2011 Kia Optima EX Luxury Review

Leaders of the automotive industry, look behind you. Yes, that's Kia closing in faster than Luke Perry on any type of media attention. With grand slam after grand slam (Sportage, Sorento, Forte...), there is no end in sight to the Korean maker's attack on its previously unsuspecting competitors.

I recently attended a casual dinner with members of the Canadian Kia PR team along with Miranda and Michel. As we are all car people, the conversation inevitably hovered around the subject. I whimsically recounted my experiences from the late '90s and early 2000s about test-driving Kia and Daewoo products and thinking that Daewoo had a brighter future ahead. I could not have been more wrong.

From where I stand, Kia has, or will have very shortly, one of the most enticing lineups in the business. The new Rio is coming soon, and the regretfully mistimed Borrego had its plug pulled at the beginning of 2011.

The new Optima is the latest welcome addition to Kia's offerings and it certainly maintains the momentum. From any angle, this car is handsome beyond reason for its category. Its shape smartly marries a distinctive roofline with strong fenders and quarters. Draped in Santorini Blue, the Optima is a knockout. Tack on some meaningful front and rear fascias with characterful lights and you've got yourself a car that will send the American and Japanese back to the drawing board, quivering and worried.

Kia-Optima-Ex-Gdi-2011_i02 You know things are being done right when the interior impresses further. With Audi (we'll never tire of saying it) as clear inspiration for design, and as a yardstick for class, the Optima's cabin sets a standard for ergonomics and attractiveness that few manufacturers will be able to emulate any time soon. And it doesn't simply look good, it feels that way as well. Fit and finish are spot-on, there's stitched leather on the dashboard and most materials within reach are of the soft-touch type. The seats are comfortable and four passengers are well taken care of. Win.

From the correct driving position, the worse that could happen is that driving the Optima turns out to be a real bore. However, such is not the case. In fact, the Kia's handling is unexpectedly good. Michel and I went for a brief romp in the countryside, planning out our route for an upcoming comparison test, and some of the roads were winding, uneven and I obviously sidled into some corners at speeds greater than they should have been taken, and the car stood its ground.

The suspension maintains constant control of body movements and its setup is well matched to the 18” tires' available traction, even over nasty surfaces. Thankfully, the electronically assisted steering's decent feedback and response kept the car on track. The standard disc brakes proved competent after repeated use in said twisties. Sure, I had more fun driving the Optima than I should have, but at least you now know that you can have this much fun with the car.

Making the speed possible is a Hyundai-Kia 2.4L 4-cylinder engine. With 200hp and 186 lb-ft of torque on tap, this is one strong performer. The available 6-speed Sportmatic automatic transmission doesn't mind playing along when the right-hand pedal meets the carpet. Should the throttle not react quite in the fashion that you prefer, the manual mode will help. It fared quite well in the aforementioned back roads.

Acceleration is decisive and (this is the reasonable me talking) makes me wonder how pertinent the presence of a turbocharged 274hp 2.0L is. Thankfully, I'm not always commonsensical and can and do appreciate the extra guts -- for the glory of course.

Astonishing though it may be, the 2.4L does have another ace up its sleeve. Through 750km, of which 60% was performed on the highway, my tester's returned average fuel consumption was only 9.0L /100 km. Keep in mind that I was driving the car fairly hard for nearly half to the total distance. The rest of the time, I was only mildly beating it...

And that's not all. No sirree! You see, you can get a base Optima LX for only $21,995 but that's not the kicker. As tested, my EX-Luxury with navigation; front- and rear-heated seats; front vented and power seats; panoramic sunroof; satellite radio; keyless start; leather; backup camera; Infinity audio system, and all manner of handsfree business. The price? Wait for it. Including the extra $150 for the colour, only $32,245.

Now, your mission, should you accept it, is to go out there and find another car (other than the Sonata) that will offer you as much for as little. It won't happen.

My suggestion: Go test drive whichever midsize sedan you're considering, and then stop by a Kia dealer and do the same with an Optima and let me know how that turns out.

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour/Auto123.com
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