Last year, Kia's parent company, Hyundai, radically transformed its largest car, the frumpish XG350, into the stylish Azera. Given that Hyundai and Kia usually share platforms these days, we expected the 2007 Amanti to be a variation on Azera.

Not so. Amanti has received a cosmetic nip 'n tuck, with exterior alterations mostly limited to bolt-on parts such as lights, bumpers, lids and a new grille. It's not a full model change. Love it or laugh at it, the original Amanti's very, um, original shape is still much in evidence. The interior is more thoroughly reworked; virtually the entire dashboard is new. While equipment levels don't change for the base Amanti, Kia has rethought the amenities on the Luxury edition. Among the pluses are 17-inch alloy wheels, a Homelink system, and metal-grain or aluminum accents.

More surprising are the minuses: the previously standard 6-disc CD changer, heated rear seats, and rain-sensing wipers are gone.

Under the hood, however, it's a win-win story. Last year's 3.5-litre V6 gives way to Hyundai/Kia's new 3.8-litre corporate V6. This Lambda engine's 264 horses exceeds the 3.5's best efforts by more than 30 percent. Yet, still operating through a 5-speed automatic, it reduces fuel consumption by 7 to 8 percent.

A big, comfortable space, now with serious pace

Looks that only its mother could love