Kia Optima 2011 review

If anybody still doubts Kia's intention to move up in the charts, one look at the mid-sized Optima should change that opinion. As a package intended to win sales votes, it's got more luxury goodies than an Academy Awards schmooze bag. And red carpet looks to match.

Filling the line-up gap left by the unpopular Magentis, the Optima is unfortunately in fairly short supply at the moment, with Kia Australia only able to get 1000 this year. But those arrive here in a single upscale Platinum spec level, with great looks, and some successful effort to make the suspension and steering better suited to Australian tastes.

Value

The $36,990 Optima is as well - or better - kitted out than some higher-priced competitors. The standard list includes full leather upholstery, eight-way powered driver's seat (four-way for front passenger and heating/cooling for both), premium Infinity audio system with AUX/USB/iPod compatibility, electric folding mirrors, headlight washers, panoramic sunroof, cooling glovebox, rear parking camera with direction guides integrated into the rear view mirror, reverse parking sensors and dusk-sensing automatic headlights. Sadly, no satnav at this stage.

The Belgium-built Ford Mondeo Zetec hatch is $750 more and misses out on most of the Optima's upper levels of equipment, but has a better engine with the benefit of turbocharging. There's a non-turbo Mondeo hatch for $30,990, but it's the base model and so far down on the Optima's spec you'd think the countries of origin were reversed.

The Optima's kissing cousin is the Hyundai i45 Premium sedan (there's no hatch) at $2000 more with the same platform, great styling and similar spec - while it misses out on things like the CD stacker and rear camera, and adds satnav - but poorer ride and handling.

The Toyota Camry Grande is $3000 more, and has similar spec to the Optima, although it rides on 17-in alloys and a sunroof costs extra. It leads the sales race with more than double the Mondeo in second place, and that's probably not going to change any time soon. But it's not going to win any style contests - although a new one is on the way with a les bland face.

Honda's Accord Euro Luxury is $3150 more, but is still the best all-rounder package in the segment, combining a good engine with solid quality, excellent comfort and well-stacked equipment list, including 10-speaker stereo, front parking sensors and trailer sway sensors.

The Mazda6 Luxury sedan is the most expensive of the sales leaders at close to $4000 more, and is also about on par with spec, with the major omission a reversing camera. This is the one to go for if you want a fun drive, but the firm ride could be tiring if it's intended as a family vehicle. There's a Mazda6 hatch in Luxury Sports spec, with the main extras being premium Bose audio and adaptive bi-xenon headlights, but the $43,415 price is $7000 more than the Optima - a psychological jump too far for most shoppers.

Design

It looks classy and sharp, but with styling inside and out pitched to appeal across a broad range of tastes. Visibility is good, and the panoramic double sunroof helps to open up the cabin visually - although it's a trial for tall-torso drivers - while split-fold rear seats help make the most of the space.

Touches that give it that 'bit extra' include the alloy sports pedals and illuminated badging on the door sills, and we're big fans of little practicalities like the sun visor extensions - all cars should have these. But we would be happy to ditch the fake woodgrain with its slight glitter effect in the sunlight.

Safety

It hasn't yet been given an ANCAP rating, however earlier this year it got the full five stars in US crash testing. Safety is looked after with six airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners and active headrests, hill-start assist, stability and traction controls systems, anti-lock brakes with brake-force distribution that calculates what's needed at each wheel for uneven load weight, and brake assist for panic stops.

Technology

It gets the Hyundai i45's 2.4-litre direc-injection four-cylinder engine, developing 148kW of power and - a much-needed - 250Nm of torque, and delivering that to the front wheels via a six-speed sequential automatic with paddle-shifters on the steering wheel.

Optima gets the benefit of underpinning revisions to suit Aussie driving styles. Work on the new hydraulic power steering and the springs and dampers of the suspension system - McPherson Strut front and fully-independent rear - have given the car better ride and handling than the i45 with the same components.

Driving

The Optima's only really jarring note is the one you hear when you turn the key. Cold starts produce a sound so coarse you'd be forgiven for thinking it's a diesel. That improves as it warms up, and settles down to being merely a bit unrefined.

It's willing enough, but there's just no sparkle. Above 80km/h it's searching for more torque, and has to reach up to 4500rpm to find it. At that stage, the noise suggests you're about to take off smartly, but instead it delivers only a sedate climb up the speedo.

The transmission is smooth and the paddles on the steering wheel are handy to try and tickle the engine, but the insipid effect when you use them doesn't match up to the promise of their existence. It kicks down quickly enough on a gearchange, or on hills, but the engine sound is not matched by the result.

However there's no complaint about its road manners. It's both comfortable over bad surfaces and at the same time very surefooted, with even swift cornering not a bother for it, while the brakes are strong and progressive.

And aside from the outdated fake woodgrain, the overall cabin impression is of quality and refinement, with little noise intrusion except for a bit of wind rush around the upper windscreen - and that cold engine.

Verdict

Kia has put a high price on the Optima - about $10,000 more than the 2009 Magentis it replaces - but with all that equipment, it's still a bargain. However, the Korean tiger has got so many things so right with the car, it's a shame it doesn't have a better unit under the bonnet. It deserves one.