Ever since they became famous, Hyundai and Kia agreed on a marketing plan which makes the first one responsible for fancier, more pompous vehicles, while the other relies on “casual sportiness”. But most of the cases where this separation is clearly expressed regard compact vehicles. Hyundai, for instance, created the Euro-inspired new i20 and goes after limousine owners with Equus, while Kia offers the oddball Soul and makes do at the luxury segment with Quoris. Optima became such an awesome exception because its sportiness manages to make it more attractive than its counterpart Sonata. This is why the last generation sailed through its life cycle with very few retouches, and this is why the newest one tries to be just an evolution of it.
The new Optima will give you a great impression from every angle you look. The front fascia uses a more imponent interpretation of Kia’s signature grille. The sides combine glass and steel in an adequate proportion, and opting for that single strong crease sitting very low proves that it’s still possible to create nice designs without repeating what the Germans have done in the past few years. The rear, in turn, uses the typical lower portion in black, very sleek lights, and a chrome line on the bumper, instead of above the license plate. There’s no doubt that Kia did a good job once again. However, it’s impossible to execute a respectable analysis having the car isolated from everything else. When this is corrected, it gets easy to notice the only flaw of this project: timing.
One of the reasons why the previous Optima looked so good is proportion. Lights, air intakes, wheels and windows were imponent without exaggerations. But they were only beautiful additions to an overall silhouette which was just gorgeous. It had the kind of sportiness Germans would love to offer if they didn’t have so much tradition to respect. This fine tuning is exactly what has been lost: Kia made yet another four-door coupé, which implied shortening the third box and adopting a tadpole-like roofline, smooth enough to make room for extra windows after the rear doors. Placing the two generations side by side, it’s easy to notice – and hard to admit – that it would’ve made much more sense if they had been released in the opposite order.
Moving to what you can’t see as easily, Kia performed several upgrades to the structure. Components such as body panels, engine mounts, and wheels were improved so as to contribute to an overall stiffness increase of 150%. The new Optima also brings more bushings on the subframe mounts, relocated suspension-mounting points, and larger dual rear lower control arms. NVH and handling were also improved. Other advantages regard the external dimensions: one extra inch to the overall length and 0.4 to the wheelbase. When it comes to habitability, there are stiffer frame and denser foam. Powertrain, in turn, was carried over: the 2.4 and the turbocharged 2.0 use a six-speed automatic gearbox, while the turbocharged 1.6 uses seven speeds and dual clutch.
Since Optima works in a very competitive category, the equipment list was greatly enhanced. The seats can come in cloth, leather or Nappa, and in several colors; the front ones can be heated and ventilated. Kia’s UVO infotainment system brings Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration for the first time. Buyers whose teenage kids will surely want to drive the new car every now and then can set restrictions such as curfew alert, geofencing, and speed alert. Other interesting novelties are HID headlamps with automatic high beams, Infinity audio system with 630 watts and 14 speakers, and the typical array of electronic safety systems. Between standard and optional, those are distributed in six trim levels. This car was released during this year’s New York Auto Show.