|
|
|
|
30/01/2011
By EWAN KENNEDY
|
|
|
Kia has introduced an entirely new Optima four-door sedan to Australia. One that breaks new grounds in styling, with the most striking shape yet to be produced by the South Korean company’s German designer Peter Schreyer.
Even better news for Australia drivers is that the Kia Optima has had its suspension and steering specifically tailored for Australian conditions. The work was done in this country by local suspension guru Graeme Gambold in conjunction with senior Korean engineers who flew here to sample Australian backroads and to understand the way Aussies like to drive. We will say more about this work when we come to the driving impressions section of this review.
It goes without saying that the large Kia Optima sedan has the now-familiar ‘Schreyer’ radiator grille with its indented upper and lower horizontal surfaces, but this time around the indentations have been repeated in the shape of the top edge of the windscreen. It’s not the most obvious of styling features, but it makes an interesting statement.
The most outstanding sections of the new Kia Optima’s shape are above the waistline. The domed upper surface and high waistline remind us of the Mercedes CLS and VW Passat CC. In the Optima the dome shape is further emphasised by a wide chromed strip that runs from the base of the A-pillar, over the upper sections of the doors and then ends at the lower section of the C-pillar. This visually separates the roof from the glass and really draws attention to itself.
Inside, the Kia Optima has a big focus on the driving position, with a Saab-like dash layout that works nicely. The quality of the interior finish and materials is almost as good as that of a Japan car in this class.
Kia is very keen to promote the new Optima against Toyota Camry, Honda Accord Euro, Ford Mondeo, Mazda6 and others, so is only importing one highly specified variant, the Optima Platinum. One of the upmarket features is a European style panoramic sunroof and this black glass ties in neatly with the aforementioned chromed arches that frame it at the sides.
Other standard features on the new Kia Optima Platinum include an Infinity seven-speaker audio system that can communicate with various types of MP3 players, including, of course iPods; leather trim, including the steering wheel and gear selector; keyless entry and engine start-stop; cruise control; a reversing camera, using Kia’s normal method of running the display in the rear-vision mirror; a comprehensive trip computer and alloy pedals.
Safety features include daytime running lights, ABS brakes with brake assist, ESP (Electronic Stability Program), active headrests and six airbags.
One luxury item that is missing from the list of Optima features is a satellite navigation system. Its development hasn’t yet been completed in Korea, but when that work is finalised it’s expected be added to Australian models within a matter of months. Other than that you get a huge amount of equipment in a car costing just $36,990, plus on-road costs.
Power comes form a 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine producing up to 148 kW of power and 250 Nm of torque. The latter is an impressive figure from a 2.4-litre engine as getting 100 Newton metres per litre of engine capacity is not an easy task.
Having strong torque means an engine can provide good performance while minimising emissions and fuel use. So it’s no surprise that the Optima’s engine has an official rating of just 7.9 litres per hundred kilometres when measured on the combined cycle.
All Kia Optimas sold in Australia will have the convenience of a six-speed automatic transmission. It features semi-manual operation by way of paddles behind the steering wheel as well as by the floor selector.
On our initial road test review, as part of the press launch out of Melbourne, we found the engine and transmission to work nicely together. The lower automatic ratios are low to give decent punch off the line, while fifth and sixth make for relaxed open-road cruising.
Engine performance is good without being exciting as the Optima isn’t in the sports sedan market.
What is relatively sporting in the new Kia Optima Platinum is the steering and handling offered by a setup that was specifically designed for Australia. Steering input is prompt, the car feeds back its intentions to the driver well and the Optima is happy to corner briskly in a neat and neutral manner. Only when it’s pushed hard does some safe understeer enter the equation.
However, the use of 18-inch alloy wheels and low profile tyres to tie in with the latest fashion fad means the Optima can be harsh on very rough roads. It handles normal bush roads with ease, it’s only the really bad one that trouble it. This is probably due to the rather stiff design of the Korean tyres than of the suspension itself. Road/tyre noise is generally subdued but on some coarse-chip surfaces we found a fair bit of noise getting into the cabin.
Other than in these aforementioned conditions, the big new Kia Optima Platinum sedan provides quiet, relaxing travel that sees it eat up the miles with a minimum of fuss.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Print Article
Submit Feedback
Email This Article
