Kia's top car is a near-luxury sedan that offers ample interior room and comfort, with restrained and fairly elegant styling, but with perhaps too soft of a ride. The Amanti comes powered by a 195-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 engine, which drives the front wheels via a five-speed automatic transmission that includes a manual-shift mode. Anti-lock brakes are standard, with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, Brake Assist, traction control, and Electronic Stability Control optional. Also included are both front and rear seat-mounted side airbags and full-length side curtain airbags. For 2006, leather upholstery with heated front seats, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and a garage door opener become standard features. Stability control is optional, and a new equipment package includes a premium Infinity audio system with CD changer, trip computer with four-inch monitor, and memory settings for the driver's seat and outside mirrors. Added exterior colors include White Pearl, Clear Silver, and Light Almond Beige.

A redesigned version of the mid-size Kia Optima is expected to arrive in spring 2006, and will likely carry many of the same updates for 2006 as its near-twin at Hyundai, the Sonata. These include freshened styling, a larger interior, and all-new powertrains. A standard 162-horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine can be mated to either a five-speed manual or four-speed Shiftronic automatic transmission with manual gear selection. Alternatively, a 3.3-liter V-6 engine generates 237 horses and is fitted to a new five-speed Shiftronic automatic gearbox. Front-side and side-curtain airbags are included, and an array of standard and available chassis-control systems ranges from four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, to traction control and Electronic Stability Control. Meanwhile, the current version continues for a short 2006 run with no changes.

Redesigned for 2006 along with its equivalent at Hyundai, the Accent, the subcompact Rio continues as one of the lowest (if not the lowest) priced cars sold in the U.S. Available as either a sedan or hatchback in base and LX models, the revised Rio is longer, wider, and taller than before, affording added backseat legroom, increased shoulder clearance, and more available headroom. Its trunk capacity is 27 percent larger than before. A black mesh grille and swept-back headlamps highlight a variety of styling updates. Under the hood, a new 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with CVVT (Continuously Variable Valve Timing) delivers 110 horsepower. It can be teamed with either a five-speed manual gearbox, or a four-speed automatic. Power rack-and-pinion steering and four-wheel-disc brakes are standard, as are six airbags, including front seat-mounted side-impact airbags, and roof-mounted front/rear side curtain airbags. Anti-lock brakes are optional. While the base model is fairly unadorned, the LX version adds a CD stereo, and offers a Power Package that includes power locks, mirrors, and windows, keyless entry, and heated mirrors.