“Kia’s
Optima saloon is back in
contention —
the all-new model is
classier looking and better to drive,
and is
fighting its corner in the
family car ring from a position of
strength...”
UNDENIABLY
A 'LOOKER' and fronted by the brand's hallmark 'tiger nose' grille, the wider
and longer Optima's 1.7-litre CRDi turbodiesel has gained a bit more power and
torque along with a worthwhile 25% improvement in fuel economy. Also strongly
adding to its appeal is a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.
Measuring a smidgen short of 4.9 metres nose-to-tail, the Optima's got both
street presence and kerb appeal; viewed from any angle it's a sporty-looking
machine. Particularly so at the nose where wide wraparound light units create
a shapely unbroken band with the black-and-chrome 3D-effect grille, running
back into the wings and the blistered front wheelarches housing machine-faced
18-inch alloy wheels.
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“Inside
the Optima
you’ll find the
reason a significant
number of drivers still
prefer big saloon cars —
space.
Of which, courtesy of
its increased wheelbase
and extra width, the Kia
has plenty...”
|
Subtle
but savoury touches add class: the clusters of triple pentagonal-shaped fog
lights grouped either side of the lower grille; tasteful chrome inserts in the
door handles; and the chrome strip running down from the roof over the flowing
rear three-quarter panel to the spoiler-shaped boot lid.
Inside you'll find the reason a significant number of drivers still prefer big
saloon cars — space. Of which, courtesy of the Optima's increased
wheelbase and extra width, you'll find plenty.
Swing open a front door — they open wide for easy entry and exit.
The driver's seat is the easiest to get into thanks to a 'comfort' feature that
automatically retracts it (normal or extended, depending what suits you best)
when you open the door. Once you're seated, it moves back to precisely where
you had it last time you drove. A two-setting memory makes it more convenient
if you need to share driving duties with another.
The seats, upholstered in black leather with perforated centre panels, are well-contoured
and accommodating. With 8-way power adjustment as well as four-way power lumbar
they're comfortable from the off; and thanks to 3-stage heating and 3-stage
cooling they're even comfier on long journeys, summer or winter. There's loads
of space around each seat, even for taller and stockier drivers, and legroom
is especially good — and doesn't short-change the passenger sitting
immediately behind.
It's not just your back that will be warm on cold days but your hands and fingers
too because the sporty, satin black, three-spoke steering wheel's rim is also
heated. Top-trim versions with the dual-clutch autobox also get paddle shifters
on the wheel for when you want to be master and commander and override the autobox
to make manual gear changes.
A Drive Mode Select function offers the choice of three different driving modes:
Eco, Normal, or Sport. And you'll find an aluminium-finish engine Start/Stop
button on the fascia behind the grippy leather wheel-rim.
It
goes without saying that a perfect driving position is easily set (and memorised)
and it's made better by excellent visibility from behind the wheel. The instrument
pack contains two easy-to-read traditional dials for revs and speed, set either
side of a 4.3-inch digital display screen.
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“Another
welcome ‘first’
is the wireless charger
for mobile devices.
It switches on
automatically when a
phone is placed in the
charging tray and warns
drivers and passengers
if they are about to
leave the car with their
phone still on
the charging pad...”
|
This
easily configured driver's information display shows all the normal trip data
such as range and mpg as well as essentials such as roadside speed limit signs
(also repeated on the main screen's navigation maps), current gear, and a digital
mph read-out. Add to that the raft of functions controlled by your fingers on
the wheel itself (voice, media, navigation, cruise, etc) and you'll always be
as informed as you need to be.
Also
making life easy in the top-spec '4' model is keyless entry and start, 2-zone
climate control, electric park brake (with auto hold), auto-dimming rearview
mirror, heated powerfold door mirrors (on demand and automatically on locking
and leaving), auto lights and wipes, automatic drive-off door locking, a reversing
camera (with audible front and rear parking sensors), a tilting and sliding
panoramic glass roof with one-shot operation, electric windows (all one-shot
up/down), DAB radio with MP3 compatibility, Bluetooth hands-free with audio
streaming, and Kia Connected Services with TomTom that provides traffic and
speed camera alerts, weather reports and local search information.
The quieter interior is also a good place to listen to the 590-watt, 10-speaker
harman kardon Premium Sound system that's been optimised for the Optima. It
comes with an external amplifier with programmed Digital Signal Processing and
QuantumLogic Surround, which identifies individual instruments and voices and
presents them in a precise, multi-channel sound stage.
Another welcome 'first' in its class is the Optima's wireless charger for mobile
devices. Located in the base of the centre console it switches on automatically
when a phone (or MP3 player) is placed there and displays the phone's charge
status in the instrument cluster. An inbuilt safety system prevents overheating,
and drivers and passengers are warned if they are about to leave the car with
their phone still on the charging pad.
On top of all that, occupying centre-stage in the dash is an 8-inch touchscreen
infotainment system with SatNav. The touchscreen responds quickly to your fingertip
and graphics are sharp and clear; 'hard' buttons beneath the screen can be used
for direct access to all the infotainment menus.
For a family car the Optima comes with enough cubbies and storage to satisfy
the average clan — the lockable glovebox is refreshingly large,
there's a drop-down holder for your sunglasses, plenty of cupholders, and a
very large bin between the front seats with a lift-out top tray capped by a
lift-up armrest.
|
“Travelling
in the
Optima’s back cabin is a
very civilised affair:
the backrests are set at
lounging angles so
occupants can stretch
out and make use of
the decent leg and
knee room.
The well-shaped seats
are comfy and
all the better for having
two-stage heating...”
|
Driver
aids and new active safety features include unique-in-class twin-radar Autonomous
Emergency Braking — this uses both short- and long-range radar systems
to detect vehicles and pedestrians: the short-range radar operates at typical
city speeds of up to 31mph; between 19mph and 50mph the longer-range radar also
comes into play. The pedestrian detection function operates at up to 37mph).
Advanced
Smart Cruise Control, Dynamic Bending Headlights, Smart Park Assist (guides
the car in and out of parallel and perpendicular spaces; it also has a 360-degree
Around-View Monitor linked to four strategically mounted cameras to give the
driver a bird's-eye view of the car when manoeuvring), Rear Cross Traffic Alert
(warns a driver who is about to back out of a perpendicular parking bay that
there is a vehicle approaching at right angles), Lane Keep Assist (alerts a
tired driver who may be about to stray into the path of a vehicle approaching
from behind — very effective!).
In addition there's Speed Limit Information, Blind Spot Monitoring, High Beam
Assist (switches automatically between full and dipped beam when there are other
vehicles in its vicinity), Electronic Stability Control and Vehicle Stability
Management, Hill-start Assist, and Tyre Pressure Monitoring. And when it comes
to airbags, both front seats have them front and side, plus there are also two
full-length side curtain bags.
But it's not just the advanced connectivity systems and sheer number of helpful
driver aids that make the Optima's cabin a good place to be, but also the fittings
and furnishings — along with the de rigueur leather and pampering
heated and ventilated seats, there's an all-new fascia enhanced by stylish high-gloss
piano black inserts and tasteful satin highlights.
Travelling in the Optima's rear cabin is a very civilised affair: the backrests
are set at proper lounging angles so occupants can stretch out and make use
of the decent leg and knee room. The seats are well-shaped and comfy, and all
the better for having two-stage heating. Rear passengers have their own heating
controls as well as side mesh sunshades that pull up out of the doors. Cup holders
are built into the wide central armrest than folds away if three need to use
the back seat.
Other
niceties include USB charging points for larger devices, door bins able to hold
cans and small bottles, magazine pockets, nice reading lights and damped grabs.
Capping
it all is the large glass roof that runs quite a way back and keeps the pleasant
ambiance well lit. If the sun's rays aren't for you then there's a powered sunblind
to keeps things cool on cricket-friendly days.
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“There’s
a nice spread of
power and it’s
all
easily accessible via
the autobox whether you
choose to leave it to just
get on with it or select
Sport mode for a more
get-up-and-go drive...”
|
Big
car; big boot. The large boot lid flips up over the rear screen out of the
way for unrestricted loading into the wide and fairly long boot; despite a
short drop over the sill to the boot floor, 510 litres of luggage can be easily
packed in. Pulling the release levers in the boot drops the 60:40 split/fold
seatbacks down level on their bases and creates a versatile cargo bay for
bigger loads.
Under
the bonnet is Kia's extensively revised 1.7-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel;
outputs have been raised and the EU6 emissions-compliant unit now delivers
139bhp and 250lb ft of toque from 1,750rpm.
Paired
with either a six-speed manual or seven-speed (7DCT) dual-clutch automatic
gearbox, the paper figures are good with the Optima taking 10.6 seconds to
hit 60mph from standstill and running on to a top speed of 126mph. And when
it comes to road tax its 116g/km of CO2 keeps it down at a low £30 from year
two.
There's
a nice spread of power and it's all easily accessible via the dual-clutch
autobox whether you choose to leave it to just get on with it or select the
Sport mode for a more get-up-and-go driving style. Whichever you choose, the
1.7 is smoothly up to the task. If you don't want the on-the-boil urge of
Sport then Normal is fine as you've got the steering wheel paddles to quickly
downshift for sudden bursts of acceleration — which keeps things
far more under your control than flooring the accelerator pedal and triggering
kick-down.
We were pleasantly surprised to find that the Eco mode is very easy to live
with — driveability isn't compromised even though it's saving
you fuel. Even in the Eco setting the 1.7 pulls tellingly from low down with
real-world economy staying on the good side of 45mpg — all without
making you feel that you're 'driving economically'.
With
the body's torsional rigidity up by 50% and major revisions to the suspension
and steering, the Optima sports sharper dynamics. A rack-mounted, motor-driven
power-assisted system has made the steering quicker and more responsive. Grip
is good and you feel connected to the blacktop, body roll is well controlled
and the handling is tidy and well mannered, all of which makes for a more
engaging drive. On motorways, even blustery ones, the Optima feels securely
planted and inside it's unruffled and quiet 'in the cruise'.
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“Big
car; big boot.
The large boot lid flips
up over the rear screen
out of the way for
unrestricted loading into
a wide and fairly long
boot that holds 510 litres
of luggage...”
|
Ride
comfort also benefits from the stiffer body and suspension tweaks —
on the move the Optima feels compliant and unfazed by bumps and poorer blacktop
and Kia's engineers have clearly made the right call when signing-off on the
Optima's handling and ride compromise — drivers will feel confident
pressing-on while their passengers will remain at ease. Exactly how it should
be in a sporty family saloon.
In a similar way to how Volvo now offers a level playing-field alternative to
an Audi, BMW or Merc, the Optima adds an attractive and credible 'fourth way'
to those already contemplating the likes of a Mondeo, Insignia or Passat. The
distinctive-looking Optima is a polished 'all-rounder'. And don't forget that
when it comes to warranty, the Optima holds a trump card over all its rivals
— Kia's industry-leading seven-year/100,000-mile warranty.
More breaking good news: later this year (2016) the petrol-engined GT will be
available, as well as a sporty GT-Line trim model. And by early autumn there'll
be a plug-in electric hybrid (PHEV) Optima with a commuter-friendly, all-electric
drive range with even lower emissions and greater taxation advantages. Watch
this space!
—
MotorBar
|
Kia Optima 4 1.7 CRDi 7DCT ISG
| £28,895
Maximum speed: 126mph | 0-60mph: 10.6 seconds | Test Average: 46.1mpg
Power: 139bhp | Torque: 250lb ft | CO2: 116g/km
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