Kia is a cute little Korean carmaker that makes cute little cars for cute little girls with cute little budgets. And if you believe that, I’ve got a cute little piece of real estate in downtown Mogadishu to sell you.
True, Kia’s more well-known for its little cars. Picanto and Rio for example. But it’s these cars, which it sells by the millions to buyers with cute budgets, that’s given the brand the confidence to extend its reach to bigger cars. Bigger cars such as this one - the new Optima.
Without pigeonholing the Optima into a specific segment, let me just say that it’s quite large. Not only by Kia standards, but sedans in general. My perception is that this car could compete with cars such as the Mazda6, Honda Accord and Volkswagen Passat. And I’m not only talking about exterior dimension comparisons here.
With all the experience I’ve acquired in smaller Kias over the past few years, I half expected this newcomer to be flavoured somewhat similarly. Which would mean it would be built well, but simply, with plenty of black plastic, plain red backlighting on budget radio displays and not much in the way of exciting toys. Basically a swelled-up take on a Cerato or something like that.
MAGIC BITS
But oh, how wrong I was, and upon first encounter the car was quick to point out some of its magic bits that put it into the same ballpark as aforementioned machines gizmo-wise. First, the doorlocks and ignition operate keylessly, and while I know it’s a feature common to many cars today, here it worked flawlessly - and that’s more than I can say for some fancier and more expensive German cars.
Once inside you’re greeted with an impressive chime that sounds more like a modern smartphone’s ring than the old polyphonic-type “ding” you’ll usually get when a door’s open, or seatbelt’s undone, or the ignition’s armed. There’s also a nifty TFT-style screen between the speedo and revcounter that displays cool animations in full colour on entry and exit. This screen, again as in more expensive German cars, also reads out trip data and entertainment details, and it’s a main focal point for the driver. That said, the radio display’s still of the same red backlit ilk as more entry-level Kias, and strangely doesn’t recognise RDS signals so you’ll need to tune your favourite station by frequency rather than by name.
Kia, and its sister brand Hyundai for that matter, don’t really do optional extras, which means everything but a R10 000 sunroof is included in the relative bargain price of R306 000. And in this case “everything” includes heated and cooled seats, a multi-function steering wheel, cruise control, partial leather upholstery, xenon headlights, cool-looking LED running lights, a reversing camera, rain-sensing wipers, auto headlights and electric adjustments for both front seats.
Excellent value for money here.
But, as much as the car impresses with all of its gadgets and gizmos, it’s let down by other factors. Power comes via a fairly low-tech naturally-aspirated 2.4-litre four with quoted outputs of 132kW and 231Nm. I wouldn’t say there’s a terrible lack of gusto because the Optima does what it needs to to keep up with city hustle and bustle, but it does seem to moan about it.
The engine feels a little too laboured for this big-bodied sedan, and its harsh revs almost always penetrate the cabin. On one occasion I drove the car full-up with four passengers (rear legroom is brilliant by the way), which required excessive volume from the booming Infinity stereo system (with subwoofer) that Kia’s cleverly included as standard kit because it needs it.
The six-speed automatic transmission’s also a bit old-school mechanically. It changes gear smoothly but unintuitively, and the standard shift paddles are disappointingly slow in operation. Surprisingly the Optima gets hydraulic power steering (almost all Korean cars today are electrically-assisted), but its feel and feedback is in no way comparable to the three cars I mentioned earlier. Very numb and springy. This car might look like a sports saloon but that’s where it ends.
The ride too isn’t ideal. In most situations I’d call it acceptable, but the 18” alloy wheels and 45 profile rubber makes it a little crashy over bumpy surfaces. Not any more so than all other big-wheeled sedans that compromise function for form anyway.
The style of said wheels also deserves a mention; decide for yourself what you think. We think they look like they came off the milling machine before they were finished.
VERDICT
The Optima gets some serious spec for the money with all kinds of fun gadgets not normally associated with Kia. But do they outweigh its trip-ups in performance? I’d say yes, especially at this price. But if driver satisfaction tops your list of requirements, look elsewhere. At least until this brand, with three cute little letters in its name, ups its game in engine and gearbox development. - Star Motoring
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