2011 Kia Optima EX Luxury Road Test Review

Sleek and sporty looking, the third-generation Optima has an unmistakably European influence. (Photo: Simon Hill, Canadian Auto Press)

as a bicycle parts manufacturer, the company didn't start making cars until 1974, after graduating from bicycles to motorcycles to trucks. Following a partnership with Ford (through which it built North American Ford Festiva and Aspire models) Kia incorporated in the U.S. in 1992, expanding into the Canadian market in 2000.

In 2005 Kia identified design as its "core future growth engine" and hired German Peter Schreyer - who'd designed the New Beetle and the Audi TT during his days with Volkswagen and Audi - as Kia's new chief design officer. And for the 2011 model year, Kia introduced an all-new Schreyer-designed third-generation Optima. The third-generation car didn't make it into Canadian showrooms until well into 2011, so even as the year draws to a close the 2011 Optima is still fresh, with the 2012s a few months away yet.

In profile, the new Optima clearly hints at Schreyer's European influence: It is sleek and sporty looking with pleasantly aggressive angles at the front, and a tidy rear end. There is rather more front-end overhang than ideal, but Schreyer

The driver-centric dash uses metallic accents to brighten up its black-on-black colour scheme. Beige or grey interiors are available for those who prefer a two-tone look. (Photo: Simon Hill, Canadian Auto Press)

does a good job of camouflaging this with wrap-around headlights and fog light housings, which are then reflected by similarly wrapped taillights at the back. A slightly bulging clamshell-style hood hints at the power contained within, and the smoothly flowing arc of the roofline is emphasized by a chrome strip running from the base of the A-pillar, along the top of the doors and into the C-pillar. The overall effect - especially in my test car's spicy red metallic paint - is a sporty sedan that looks dramatic and sophisticated from almost any angle, and better than many cars costing twice as much.

Inside the Optima, the Euro-influenced styling cues continue. Particularly well-done are the clear, easy-to-read primary gauges and, in my EX Luxury-trim test car, the double-stitching effect on the artificial leather instrument panel and upper centre stack surround. My test car featured some rather unconvincing faux-carbon fibre trim at the door handles and console, but nice use of metallic accents brightened up what was otherwise a rather monochromatic black-on-black layout. For those who prefer a two-tone interior layout, a beige and/or a grey interior option is available depending on exterior colour.

The tidy rear end features dual chrome-tipped exhausts and, in the higher trim levels, LED taillights. (Photo: Simon Hill, Canadian Auto Press)

I found the seats comfortably firm, and supportive enough for reasonably spirited driving, and I was pleasantly surprised by my test car's navigation system, which proved intuitively easy to use, at least once you got past its tendency to default to U.S. locations during searches (even this may have been operator error - I have a bad habit of just pushing buttons without reading the manual). The back seat is plenty accommodating (I was able to fit three teenagers back there without any complaints) and the trunk is positively cavernous, although Kia uses unsophisticated curved-arm trunk hinges that take up a fair bit of space when the lid is closed (so watch where you put the eggs when loading groceries).

On the road, the new Optima lives up to the promise of its looks, delivering a comfortable and pleasantly engaging driving experience. LX and EX models are powered by a 2.4-litre direct-injected 4-cylinder engine that cranks out 200 horsepower and 186 lb-ft of torque, hooked up to either a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission. SX models get a turbocharged 2.0-litre engine that develops 274 horsepower and 269 lb-ft of torque, hooked up to a 6-speed automatic transmission.

Except for the turbocharged SX, all Optimas get a naturally-aspirated 2.4-litre 4-cylinder engine that pulls like a V6 and delivers impressive fuel economy. (Photo: Simon Hill, Canadian Auto Press)

The 2.4-litre engine pulls strongly across the rev-band, and generally does a very good impression of acting like a V6 except at the gas pump. The suspension feels well sorted, providing competent handling in the corners and a comfortable ride over typically mediocre city road surfaces. Like an increasing number of competitors the Optima uses electric power steering, but unlike the majority of systems that are far too light and numb, the Optima's system provides a decent amount of weighting and improved (though by no means perfect) feedback.

Kia has also managed to keep the Optima's weight down to a very reasonable 1,462 kg (3,223 lbs) even with the automatic, and the reward is that in addition to brisk acceleration the Optima turns in a city/hwy rating of 8.7 / 5.8 L/100km, running on regular gas. An "Active Eco" switch modifies the throttle mapping and transmission shift points for about a 10 percent further improvement in fuel economy. The only real shame is that despite all the Optima's Euro-inspired sportiness, Kia has made the rather unsporting (even if mostly correct) assumption that only budget-minded consumers will be interested in the manual transmission, so it is only available in the base LX model.

A panoramic sunroof is included in the LX+, EX+ and higher trim levels. (Photo: Simon Hill, Canadian Auto Press)

The 2011 Kia Optima is available in four basic trim levels (LX, EX, EX Luxury and SX) with six levels available when you factor in the LX+ and EX+ variations which add a panoramic sunroof, plus an automatic transmission and a few other features at the LX level. Pricing starts at a very competitive $21,995 for the LX, which comes well equipped with air conditioning, 16-inch alloy wheels, a 6-speaker AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio system with USB and auxiliary ports, Bluetooth connectivity, automatic headlights, fog lights, heated front seats, power locks and windows, keyless entry, wiper blade de-icer, heated power side mirrors, tilt and telescoping steering, plus a whole bunch more including all the expected safety systems such as ABS, electronic stability control and a full array of airbags.

My EX Luxury test car with navigation clocked in at $32,095 and had a plethora of premium-level equipment including the panoramic sunroof, 530-watt Infinity audio system, autodimming rearview mirror with Homelink, power seats with heating and cooling, rear climate vents, 18-inch alloys, bigger brakes, automatic

The 2011 Optima is feature-rich, especially in EX trim. (Photo: Simon Hill, Canadian Auto Press)

climate control, leather upholstery (including the steering wheel and gear knob), smart key with push-button ignition, rearview camera, rain-sensing wipers, chrome exterior door handles, solar glass, HID headlights, LED taillights, and the list goes on. The turbocharged SX costs $33,695 and has all that and more.

Driving around for a week in the Optima EX Luxury, it's easy to become convinced that Kia really has managed to build a premium-level car for an entry-level price. I happened to drive it back-to-back with a Mercedes C-Class so I can report that in a direct comparison the Mercedes does indeed offer an increased level of refinement, but for buyers who don't happen to have a premium German car already in the garage the Kia will surely give you the impression that you're not missing anything. And that's quite a neat trick.©(Copyright Canadian Auto Press)]]>