Like
makers of other products, car manufacturers conduct market research to
determine what kinds of people are likely to buy their vehicles. When
they present the results of that research at a launch event for a new or
redesigned vehicle, we journalists are shown photos of beautiful people
surfing, browsing antiques, or entertaining friends in their
expensively-furnished urban homes. The reality, of course, is that no
matter how much money someone spends on a new car, they (and it) will
probably spend more time stuck in workday traffic or rushing to their
kid’s hockey practice than they do buying pricey, artfully distressed
furniture.
Kia, however, takes a more realistic view of who it expects to buy its redesigned
Optima family
sedan. People shopping for this type of car apparently enjoy walking
and hiking, traveling within Canada, going to movies and–are you sitting
down for this?–baking from scratch. These are all perfectly fine
activities, but certainly more ordinary than what we normally hear from
an automaker promoting its newest design which, for Kia, doesn’t push
boundaries. Styling evolved from the outgoing Optima (introduced in
2011) hides the fact this car has been significantly re-engineered,
riding on a wheelbase stretched 10 mm. There’s also 10 mm more overall
length, but most dramatic is a body 30 mm wider, an increase emphasized
by styling that, as one writer in the room said, makes the car look “a
foot wider.” That is what Kia’s designers were going for, said Kia
Canada’s PR boss: to create a dramatic look that impresses when viewed
in other drivers’ rearview mirrors.
There
are other elements worth looking at, too: simple taillights effectively
link the Optima to other recent Kia designs like the Sedona minivan and
Sorento SUV, and all models trade fog lights (which are not offered on
any trim) for functional air ducts (they’re more obvious on SX and SXL
models) to aid aerodynamics and help cool the front brakes. They also
make the car look a bit more Camry-esque than Kia would probably like to
admit.
Maybe
there’s something to that resemblance. Kia names Camry as one of its
key competitors here, along with the Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, and the
Optima’s platform twin, the Hyundai Sonata. Interestingly, Kia includes a
drivetrain choice that its Hyundai parent has not yet built into the
Sonata line: a 1.6L turbocharged four-cylinder engine matched with a
seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The same combo is, however,
available in Hyundai’s Veloster Turbo and in certain versions of its new
Tucson crossover.
Kia
seems aware that this is a bit of a daring choice for a family sedan:
for now, that pairing is available in just one trim, called LX Tech (The
day after we published this, Kia Canada let us know that, in order to
avoid confusion caused by the similar names of the LX Tech and EX Tech
packages, they will instead call 1.6L models LX ECO Turbo. –Ed.),
found third from the bottom of seven packages available. In this
application, the engine makes 178 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque, more or
less matching the Tucson’s output, but giving up more than 20 hp to the
Veloster.
Turbo
motors in family sedans aren’t news any more, but a dual-clutch
transmissions certainly is: Kia is second only to Volkswagen in dropping
one into a mid-priced sedan. Sadly, this one’s performance doesn’t live
up to the hype created by the best of the breed: it lacks the seamless
shift feel of VW’s six-speed DSG, and even with the drive mode selector
set to ‘sport’ (the other options are ‘normal’ and ‘eco’), automatic
downshifts don’t happen as promptly as they should.
That’s
all a shame, because the 1.6L turbo deserves a better dance partner.
With peak torque happening from 1,500 rpm through 4,500, it feels
stronger from a stop than its horsepower figure might suggest, and more
potent overall than the 2.4L four-cylinder (185 hp/178 lb-ft) carried
over to power four other Optima trims.
The
one to rule them all, of course, is a 2.0L turbocharged mill also
brought forward from the outgoing Optima. It’s a bit less powerful than
before, with 245 hp and 260 lb-ft, but remains a sweet performer,
handily running the Optima up and down the hilly roads around Aspen,
Colorado, where Kia staged the Optima launch event.
Kia
left 2.4L models out of the mix for this preview drive, which is no
surprise: turbo motors are much better at adapting to the relative lack
of oxygen at high elevations like Aspen’s 2,400 meters (8,000 feet) than
are engines that breathe without forced induction.
Both
2.4L and 2.0L models get a traditional (rather than a fancy
dual-clutch) six-speed automatic transmission that is generally a better
performer than the 1.6’s seven-speed. Curiously, 2.0L cars are the only
ones to get steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. No big surprise,
given that the SX and SXL trims using that engine are considered the
‘sport’ sedans of the bunch, but in that context, the six-speed
disappoints with its slow reaction times and lack of a rev-matching
function in manual downshifts. Instead, the seven-speed, which does have
a rev-match feature, can only be worked manually via the shift lever.
According
to Kia’s fuel consumption estimates (calculated using Natural Resources
Canada test procedures), the 1.6L is the Optima’s most efficient motor,
at 8.4/6.1 L/100 km (city/highway), besting the 2.4L (9.4/6.5) and 2.0L
(10.9/7.4). Couple that with its satisfying performance, and it becomes
a compelling choice. Kia says the new Optima’s body structure is 50
percent stiffer, a fact we think explains improved over-the-road feel
compared to the old car, whose chassis tended to feel unsettled over
broken pavement. While it’s been a few years since we’ve driven the
last-gen model, this one felt notably quieter at highway speeds.
Less
noise will translate as more refinement in the eyes of most Optima
shoppers, but to us (and also presumably, to some of the most
enthusiastic drivers reading this) it makes the car seem less involving
for a driver who wants an active role in the task of getting from A to
B. Also, in spite of revised electric power steering systems (SX and SXL
cars get a different setup than the rest of the line) that Kia says
transmit more road feel to the driver’s hands, we were left underwhelmed
by steering that wasn’t as well suited to the twisty canyon-side roads
on our drive route as the company’s reps would have had us believe.
What we did like was the
Optima’s
suspension: the ‘sport-tuned’ springs and shocks of the SX and SXL are
(for a change) not overly firm, while the softer setup in LX and EX
models never felt wishy-washy, as was once the habit of Korean cars.
Elsewhere in the chassis, SX and SXL cars get larger front brakes (12.6
inches, versus 12-inchers in lesser-trimmed models), and red painted
calipers are a sharp-looking touch.
We
found the Optima’s interior comfortable, but we’ll wait till we’ve
spent a full week in the car to pass judgement on long-haul comfort.
Typically
for Kia, the Optima comes with a long list of standard kit the company
says makes the car a stronger value than its competitors. The base LX
package isn’t too interesting, with the 2.4L engine, the usual power
windows/locks/mirrors/air conditioning, plus heated side mirrors,
automatic headlights, Bluetooth, windshield wiper de-icer, cruise, and
keyless entry.
LX+
trim is more appealing, adding 17-inch wheels, heated front seats,
heated steering wheel, 12-way power driver’s seat, backup camera,
intelligent keyless with auto-open trunk, auto-dimming rearview mirror,
and power-folding side mirrors.
LX
ECO Turbo is the sole trim that comes with the 1.6L engine and
seven-speed automatic, and it arrives equipped similarly to the LX+, but
reverts to 16-inch wheels with low rolling resistance tires, and adds
rain-sensing wipers, LED running lights and taillights, and dual-zone
automatic climate control.
The
2.4L-powered EX trim builds not on LX Tech, but on LX+, adding a
panoramic sunroof, rain-sensing wipers, rear cross traffic alert and
parking sensors, interior mood lighting, leather seats, heated rear
seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, rear seat air vents, and
pull-up sunshades in the rear doors.
Confusingly,
there’s a second trim with a ‘Tech’ suffix: where Kia says the LX Tech
is all about what’s under the hood, EX Tech’s extras are inside the car,
where you get navigation, upgraded 10-speaker stereo, ventilated front
seats, and a power-adjustable front passenger seat. Then it’s into the
SX, which brings mostly cosmetic stuff (inside and out) beyond the 2.0L
turbo motor, bigger brakes, and xenon headlights.
At
the top of the ladder, the SXL adds smart cruise control with
autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning, automatic high
beam assist, 360-degree view camera, and smart-looking quilted leather
seats.
Notably,
there is no hybrid in the new lineup, but with Hyundai having just
launched a very good second-generation gas-electric Sonata, we figure
that car’s tech will find its way into Kia’s latest sedan some time next
year.
Kia hasn’t
finalized pricing yet–or rather, they had, but Ted Lancaster, Kia
Canada’s chief operating officer, told us he wasn’t happy with the
numbers, and asked the company’s product planners to take another crack
at them.
What
he was able to confirm was a starting price in the mid-$23,000 range,
and a top tag between $37,000 and $38,000 for the SXL. He said the final
prices will be dictated by taking a “strategic look at where we’re
priced in the segment,” adding he’s not concerned with the Optima being
the least expensive car in its class, preferring to continue the brand’s
trend of out-equipping the competition.
We
won’t have to wait long for a pricing announcement: the new Optima is
set to reach dealerships across Canada by the end of October. This
model’s biggest challenge will be attracting new buyers with a car that
shrouds notable engineering improvements behind a subtle styling update.
The key will be putting people who weren’t sold on the old car behind
the wheel once more to see there’s more to this redesign than meets the
eye.
Our
most pressing question is how the limited availability of the 1.6L
engine will affect sales. We see it as one of the car’s biggest selling
points (notwithstanding the underwhelming transmission), but wonder
whether buyers who want the EX Tech’s convenience features will end up
buying elsewhere because they can’t combine them with Kia’s latest
drivetrain technology. Generally, we think the majority of family sedan
buyers will find little to fault in the new
Optima–no matter what they like to do in their spare time.
