Brakes are discs all around with anti-lock assist.
The front-wheel drive Amanti's engine is the same 3.5-litre V6 used in the Sedona minivan, but it comes with a variable intake system that ups power to 200 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 220 lb-ft of torque, the latter peaking at 3,500 revs.
This engine is hooked up to a smooth and quick-shifting 5-speed automatic transmission, with shift-it-yourself Steptronic mode.
That combination gets the Amanti to 100 km/h in about 9.5 seconds and completes the 80 to 120 km/h passing/merging dash in an adequate 8.3 seconds, while delivering very good overall driveability. I've been critical of Kia's overly soft suspensions before and find this aspect of the Amanti about the only thing I don't like much. I'm not sure if it's Korean or American influence. But ride - think Lincoln Town Car - has definitely taken priority over responsive handling. It's very softly sprung and this, combined with tires that are less than brilliant, makes turn-in to corners slow, followed by plenty of body roll and early understeer. A light steering feel doesn't help either.
On the plus side, the Amanti doesn't exhibit any nasty habits and the brakes are fine. Firmer springs and anti-roll bars would make a world of difference, without compromising ride very much. Maybe Kia should introduce a "sport" edition.
But now we get to where the Amanti really shines, the interior, which is a not only very attractive, but roomy, comfortable, functional and put together with quality materials.
Supple leather covers well-shaped, power adjustable, heated seats (driver's side with memory) and light coloured but warm looking faux wood trim is used on the doors, steering wheel, dash and centre console. Instruments are smart looking electroluminescent items, while the centre stack contains a 270-watt Infinity stereo/CD system with nine speakers that reproduces great sound and the panel for an effective dual-zone automatic climate control system.
Headroom is plentiful front and back. The rear seat area is particularly generous and interior noise levels are low at highway speeds.
Safety is looked after by no less than eight airbags, including front, rear and side airbags plus full side curtains, housed within the Amanti's modern structure.
This sedan's real hook for most people, though, will be its equipment roster, which reads like a car buyer's Christmas wish list. Practical features include high intensity discharge headlamps, fog lamps, cruise control, ABS, Electronic Stability (anti-skid) Program, traction control, air quality filter, active front seat headrests and all those airbags.
The "goodies" list also features a power sunroof, power windows, locks and mirrors, a multi-function display with trip computer, steering wheel-mounted audio and cruise controls, remote keyless entry and tilt steering column.
Additional standard items include a rear centre armrest, reverse dipping outside mirrors, rain-sensing wipers, plus various other minor items … and possibly a partridge in a pear tree.
That's an awful lot of neat stuff for $34,995, particularly when it's all loaded in a car that looks good, goes all right, is well built and backed by a strong warranty. Well worth a look if a sedan is on your Christmas list.
Immediate competition: Acura TSX,
Hyundai XG350,
Mazda 6,
Nissan Altima,
Saab 9-3,
Toyota Camry,
Volvo S40
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