The reaction was immediate. One friend noticed the car in our driveway
and said unsolicited, “It looks like a Mercedes.” A few days later, I drove
to a friend’s home and his words were nearly identical: “Nice Mercedes.
Oh, wait. That’s not a Mercedes. What is it?”

What it is and how it resembles a Mercedes-Benz is why the Kia Amanti,
the new 5-speed automatic, full-sized sedan from the Korean
manufacturer, is getting its share of attention.

I seemingly, yet unintentionally, also fooled a lot of other people with the
24-valve, 3.5 liter, V6, 200-horsepower five-passenger sedan I drove for
my weekly test. In fcact, Around town and on the freeway, I couldn’t help
but notice the amount of stares I received.

And my friends and strangers are right. Inside and out, the Amanti looks
surprisingly similar to a Mercedes-Benz S-class sedan. The egg-shaped
headlight and headlamp pattern and the front grill, for example, are not-
too-distant cousins to the same features offered on the Amanti’s high-
priced German relative.

And while Mercedes has had a long head start and decades to tweak its
refinement, some of the Amanti’s interior features are equally
impressive. The woodgrain-accented dash is well-designed and
handsome. The driver and passenger front seat adjustment controls are
shaped like seats and contoured into the sides of the seat panels. Both
features are among many Mercedes signature offerings. But the Kia also
has several small but important quality nuances, like front seat, side
panel pullout map pockets.

Likewise, the Amanti is generously spacious with 105.6 cubic feet of
interior space, well-positioned seats, easy entry and exit and plenty of
room for five adults. Standard features and options are plentiful,
particularly for a vehicle well under $30,000 with every available option
included.

Consider the $2,750 added installed equipment option: sunroof,
individually heated front seats, leather-trimmed seats, automatic-
dimming inside mirror, two-position memory for driver’s seat and outside
mirrors and Infinity AM/FM cassette with six-disc CD.

Standard equipment includes: dual-zone automatic climate control,
eight-way driver seats and four-way passenger seats, cruise control,
three 12V power outlets, leather steering wheel with audio and cruise
remote functions, front fog lamps and front windshield de-icer.

Beyond its comfort, Mercedes-Benz has honed its enduring legacy with
superior handling and driving performance. It’s hard to beat at any price.
But the Amanti’s refined looks its and generous features are also
complemented by a fine drive. The Kia flagship accelerates well in traffic
and cruises with a nice, quiet ride in highway situations. The power
steering is near effortless and the car maneuvers in and of tight
situations without hesitation.

Kia is owned by Hyundai, and within the two brands, the Amanti is the
most luxurious and most expensive