What's in the works for Optima?

There's an insatiable global demand for the new Kia Optima, we're told -- a demand barely slaked by the best efforts of the South Korean factory building the car.

The ratio of demand to supply will balance out once the American market establishes its own plant in Georgia to manufacture the car. In the meantime, the one factory assembling the Optima is producing the cars at the fastest possible rate... and limited to one basic specification powered by the 2.4-litre Theta II direct-injected petrol engine for Australia.

Kia never planned for the Optima to be a one-trick pony, and according to National Public Relations Manager for Kia Australia, Kevin Hepworth, there's an opportunity begging for the Optima range to be expanded in the local market with a range of different drivetrains.

A new 2.0-litre 'NU' engine is to go into production in May or June, Hepworth told the Carsales Network during the promotional event for the new car.

"It would make a perfect fleet car [in the Optima]," he said, "but you have to get it [first]." It's not certain how long and hard Kia would pester the factory for such a variant -- with the low profit margins that go hand-in-hand with fleet vehicles.

Hepworth seemed more interested in the possibility of a turbocharged engine for the Optima. Hybrid power is a possibility too for the Australian market. Production of the petrol/electric Optima is due to commence in April and Kia will decide then whether the car will be engineered for right-hand drive application also -- which would leave the door open for the Optima Hybrid to reach Australia.

One version we're fairly unlikely to see here -- although it does exist -- is a diesel variant. As we reported earlier, there are two turbodiesel engines available for the Optima, one of which will be marketed in New Zealand. There's no automatic option to go with either diesel, which would limit the sales appeal of the compression-ignition Optima, and Hepworth was doubtful that either one (1.7 or 2.0-litre) would make it here. He also explained that Kia has set aside as much diesel output as it can currently spare for its SUVs. There's little left over for auto-driving right-hand drive markets that only import a handful a year.

For the handful of drivers willing to give the Optima a go with diesel power that's sad, because the torque of a 2.0-litre turbodiesel -- allied to the Optima's excellent six-speed automatic transmission if possible -- would elevate what is already an impressive car to a whole new level of competence.

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