Kia Amanti, also called as Opirus in various countries except in North America, is a full-sized luxury car manufactured by South Korean automobile giant, Kia Motors. It is the first vehicle to enter into the large car market. It is offered in single body style, sedan. The price of the sedan model starts at $26,875. It shares most of the features with Hyundai XG, including its engine, 3.5 liter V6. The initial model was debuted in April, 2003 as 2004 model vehicle.
Kia Amanti
The large sedan model was recognized as one of the most appealing premium mid-sized cars in United States. It also outscored various expensive luxury cars in IIHS side impact crash tests.
First Generation (2003-2007)
The first generation Kia Amanti model was introduced at New York International Auto Show in April 2003. The initial large sedan model offers superior quality, safety, comfort and a level of room. The interior design of the model looks elegant and it is equipped with full range of convenience and comfort accessories. To compliment the interior region, it also offers fine exterior styling.
2004 Kia Amanti
The standard engine to the Kia Amanti is a 3.5 liter 24-valve twin cam V6 version that delivers 195 hp of power at 5500 rpm and 217 lb ft of torque at 3500 rpm. The sound deadening materials used in the model helps in reducing the engine noise. The standard engine is mated to available 4-speed automatic transmission, while it offers 5-speed automatic transmission as optional.
The large sedan model, Kia Amanti is slightly redesigned for model year 2007, gaining few upgrades, including styling and suspension revisions. The new engine offered in this generation is 3.8 liter V6 version.
Second Generation (2008-Present)
The key features in the second generation Kia Amanti model are its superior ride quality and quietness. On the other hand, steering/handling is considered as main drawback.
The current generation Kia Amanti gains several new features and it is offered in single trim level, sedan. The only engine available to the model include 3.8 liter V6 version that comes mated to 5-speed automatic transmission. The V6 engine can produce power up to 264 hp at 6000 rpm and torque of 260 lb ft at 4500 rpm. With the powerful engine equipped, the sedan model can achieve fuel economy of 17 miles per gallon in the city premises and 24 miles per gallon on the highway roads.
2009 Kia Amanti
As far as the exterior dimensions of Kia Amanti model are concerned, it has the wheel base of 110.2 inches. The length, width and the height of the model are 196.9 inches, 72.8 inches and 58.5 inches respectively. The curb weight of the model is around 3770 lbs.
Major competitors to the Amanti model include Mercury Sable, Ford Taurus, Dodge Charger, Chrysler 300, Toyota Avalon and Pontiac G8.