Kia Optima (From York Press)

Kia Optima

4:14pm Friday 27th January 2012 in Road Test By Steve Nelson

THERE was a time when discerning customers would not have given a Kia saloon a second glance. Except maybe to turn up their noses.

But that was in the bad old days when the lacklustre – and now defunct – Magentis was pitched against Europe and Japan’s finest and came off very much second-best.

Fast-forward to 2012, and here we have the Optima, a most handsome offering from the Korean manufacturer, following in the footsteps of the excellent Cee’d and Rio hatchbacks, Picanto supermini and Sportage SUV.

It comes as no surprise, then, that the Optima looks the business. In fact its designer, Peter Schreyer, likens its clean, stylish and uncomplicated cut to that of a fine Italian suit.

It goes on sale next month with one very big eye on the fleet market, offering high levels of standard specification, low running costs and a price tag that dips under £20,000.

Although Kia is, in effect, only dipping its toes into the overcrowded waters of the D segment in the UK, it should be pointed out that the Optima is already a global success. It is in such demand in the United States that Kia has had to build a factory in Georgia just to keep pace.

However, wheareas our American cousins relish the inclusion of a 2.4-litre petrol engine, over here the Optima will be offered only with a diesel engine – a new 134bhp version of Kia’s 1.7-litre CRDi unit that has given sterling service in the Sportage.

But whereas the choice of engines is limited, to say the least, Kia has given its new baby plenty of toys.

The Optima offers features never previously attainable on a Kia, including a high-end Infinity audio system that delivers 550W of high-fidelity sound through 12 speakers in eight different locations throughout the car.

Self-parking, heated and coolventilated seats, cornering lights, a panoramic sunroof, reverse parking camera and an automatic cabin defogging system are also available, as is a six-speed automatic transmission.

In short, the design team has created a car that people would never previously have expected from Kia.

The dashing Optima has a coupe-like profile, highlighted by bold, flared wheel arches.

Inside, the entry-level Optima has Kia’s familiar three-cylinder instrumentation, while all other versions have a premium Supervision cluster with a 3.5-inch thinfilm transistor (TFT) full-colour information screen flanked by a tachometer on one side and a speedometer on the other.

The Optima is based on an all-new platform which ensures it has classleading passenger and luggage space and safety features, while being no larger than its competitors.

In terms of comfort and convenience, Kia seems to have thought of everything, and it has not skimped on the safety features either.

With automatic transmission, Kia joins an elite group of just three automotive manufacturers to have designed, developed and built its own six-speed automatic gearbox.

A gate-type shift pattern offers the driver a choice of two operating modes - fully automatic for town use, or drive for a more involving driving style. In drive, the driver can perform clutch-less sequential manual changes - up or down - via steering column-mounted paddles.

The Optima comes in Kia’s familiar 1, 2 and 3 trim grades, but the mid-range 2 versions offer buyers the options of ‘Luxe’ or ‘Tech’ variants. With alloy wheels, Bluetooth, air conditioning, electric windows and cruise control available in base trim, you could easily stop there. Move up the range and you can start thinking about a reversing camera, the superior audio unit, parking assist system and a panoramic sunroof.

Yes, you get a lot of car for your money.

fact file

Kia Optima

PRICE: £19,595 (Optima 1 manual) to £25,995 (Optima 3 auto)

ENGINE: 1.7-litre diesel generating 134bhp

TRANSMISSION: six-speed manual (auto option available)

PERFORMANCE: 0 to 60mph in 10.2 seconds, top speed 125mph (manual); 0 to 60mph in 11.5 seconds, top speed 122mph (auto)

ECONOMY: 57.6mpg (manual); 47.1mpg (auto)

CO2 RATING: 128g/km (manual); 158g/km (auto)