Kia Magentis (2011) first official pictures

This is the all-new Kia Magentis, revealed by the Korean company ahead of the official launch on 1 April at the 2010 New York motor show.

It does indeed. Saloons below the likes of the Aston Martin Rapide are rarely beautiful, and although we're not saying the Magentis is a stunner, it is definitely a decent step forward for Kia. 'It’s a car that people will simply not expect from Kia – and that’s exactly what we set out to achieve,' says Kia's desgin boss Peter Schreyer.

Kia is keen to highlight the car’s European roots - the exterior was designed in Frankfurt whilst the interior was drawn up in California. 'For this car we started with a clean sheet and worked to achieve an exterior design with a European feeling and stance,' says chief designer of Kia Europe Gregory Guillaume.

And that's all Kia has to say about the new Magentis so far - there are no interior pictures or technical details of the Mondeo-challenger yet.

Kia says the new car will launch in the UK in 2011, and the usual Kia perks like low pricing and a hefty warranty will sweeten the deal.

By Sam Burnett