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Kia has come a long way in the past decade.
Once the maker of 'cheap and cheerful' cars it has now become a legitimate
contender for a place inside the top 10 selling brands in Australia thanks to
better quality and more stylish models.
But it
wants to take its image to the next level in the hunt for more buyers, and that
means showcasing its technological prowess. In the case of the new Optima sedan, that will mean
the introduction of a turbocharged petrol engine to the line-up.
The new
engine is likely to arrive with the new car in November. Before then Drive got
a chance to sample the brand's current turbocharged Optima to get an idea of what to
expect.
We test
the 2015 Kia Optima Turbo
before it arrives in Australia later this year. Photo: Supplied
Kia's US operation already offers
a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine that produces 204kW of power and
364Nm of torque. That's a significant improvement on Kia Australia's 2.4-litre
four-cylinder non-turbo, an extra 56kw and 114Nm to be precise.
That's
also more than Hyundai offers in its new Sonata (which will form the basis of
the new Optima as well), which produces 180kW and 350Nm.
Kia is keeping official figures
for the new model Optima
Turbo under wraps until this week's New York motor show, but it is believed the
updated model will continue to offer more performance than the Hyundai.
Kia
will publicly reveal its 2016 Optima at this week's New York motor show,
including an updated turbocharged variant.
But how
does the current one perform and will it improve Kia's chances in Australia?
We
spent two days in the Optima Turbo driving from Los Angeles to Las Vegas,
sampling the Optima Turbo – and the Hybrid (see below) – across a variety of
conditions.
While
the performance is significantly improved over the 2.4-litre model, the extra
power doesn't dramatically alter the character of the Optima – it remains an
appealing mid-sizer, but not a sports sedan.
The
Turbo does however, offer up something the 2.4 lacks: low rev range pulling
power. Around town the Turbo is noticeably nicer to drive, accelerating away
from traffic lights with ease and with less aural fuss from the engine bay;
unlike it's naturally aspirated sibling that needs more revs to get the best
from it.
On the
highway it had no trouble overtaking, again thanks to the extra torque offered
up by the turbocharger.
The
six-speed automatic transmission is well suited to the engine, shifting
smoothly most of the time and keeping the engine in its sweet spot when needed.
But it
isn't all good news for the Turbo. Unlike its European rivals that manage to
combine turbocharged performance with reduced fuel consumption, Kia's more
powerful Optima is heavier on fuel than the 2.4-litre.
With a
claimed combined economy for 9.8-litres per 100km – compared to 7.4L/100km for
the 2.4 – the figure rises the more you access the full potential of the
engine.
Hopefully
that is an area that can be improved with the new model.
And it
will have to be because the competition in the medium sized sedan segment is
heating up in 2015. We have already seen the updated Mazda6, new Subaru
Liberty, new Hyundai Sonata and the all-new Ford Mondeo is just around the
corner.
But
with a new look and turbocharged engine the Optima should be
able to hold its own.
First drive: Kia Optima Hybrid
Kia also gave us a chance
to sample the current generation Optima Hybrid during our time in the US with
the Turbo.
Unlike
the turbocharged model, the Hybrid is unlikely to be added to the Australian
Optima range in the near future.
And
that's not necessarily a bad thing.
The
hybrid system uses a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine paired to an
"electric traction motor" powered by lithium ion batteries. It
produces a combined output of 148kW and 318Nm.
As the
name suggests the electric motor does most of the duties at low speed, taking
care of the initial traction. While that is good for saving fuel around town it
lacks the power to really get the Optima
moving, so it needs to call on the petrol engine quite regularly.
The
problem is it takes valuable seconds to switch the petrol engine on, which
caused a few tense moments during our test drive when we tried to cross a busy
intersection or dive for a gap in traffic.
Another
negative is the fuel consumption, which at a 6.1L/100km on the combined cycle,
is good for the Optima but far from the class leading hybrids and diesels.
Unless
the next generation hybrid powertrain offers significant improvements, Kia Australia might
have made the right call to opt for the Turbo rather than the Hybrid when the
new Optima arrives in November.
Kia Optima Turbo pricing and specifications*
Price: TBA
On sale: New model on sale November
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petol
Power: 204kW
Torque: 364Nm
Transmission: Six-speed
automatic, FWD
Fuel consumption: 9.8L/100km
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