Kia Optima 2010 Review - International

Name: Kia Optima 2010 Review - International
Brand: Kia

Kia's new midsize Optima offers a drive as good as it looks

Kia Optima

First Drive
Namyang, South Korea

What we liked

>> Response from 2.4-litre engine; smooth-operating auto
>> Spacious cabin, front to rear
>> Standout styling

Not so much
>> Tyre noise
>> Rearward vision compromised (for short drivers) by rear pillar

It's a pleasant surprise when an affordable car drives as well as it looks, or even looks as good as it drives. Kia's new Optima is one of those cars.

It should look good: Talented stylist Peter Schreyer has been with the Korean brand since 2006, after a long stint with Audi. Clever Kia knows that good style helps move cars, so it called in one of the big guns to help clinch one of the biggest selling points.

Kia's new midsizer is eye-catching at every angle. From its bold frontal styling, through to its resolved profile and tail designed to "resemble a rear-wheel drive car", it's a well-drawn auto. But how does it match behind the wheel? Pretty much as pretty as it is...

We drove a near-to-delivery spec Optima in terms of suspension for local tastes. As-tested at launch the Hyundai i45 copped such a flogging on ride and handling from local motoring journalists that sister brand Kia needed to do better with what is essentially the same car underneath; using the same multilink rear and MacPherson strut front-end set-up.

According to engineers the suspension geometry was optimised to suit the new mid-size sedan's wider track (by 43mm) and longer wheelbase (75mm -- compared to the outgoing Magentis/Sonata twins). Nonetheless Kia insisted on implementing the best ride available for Australian buyers.

For work on the Optima's suspension, much like its styling, Kia called in an expert: In this case Graeme Gambold, Australian engineering ace for Toyota and its rally efforts. He told us Kia's proving ground in Namyang, an hour from Seoul, was as top-notch as any facility he'd been... "And I've worked at a fair few."

Agreed, it's a very neat place: all 870 acres, 10,000 staff, ENCAP-equivalent crash facility, wind tunnel, hot and cold test chamber, 70km test track with 71 different surfaces of it. Of course a lot's going on, including yet more fine-tuning of Kia's midsizer as we write.

Optima's ride during the launch route from South to North Seoul was compliant even over broken road surfaces but with it was a lack of high-speed rebound damping, as worded and agreed by Gambold. That will be fixed by the time the Optima arrives, he assured us.

The Aus-specific suspension will use ZF Sachs shockers: a two-way valve system offering continuously adjustable damping. Sachs equipment is used by the likes of Benz and Audi, but they are proving quite a job in terms of tuning, Gambold admitted.

Apparently Australians' tastes on ride and most of our roads resemble the Europeans so meeting our 'benchmark' for Optima, using Gambold's expertise, means Kia is assured of the best setup for export.

Locally delivered Optimas will also be equipped with hydraulic rack steering in place of the Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) offered in other markets. We took a quick spin in an Optima fitted with the for-Aus arrangement and found it almost too heavy at low speeds -- especially after quite liking the MDPS-equipped version. However during a short stretch at speed and with some cornering, the local-spec steering offered a lot of feedback and stayed well to course.

Kia Motors Australia (KMA) couldn't confirm local engine offerings during the launch -- other than the 2.4-litre four-cylinder version. New Zealand will be offered one of the two (1.7 or 2.0-litre) turbodiesel powerplants available from Hyundai-Kia, prompting KMA to consider the model for Australia.

Preventing the oiler option's arrival here is the current lack of match to an automatic transmission.

The opening one-spec, one-price 2.4-litre petrol offering for Oz will come with a six-speed auto. It's a good combination: the engine has plenty of urge from low down and good tractability in the midrange; it's calm (around 2000revs) and efficient (9L/100km, tops) in overdrive but just a slight nudge on the pedal prompts the transmission to drop a cog or two, and the engine will match the task with a good dose of power, quickly and quietly.

The six-speed can also be used in manual mode, via steering-wheel paddles (left for upshift; right for down) control or centre shift stick. Selecting gears in manual mode is responsive using paddles, however, the levers are quite slim and located at exactly quarter-to-three; requiring drivers place hands exactly where we're told. That's okay, because the steering wheel -- leather-trimmed; wide-ish -- is good to feel and manage.

KMA also couldn't confirm pricing but we suggested a $38K driveaway price would suit; to which other representatives didn't disagree.

For that, the buyer and fellow travellers are treated to a long list of standard-fit cabin comforts including front seat (heating and cooling) ventilation, front and rear sunroofs, well-designed multifunction steering wheel and lots of space all around.

The Optima's remarkable passenger space and well-designed interior should shake up the midsize crowd. Seating (with electrically adjustable settings) is comfortable for front passengers and the rear seats are slightly bucketed for the two outermost spots, which not only adds comfort but looks first-rate. When five-up the middle rear passenger gets a three-point seatbelt.

And for the record, there's still generous knee and legroom in the back with a six-footer up front; seat fully retracted. Same goes for headroom.

Rearward vision for this (average height) driver was compromised by the Optima's wide rear C-pillar, requiring plenty of side mirror checking. Parking is assisted by standard-fit sensors and rear camera, with imaging situated on the rear-view mirror.

We've tried the system in other Kia models (Sportage, Sorento) and find it works well and is unobtrusive in operation.

The sat-nav system on offer to Optima buyers in other markets may not make it here, according to Kia reps. It's a tidy unit (integrated in the centre console) and quick with route guidance but an issue with local telecom providers is preventing integration. Stay tuned.

Local launch for the new Optima is scheduled for January, to coincide with the Australian Open; Kia Motors' longest-running sports sponsorship at eight years now. Kia spokesmen told the Carsales Network the company had recently signed a further deal -- tennis and Kia will be linked through to 2015.

It's all looking good for Kia. Following decent offerings in the small (Cerato), sporty (Cerato Koup) and even quirky (Soul) classes, here's the brand's latest mid-size offering.

Try it... We think you won't be disappointed.

While attending the launch of the new Kia Optima we also were given the opportunity to drive the company's hybrid version. The Optima Hybrid will go on sale in North America sometime in 2011. Visit the Carsales Network again for our drive impressions of the Kia Optima Hybrid.

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Kia Optima 2010 Review - International

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