First official pics: All-new Kia Magentis

Kia will reveal its all-new Magentis sedan at next month's New York motor show, and the revamped mid-sizer is due here later this year, replacing the somewhat staid model that's been on sale locally since August 2006.

Although pricing has yet to be revealed Kia Australia has confirmed the car will go on sale in Australia in late November or early December.

Although inauspiciously scheduled to be unveiled in the Big Apple on April Fool's Day, the Magentis (known as the Optima in the US) is a crucial car for Kia and -- at least on paper -- it looks to have all the right credentials.

The pre-release photos indicate Kia has stayed true to the rendering it circulated last month, although the sketch obviously exaggerated the width and low stance of the car.

The newcomer is built upon the same underpinnings as Hyundai's Sonata-replacing i45, but its design language clearly bears the stamp of Kia's chief design officer, Peter Schreyer.

"The next generation of Magentis possesses the power to surprise," said Schreyer. "It's a car that people will simply not expect from Kia -- and that's exactly what we set out to achieve."

"This new model embodies Kia's confident new design direction. It's a global car with individual appeal."

The exterior of the new Magentis was styled in Europe to reflect tastes on the continent, while its cabin was created by Kia's design team in California.

As per its Hyundai cousin, the Magentis is distinguished by a heavily tapered roofline, but its nose and flanks are more edgy than the organic looking i45. The face bears a clear family resemblance to the Sorento and Koup, although its projector headlamps set it apart.

Following the theme of recent model revisions, new Magentis is longer, lower and wider than before, and Kia claims it offers class-leading levels of safety and luxury equipment.

Propulsion comes from a new direct-injection 'GDI' 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that ekes out about 150kW and 245Nm -- a handy increment on the current model's 119kW/221Nm outputs.

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