THE murmurs were unanimous when the CAR team sat down to discuss the highlights and disappointments of the Kia Optima’s two-week tenure with us. Every single team member had good things to say about the striking design, competitive pricing, standard specification and comfort levels. But, as soon as the conversation turned to the powertrain, there were moments of head scratching by the test panel.
On paper, the normally aspi-rated 2,4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine doesn’t seem like a bad bet. The big-four, enhanced with continuously variable-valve timing, makes 132 kW and 231 N.m of torque at 4 000 r/min. These figures compare favourably to rivals boasting similarly large four-cylinder engines, even those that feature turbocharging. But, somehow, the impressive figures are lost in translation when communicating with the Optima’s six-speed automatic transmission.
It’s not that we expected the powertrain to produce smiles. But, we did not anticipate that the Theta II engine would be quite so unrefined, whether ambling about town, cruising at highway speed or overtaking slower vehicles. The traditional torque-converter automatic isn’t entirely innocent, either; it often holds onto ratios for too long. That said, the actual shifts are favourably quick. There is a sport function on the gearbox that allows for manual sequential shifts via the selector or steering-wheel-mounted paddles to overcome the slush box’s gear-hogging.
But, make no mistake, the Optima is no slouch. During our performance testing, we recorded times favourably comparable with the turbocharged Peugeot 508. The Optima scrabbled to 100 km/h from rest in a little over 10,2 seconds and clocked the standing kilometre in 31,2 seconds. In-gear acceleration, while hardly edge-of-your-seat stuff, was similarly decent.
While the Optima managed to overcome the performance testing with some pride intact, we did pay a penalty at the pumps. Our fuel index worked out to a high consumption figure of 10,44 litres/100 km which, for a four-cylinder without sporting pretences, is unforgivable. It was no surprise then to find that the Optima releases quite a lofty 207 g/km of CO2 into the atmosphere. Some redemption came on our real-world fuel route, where it consumed a far more respectable 8,8 litres/100 km.
Despite losing points for its powertrain, the Optima reclaimed lost ground when scoring turned to its packaging. The beautiful form that former Audi designer Peter Schreyer sculpted lays waste to the stodgy predictability to which some of its more popular rivals have fallen in recent times.
The coupé-like stance is accentuated by the company’s now-signature tiger-nose grille, swept-back A-pillars, blacked-out B-pillars and a kink in the C-pillars. High-mounted taillamps and dual exhaust tailpipes high-light the rear-end, while two-tone 18-inch alloys wrapped in low-profile Nexen rubber round off the visual appeal.
Although not quite as ground-breaking as the exterior, the interior nonetheless exudes quality, even if it’s a tad sombre. Most of the cabin is swathed in black leather and plastic, with a silver-hued cloth material on the seats to break up some of the monotony along with anthracite-coloured detail on the facia and faux wood trim.
The comfortable front seats boast electric adjustment and heating, as well as a memory function on the driver’s side. With the instruments and controls slightly angled toward the driver, everything is within reach to make a journey, short or long, suitably comfortable. The Optima features dual-zone climate control as well as a multi-function steering wheel which houses satellite controls for the audio system, cruise control, eco-driving mode and Bluetooth.
These are just some of the items on the Optima’s long list of standard specification, which is one of this model’s major drawcards. Other notable features include an eight-speaker Infinity sound system (which is fronted by the dated red-typeface Kia display), xenon headlamps, keyless entry and start and a reverse camera. The active safety features include ABS with EBD, ESC, TCS, BAS and hill-start assist, while passive safety specification includes six airbags, active head restraints and Isofix child-seat mountings.
Another area in which the Optima scored highly was roominess. Granted, it’s large for its class, measuring almost five metres from nose to tail and over 1 800 mm in width (excluding mirrors) but the amount of head- and legroom in the rear allows for seating comfort that is close-to unparalleled in this class.
In terms of storage, the glove-box is large, as are the four door pockets, but the boot space is the real attraction, with 448 dm3 of our measuring blocks fitting in the capacious luggage bay. Unusually large objects can be accommodated with the 60/40 spilt folding rear backrest, which allows for up to 1 178 dm3.
In line with the comfy seats and cavernous interior, the ride of the Optima is supple despite its fancy low-profile boots. The wide rubber must also have had something to do with the fact that the Optima felt more stable and planted than its Hyundai cousin, the Sonata. It improves on the latter’s steering, too, thanks to hydraulic assistance that is direct and well weighted.
The Optima also braked better than its cousin. From 100 km/h to zero, the Kia averaged a good 3,07 seconds after 10 emergency stops.
Test Summary
Although we’ve had to wait for the Optima for two years, its arrival is timeous for buyers and risky for Kia: there are a number of new or revised vehicles in the segment, including the highly impressive 508 and updated Passat. But, Kia has hit the nail square on its head in terms of value for money, striking styling, practicality and quality. If you can stand the noisy engine, unhealthy drinking habits and recalcitrant transmission (we couldn’t, hence why the 508 came out tops in our scoring), you’re buying a classy saloon at a price that makes you wonder why anyone would consider an A4, 3 Series or C-Class.
