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Adam Davis26 Mar 2014
REVIEW

Kia Optima 2014 Review

Upgraded Optima boasts sophisticated style and plenty of gadgets for the outlay

2014 Kia Optima SLi and Platinum
Road Test

Kia’s recently upgraded mid-size Optima sedan has a road presence that is hard to ignore, thanks to designer Peter Schreyer’s adventurously-styled exterior. Combine that with a cleanly laid-out cabin, impressive levels of standard-fit equipment and rock-solid road manners, and you have the ingredients for a compelling package, one that is only limited by an outdated driveline. Nevertheless, the Optima remains a solid value proposition, and is available from $30,990 (plus on-road costs).

As my colleague Tim Britten once said to me, “We’re journalists, not designers, so we should steer away from a subjective discussion of styling.” Alliteration aside, he had a point.

With that in mind, I can only go by the reaction of others. And after spending a couple of weeks with the recently upgraded Kia Optima, I concluded that the sophisticated Peter Schreyer-penned sedan drew as many admiring glances as a German sedan three times the price.

For the 2014 Optima, styling tweaks include an updated rear ‘diffuser’ and a redesigned boot lid with integrated lip spoiler. Four front LED foglights (Platinum variant), xenon HID headlights with static cornering functionality and LED daytime running lights (SLi and Platinum) have been added to the front, while the two higher grades ride on new-design 18-inch machine-finish alloys with 225/45-series tyres. Significantly, the new, stiffer alloys contribute to a NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) reduction of 3.3dB over the previous model.

All variants share the same 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, which runs a high 11.3:1 compression ratio for improved efficiency and response – think along the lines of Mazda SKYACTIV. The direct-injection GDi (gasoline direct injection) unit produces a decent 148kW at 6300rpm, but only 250Nm at a high 4250rpm. Claimed combined cycle fuel economy is 7.9L/100km, and it can run on 91 RON unleaded petrol. The engine is mated exclusively to a six-speed automatic transmission, driving the front wheels.

The entry level Si is joined by mid-grade SLi and top-spec Platinum models; the latter variants are the focus of this review.

Priced from $35,990 (plus on-road costs) the SLi boasts a solid equipment specification. Highlights include redesigned, eight-way power adjustable seats with larger side bolsters and additional thigh supports are trimmed in leather, with the caveat that ‘selected high-impact surfaces’ use a leather-like material. The seats also have a two-position memory function, and automatically retreat when the ignition is turned off to ease your exit.

Alloy pedals and leather for the multi-function steering wheel add polish to the control interfaces while standard-fit gearshift paddles add a further touch of class. Dual-zone climate control with rear vents and a 7.0-inch full-colour screen controls the major functions and includes sat-nav and rear-view camera.

A six-speaker sound system with MP3 and iPod/AUX capability – along with Bluetooth streaming audio and phone access – is also included.

Premium paint is the only option, available for $595.

Front and rear parking sensors complement the usual suite of safety controls (stability control with traction control, anti-lock brakes with electronic brake distribution, dusk-sensing headlamps) and there are six airbags, all of which contribute to a five-star ANCAP rating.

As if that listing wasn’t enough, the $40,490 (plus on-roads) Platinum specification is truly sumptuous. It gains specific styling tweaks, an electronic parking brake, blind spot detection, rear cross traffic alert, smart key with push-button start, heated and cooled front seats with four-way electric adjustment for the passenger, auto-fold heated exterior mirrors, panoramic sunroof, rain-sensing front wipers, and an auto defog system.

When you first climb in to the cabin of the Optima Platinum, watch out. The seats, programmed to slide back to allow ease of exit, suddenly shove you towards the steering wheel once the ignition is engaged – not ideal if the previous person to drive the car is a foot shorter. The active headrests are also bulky and hard against your head.

Once suitably adjusted, first impressions are of that cleanly-designed, classily presented interior layout. Sure, the plastics are still cheap when compared to (admittedly more expensive) Euro equivalents, but it’s still a nice place to be.

The driving position is high, even with the wheel adjusted for maximum height; it feels as though you are reaching for it on a downward trajectory.

The sheer height of this position means your head goes close to hitting the panoramic sunroof section, but it doesn’t do much for side and rearward visibility – the striking exterior lines sweeping up towards the back of the cabin, meaning you have to rely a lot more on the blind spot monitoring than you really should.

These issues aside, the interior is otherwise spacious (particularly in the rear) and is a comfortable place to be, with easy to use controls.

Moving off, the throttle pedal is immediately hyper-responsive. It smooths out with further travel – and practice – but you can never quite control that initial jump. Selecting ‘eco’ mode softens throttle response, making it slightly more linear to pressure, but it’s still not great.

This immediacy is possibly designed to give the car a sprightlier feel, perhaps masking the relative lack of torque the Optima’s engine delivers when compared to other medium sedans -- which have largely moved to turbo-diesel or downsized turbo-petrol power.

Under load, the engine becomes noisy, though there is no doubt it is faster than it feels when revving over 4000rpm. The negative to this is fuel consumption: an on-test average of 9.1L/100km on mostly highway roads is a way off the claimed figure.

While the Korean company might not yet have reached its engine technology peak, they certainly have a handle on how a medium-sized sedan should handle. Steering is well weighted and accurate, while the ride/handling balance is even better resolved than, say, a Skoda Octavia’s. Traction is also strong. Kia’s efforts for tuning its product to Australian conditions has really paid off with the Optima.

In addition to its quite agreeable driving experience, styling and still class-leading aftersales service (a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, capped-price servicing with free roadside assist) the Optima range is a winner in the value for money stakes.


2014 Kia Optima Platinum pricing and specifications:

Price: $40,490 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 148kW/250Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.9L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 189g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star (ANCAP)

What we liked: Not so much:
>> Sophisticated exterior styling >> Lack of engine torque
>> Plentiful standard equipment >> Touchy throttle pedal makes smooth driving difficult
>> Ride refinement >> Compromised visibility
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Written byAdam Davis
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