Saturday, September 13, 2014

2014 Kia Optima Review: Great Value But Undeserving To Roll With The Best


Ex-Audi designer, Peter Schreyer, is considered as the Korean hero. Last year, the German national aided Kia in designing the Kia Optima. Now that the vehicle is out, let’s see on what it has got to offer.

There are three types of Optima to choose from. The entry level is identified as the Si, the mid-level is the SLi and the premium model is the Platinum. The trio retails at $30,490, $34,990 and $38,790 respectively.

Under the hood, Kia equipped the Optima with the direct-injection 2.4-litre petrol engine that produces 148kW/250Nm on-tap. Together with the FWD system and 6-speed automatic transmission, the mid-size sedan can achieve 7.9L/100km.

The interior has that classy luxury look to it. This is thanks to Peter, who designed it in Kia’s European Design Studio located in Germany. With an efficient engine and a beautiful design, the Kia Optima is truly an all-rounder vehicle. One can use it as a family car, sports sedan vehicle or simply use it as an office car.

Commuting on the Optima is also a breeze as it comes with leather seats and plenty of room to offer. Then again, the Optima are nowhere near as great as the Mazda 6 or Ford Mondeo. When sitting behind the wheel, all that the Optima have got to offer is a decent experience and nothing worth getting excited about.

As great as the Optima may be, it still lacks in offering sporty driving dynamics. Also, Kia should reconsider revising the price tag of the vehicle. The $38,790 retail fee is simply too high for the Optima.

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