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First Drive: Kia Optima

By / 8 years ago / Road Tests / No Comments

Sector: Upper Medium Price: £21,495–£28,895 Fuel: 37.7–67.3mpg CO2: 110–175g/km

The Optima’s runaway success when it was launched in North America five years ago was arguably a turning point for the company there. It proved such a success that European buyers had to wait while Kia struggled to keep up with demand.

The ingredients were right, a comfortable D-segment saloon car with its eyes set on mainstream rivals like the Volkswagen Passat, Ford Mondeo, Vauxhall Insignia, as well as the Peugeot 508, Mazda6 and Toyota Avensis. Something was lacking in the chassis department though, which held it back from taking on models like the Mondeo.

Four years later, it may seem strange that the Optima is being replaced by a car that looks remarkably similar. The timescale has everything to do with the US success that delayed its arrival here. The Optima is five years old and Kias don't usually live much longer without replacement.

Don’t be fooled by the similar looks. Underneath it has been considerably revised to offer a range of improvements. The wheelbase is 10mm longer at 2,805mm, adding 10mm to overall length at 4,855mm. At the same time, it is 25mm wider and 10mm taller. That means more leg, knee and shoulder room.

Externally, aerodynamics are improved with a drag factor of 0.29Cd. Nine colours will be on offer and all models will have alloy wheels. Next year a station wagon version will join the range, essential across Europe, while there will also be a petrol/electric hybrid and a plug-in hybrid during 2016.

It is not yet clear whether the new 2.0-litre petrol engine that will be available elsewhere in Europe will be offered to UK buyers. The 1.7-litre diesel, carried over from the outgoing model but with power raised to 139bhp, will power most models sold here.

The diesel will give combined fuel consumption of up to 67.3mpg with CO2 emissions of 110g/km for the six-speed manual or 116g/km for the new seven-speed dual clutch transmission, which replaces the six-speed automatic.

Out on the road, even in the torrential rain we experienced, the car feels completely different from its predecessor, mainly because 50% of the body structure is now made up using advanced high-strength steel, giving it the chassis capable of taking on its European rivals. Optima now feels like the car the previous model could have been. The revisions bring lower noise levels which makes it a more refined cruiser than it was before too.

The extra interior space is a definite plus for occupants front and rear. There is now a comprehensive suite of standard safety equipment including seven airbags and Kia’s vehicle stability management (VSM) system. Options include advanced smart cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping assist, high beam assist, blind spot detection and rear cross traffic alert.

So for what’s actually quite a mild exterior change, there’s a revolution beneath the Optima’s skin which means Kia finally has a challenger for the European market leaders.

Verdict:

Optima is all the better for the revisions in the new car. The station wagon and hybrid models will give it even more fleet appeal as the range grows in 2016.

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