SMALL business users will be targeted by Kia when the new Magentis saloon is launched in the UK in the autumn. The Magentis was on display at Geneva alongside the new Volkswagen Golf-sized Rio hatchback.

Both models will be introduced in the UK in the autumn. The Magentis will replace the Clarus, and shares its platform with the Hyundai Sonata. Kia does not expect drivers of the Ford Mondeo and Volkswagen Passat to switch to the Magentis, but believes its price and warranty will attract small business users.

A spokesman said: 'We hope to have the car in the UK by September. It will have a good warranty and will be priced attractively, and our marketing strategy will include small business users. It fits very well into the segment and will have a choice of a four-cylinder 2.0-litre or a 2.5-litre V6.'

Prices will be published closer to its launch, but the Clarus, which is available with a 1.8- or 2.0-litre engine, is priced between £10,995 and £13,495. The Magentis should command a slight premium over the Clarus. The Rio is not expected in the UK until the autumn. It will be the new entry-level Kia and offer a lower-priced alternative to lower medium sector cars like the Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra.