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Kia has high hopes for the new Amanti/Opirus
The Kia Amanti reflects the Korean
company's first sortie into the large car sector. Peter M. Butterfield,
Kia Motors America President, said, "Amanti is our effort to reach
out to yet another group of buyers who we weren't previously attracting.
These are buyers who seek full-size room and comfort with a full array
of safety features, but who don't want to pay through the nose in the
process. Amanti will give them everything they want, except a huge hole
in their wallets." The model was first unveiled during April.
Kia describes the Amanti as being a
breakthrough model. The overall design is clearly up to the minute and
looks as though it belongs in the sector at which it is aimed. The
Amanti features a fully automatic climate control system that offers
"set and forget" temperature settings with dual temperature
controls for each side of the passenger compartment. The audio system is
the most sophisticated ever offered in a Kia. Designed and manufactured
by Infinity, the six-channel, 270-watt sound system has a six-disc
in-dash CD changer, AM/FM receiver and cassette deck. The car has been
designed to offer class leading passenger space and comfort has been
addressed for both front and back seat passengers.
Safety has been a major consideration.
The Amanti features an anti-lock braking system supplemented by
Electronic Brake Distribution, Brake Assist, traction control and
electronic stability control. Eight airbags are standard.
Power comes from a 195hp 3.5-liter, twin-cam, 24-valve V6 engine coupled
to a five-speed automatic transmission.
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The front
wheel-drive Amanti is motivated by a refined 3.5-liter,
twin-cam, 24-valve V6 engine. The powerplant puts out 195
horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 217 ft-lbs of torque at a
class-leading 3,500 rpm.* Engine noise is controlled by ample
sound-deadening materials and a full engine room cover that also
enhances the under-hood appearance of the car.
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With key competitors
still using four-speed automatics, Amanti’s powertrain includes a
best-in-class five-speed automatic transmission, which incorporates a
sequential manual mode to provide the driver with a choice between pure
automatic shifts or the control of manual gear selection. The driver can
select manual mode at any time when the gear selector is in the Drive
position by moving the gearshift lever sideways into the shorter slot of
the “H”. Pushing the gearshift lever forward then shifts up a gear
and pulling it back shifts down. The current gear is numerically
displayed by an LED lamp on the cluster and will be maintained until the
driver changes gear or unless one of the failsafe systems cuts in.
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