Newport Beach, Calif. – Invariably, there comes a time when long-held perceptions change to accept new realities, but the shift can be a long, gradual process. Consider that it’s taken years for Americans to view gasoline as a two-dollar commodity, to recognize the Red Sox as a franchise free of a legendary curse, and to accept that Pamela Anderson and Alec Baldwin (whichever floats your boat) have not, in fact, escaped the effects of Father Time.
Kia has endured a similar wait for perceptions to change. The Korean brand arrived in the U.S. 17 years ago with a disappointing duo of vehicles, but the company’s products have been improving ever since, especially in recent years. The mindset that categorizes Kia as a builder of cheap wheels is starting to dissipate, due in large part to models including the redesigned Sorento, and now the all-new 2011 Optima.
Wrapped in a gorgeous skin that draws styling cues from the likes of Jaguar and Lexus, Kia’s family sedan aims to win over shoppers with new engines that pump out at least 200 horsepower, competitive pricing, a quiet and refined ride, and popular features like a central infotainment system, a dual-pane sunroof, and even a heated rear seat.
Offsetting those positives are a few shortcomings, but at the end of the day, this once-ridiculed car company has built a legitimate rival to the Accords and Camrys of the world. Forget about perception. That’s reality.
Pricing, Trims and Options
When the 2011 Kia Optima goes on sale in November of 2010, potential buyers will be able to choose between LX and EX 2.4 models. Turbocharged EX 2.0T and SX 2.0T variants should arrive on dealers’ lots in December. A hybrid model will likely be available next year.
Pricing hasn’t been officially announced, but thanks to a link from the folks at Autoblog, we have a sense of where the final numbers will fall. The entry-level LX will be priced at about $18,500 when equipped with a base four-cylinder engine and a manual transmission. There’s a decent array of standard equipment, including air conditioning, auxiliary and USB input jacks, a tilt and telescoping steering wheel, and power-adjustable lumbar support for the driver. Sixteen-inch steel wheels are also part of the deal, though they’re thankfully replaced by alloys when you opt for the available automatic transmission. With the loss of a clutch pedal and basic rollers, the price rises to about $20,000.
Dropping about $22,000 will get you into the 2011 Kia Optima EX 2.4. Power comes from the LX’s four-cylinder engine mated exclusively to the automatic gearbox. With the higher price come 17-inch alloys, chrome trim, heated mirrors, leather upholstery, push-button ignition, and a Microsoft-based UVO infotainment system. The turbocharged EX 2.0T, with its standard six-speed automatic, starts at about $24,000. At the top of the line is the $26,000 Optima SX 2.0T, housing the same powertrain as the EX 2.0T as well as a more aggressive suspension setup, unique 18-inch alloys, HID headlights, and paddle shifters.
Must Have Features
During our Kia-sponsored drive of the 2011 Optima in Southern California, we had opportunity to evaluate the EX 2.4 but neither of the turbocharged models. We’ll have to wait for some seat time before declaring that boosted engine a must-have feature, but in the meantime there’s plenty to fill the void.
Our test car was fitted with an optional panoramic sunroof and power sun shades front and rear. With deeply tinted glass, it was a welcome addition during our sun-drenched excursion. Kia also offers something many of us have to grown to depend on: a navigation system with a built-in rearview camera. For shoppers in areas of extreme weather, opting for the EX’s Premium Package with heated and cooled front seats, a heated steering wheel, and a heated rear seat might be a good idea. And, finally, if your eardrums are up for it, we’d suggest checking out the 550-watt, 12-speaker Infinity sound system.
But before all of the luxury and convenience features, consider what the 2011 Kia Optima has to offer on the safety front. In the name of occupant protection, Kia has packed in front-side and side-curtain airbags, four-wheel antilock disc brakes, hill start assist control, and an electronic stability control system. Buyers should be happy to learn that all of this equipment is standard on every Optima model.
Interior Features
With all of the new features and technology that buyers demand, car designers face the daunting task of integrating everything into an attractive, user-friendly interior. The 2011 Kia Optima demonstrates how it can be done correctly.
Visually, the cabin is made attractive with flowing lines and a multitude of buttons arranged in a way that doesn’t appear cluttered. The usual residents of the driver’s door panel – power mirror, window and door switches – are where you’d expect, radio and climate controls are large and clearly labeled, and the optional navigation system’s center touch-screen is easy to read and use. USB and auxiliary ports are smartly placed below the instrument panel, which has been angled 15-degrees toward the driver to give the area a sportier, cockpit feel.
The UVO infotainment system, standard on the EX when it arrives in Optimas in January, is voice-activated and designed to deliver a centralized control point for the audio system, Bluetooth-enabled phone, personal media devices, and vehicle settings managed by the driver. Users can also perform the same functions through UVO’s touch-screen, which serves double duty as a display for the integrated rearview camera. We found the technology incredibly easy to master during a brief product demonstration, but were disappointed to learn that Optima buyers will have to choose between UVO and the navigation system – they cannot be ordered together.
Regardless of how you equip your 2011 Optima, you’ll find yourself sitting in what we’re sorry to report is one uncomfortable seat. There’s a lack of thigh support and the cushions are decidedly stiff, a point we understood all too well after a day’s drive. The leather-wrapped, tilt and telescoping steering wheel in our EX tester was a nice touch, but it did nothing to make our backsides feel better. Passengers riding shotgun suffer the same fate. Rear-seat accommodations are similar, accented by minimal thigh support and firm padding. To that bench’s credit, however, our five-foot-eight-inch tall editor enjoyed plenty of head, leg and foot room.
Behind the cabin is a 15.4 cubic-foot trunk that can be extended by folding the split rear seatback. Other storage provisions include door cubbies, seatback pockets, a front center armrest console, and a cubby forward of the shifter.