When I was shopping for a new 40-inch LCD TV two months ago, I went straight to Samsung and LG, skipping Sony altogether. Because after all my homework and consultation with the gadget gurus at HWM, I concluded that the best-performing, best-looking and best-bang-for-the-buck TVs today are made by (albeit not necessarily in) South Korea.
How the Koreans are fast catching up with the Japanese, occasionally even overtaking them, in consumer electronics is also evident in the global automotive industry. They started by copying Japanese cars, then they made product improvements, sold their wheels all cheap and good, and eventually introduced innovations of their own, while still selling the machines more cheaply than equivalent models from Japan.
Kia Optima’s dashboard is well-equipped, with air-con that works flawlessly even in the desert heat.
The greatest, or at least the most obvious, progress made by Korean automakers has been in exterior design. They opened slick studios in Namyang, California and Frankfurt. They learned the art of automotive styling, rather than just the science. And they even poached a design maestro from Audi to spearhead Kia’s design revolution.
The recent results have been impressive, with “generic” superseded by “Germanic” and “forgettable” transformed into “fashionable”. There are still cars with a lot of Seoul but very little style, such as the hideous Rodius, but these are definitely in the minority.
Kia Optima can be specified with a custom-tuned, Infinity eight-speaker sound system that pumps out 530W and supports digital media.
Undoubtedly in the major league today is Kia. The company’s chief “graphic artist” Peter Schreyer has single-handedly overhauled Kia’s aesthetic image and brought it bang up-to-date, having crafted and implemented a real design DNA to replace the random strands of blandness that afflicted Kia cars. They now have proper proportions, a touch of Teutonic tension, a couple of designer elements, and even a fierce “tiger” family face.
The latest animal to bear Schreyer’s design signature is the new Kia Optima. It replaces the Magentis, which found commercial success in Singapore as a turbo-diesel taxi, just like its Sonata cousin from the friendly Hyundai camp.
Kia Optima’s roomy cabin is practical and comfortable, with its panoramic sunroof providing extra visibility.
Unsurprisingly, the Kia Optima is closely related to the re-done Sonata that is the impressive i45, sharing most of the oily bits and the platform. The surprise is that the Kia project manager I spoke to at the Optima’s launch in Dubai told me that the commonality of parts between the two new “HyunKias” is just 30 percent. Maybe he misunderstood my question and thought I asked about the percentage of parts which are not shared…
Anyway, the Kia Optima and i45 look as different as night and day. With its huge ugly chrome grille and crazy bodywork creases, the Hyundai is radical to the point of being comical, whereas the Kia is “quieter” and decidedly prettier from bumper to bumper. The only theatrics on the Optima are its shiny LED daytime running lights, cheesy fender garnish inspired by the Soul’s, and heavily stylised 18-inch alloy rims which are a bit too Blade Runner for us.
Thankfully not so sci-fi is the cockpit, even though its architecture and materials might seem like exotic science fiction to Magentis drivers – with or without fare-paying passengers. The instrument panel is angled towards the driver, at 9.6 degrees to be exact, and the driving position is comfortable, with powered seat adjustment and superb visibility. The steering wheel feels classy, but could use a longer telescopic range. There are paddle shifters, which are however more plasticky than sporty.
Standard red mood lighting and optional black leather lining for the centre stack surround are delightful little details. “Carbon fibre” or “wood grain” trim is available, and both look quite agreeable for a change. All fixtures are well screwed together, and all textures within reach have a pleasant tactile quality – not quite at Lexus level, but at least half a notch above the trusty Toyota Camry.
Gadget between the meters even says “Thank you, see you again” when you turn off the engine.
The Kia Optima’s driveability is nothing less than a revelation, when compared to the i45 which employs the same unremarkable 2.4-litre 4-cylinder, 6-speed drivetrain. The steering is sharper, the handling is tighter, and even though the acceleration figures are similar to the Hyundai’s, the Kia feels a little more lively when pressured to perform.
Kia Optima engineers rate the Volkswagen Passat as best in class for ride and handling, which might be one reason behind the adoption of German Sachs dampers for the Sport Package, a mainly cosmetic factory option that gives the Kia Optima a marginally more aggressive attitude.
The Kia Optima is an outstanding cruiser, with supple suspension and surprisingly silent ride.
This saloon is primarily for relaxing cruising, though, so the capable handling is just a sideshow for rare individuals who specify Spicy Red for their Kia Optima and wear Ferrari polo shirts everywhere.
These guys, by the way, might be disappointed to discover that their Korean dragon tackles constant-curve corners more convincingly than a series of bi-directional bends, which upset the chassis and unsettle the body.
The Kia Optima is a brilliant Korean car that’s likely to shake up the Toyota Camry segment.
On smooth, straight and massively multi-lane roads like those in Dubai, the Kia Optima is a cruiser par excellence. Even with 18-inch wheels, the suspension is supple and the ride is super-refined, with airstream noise around the pillars and side mirrors only becoming noticeable above 130km/h. Rushing past speeding 18-wheeler trucks causes the Optima to shimmy, but this is no issue if your driving is steady enough.
Continuous, well-thought-out development and a desire to achieve world-class standards have led to the new Optima. Kia’s rivals, including the one in-house, cannot afford to sit still and wait for some more optimal Kia cars to hit
the streets.
Kia Optima 2.4 (A)
ENGINE 2359cc, 16-valves, inline-4
MAX POWER 180bhp at 6000rpm
MAX TORQUE 231Nm at 4000rpm
GEARBOX 6-speed automatic with manual select
0-100KM/H 9.5 seconds
TOP SPEED 210km/h
CONSUMPTION 12.3km/L (combined)
PRICE INCL. COE $109,000 (provisional, as of December 2010)
