Kia South Africa launched
what is sure to be one of the most beautiful cars on Mzansi roads, the all-new Optima sedan. Optima, which used to be
called Magentis (K5 internally at Kia), was first
unveiled at the New York International
Auto Show in 2010, and subsequently shown locally at JIMS 2011. It will compete to win in a segment that’s recently been
ignited by its company cousin, the Hyundai
Sonata.
Kia sold almost 2.5
million cars worldwide last year and is poised to once again increase that
tally for the 2012 year. Even in Mzansi a lot of successes have been recorded. As such, Kia says it’s planning on
selling 150 units a month, or just
under 2 000 Optimas a year. BMW
sells about the same number of MINIs, so does Audi with its A1 range.
Optima is really a direct competitor for cars like the Volkswagen Passat, Honda Accord, Peugeot 508, Suzuki Kizashi and Volvo S40, large family cars with modern technology and a high
emphasis on space and value. Unfortunately it’s not exactly a growing segment
anymore, at least since the Toyota Camry
left the scene, although Sonata appears to be the new Camry. As far as space is
concerned, Optima is quite present, measuring 4.8 metres long, 1.45m high, 1.8m wide and has a long wheelbase of 2.8m.
Some might be put off by the carnival standard wheels, but will soon be soothed by the elegant
front grille featuring Kia’s “tiger”
design as created by the brand’s masterful chief designer Peter Schreyer. This car is a far cry from the old, unattractive Magentis I reluctantly
drove around 2001. Big eyes and a divided front end, featuring standard LED daytime running lights makes it
more standout. The side profile is characterised by very long front and rear overhangs, smaller windows and a
slippery rear profile. I couldn’t help but see the Jaguar XF rear end though, although both cars came out at a similar
time.
The interior marries leather pieces with some wood-like
touches and brushed aluminium on areas
like the foot pedals. Seats are a combination of woven cloth and leather,
giving a sporty feel. Kia prides
itself in offering a wide range of features free of charge, with only the panoramic sunroof coming in as an
option at R10 000. The rest
reads like the who’s who of modern family sedan features. By that I mean power steering,
Bluetooth connectivity, an 8-speaker
Infinity sound system, keyless entry
and drive, dual front climate control, a leather-covered steering wheel with
some satellite controls and so on and on. There are even shift paddles behind
the steering wheel, actuating the 6-speed
automatic gearbox to send all torque to the 18-inch alloys with its 225/45 R18 tyres.
Not that this car will find these any useful really, no
thanks to the flat engine. The chosen motor is a 2.4-litre naturally aspirated unit whose talents quickly run out at
132kW and 231Nm of torque. Even down at the coast where the air is thick and
birds are fly, very little could be done to persuade it to push any faster. That
the 132kW comes at 6000rpm is also
not of much help. For its part, Kia reckons the Optima accelerates from 0 - 100km/h
in 9.5 seconds. We know for sure
that this is very optimistic. It also
says 8.7 litres per 100km in fuel can be achieved, with emissions of 207 g/km alongside it.
Some markets are blessed with a 1.7-litre turbo diesel making 330Nm,
as well as a 2.0-litre turbo with 204kW.
Both of these would be preferable to our rather lazy 2.4.
Safety systems include Electronic Stability Control,
Traction Control, Hill Assist Control,
ABS and a reversing colour camera
that shows you clearly where you are reversing to. Instead of being placed on
the dashboard like most other similar systems, the pictures show up on the
interior rear view mirror. Quite good, considering that you are already looking
at that particular mirror anyway.
Undoubtedly the new Kia Optima will do well, thanks to a
seriously stylish outlook on life, a
full house spec sheet as standard, and a very good pricing strategy. Those seeking
more vuma
from their motors won’t find it here though. But for the rest, it will impress.
Kia Optima
Pricing
Optima 2.4 (R305 995)
2 comments:
beauty at it's very best
pretty front end. The design is very good and lovely
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