Okay, so the Korean auto manufacturer already had its eyes set on segment leaders like the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, but just couldn’t pull enough of a market share before with its more budget-friendly model. So, for this go around, they’ve presumably added a few extra bells and whistles, in addition to adding a few more bucks to the price tag for the Kia Magentis.

Known as the Optima in the United States, the Kia Magentis is now available from $14,495 ($27,100) for the basic GS model with the 2.0-litre 142hp engine. The extra pizzazz of the the LS trim will run $1,500 ($2,800) more. If you choose to opt for the 2.0-litre turbodiesel model, presumably only available to the European market, you�ll have to fork out another $1,000 ($1,870), the same amount of premium attached to an automatic transmission.

The beefier 2.7-litre V6 version throws down 185hp. With an automatic gearbox as standard equipment, that model goes for $17,495 ($32,700).