There’s reason for optimism with 2016 Kia Optima
Every weekday morning I send out a group email with the subject line “Roll Call.’’ It goes to our kids and their spouses. Mrs. G wants to be on the distribution list, too, because she wants to read the responses from outposts around New England and in Italy.
Our roll call’s job is to keep communication open in all directions, and it’s done its job along with sprinkling humor into the correspondence.
Stefano, our Italian son-in-law, has an amazing knack for turning my words into humor. He learned English in his teens by going to soccer camps in England. In his first visit to the US, he won a game of Pictionary by diagramming “somersault’’ successfully.
This all brings us to the morning last week when I lamented on roll call about raking leaves. I’d stuffed a dozen leaf bags by jumping in them until they were so heavy that it was an effort to put them in the back of a pickup truck for the trip to the compost dump.
So what does all of this have to do with today’s test car, the redesigned 2016 Kia Optima?
My morning email emphasized all the work to pack all the leaves into the back of the El Camino.
Stefano’s response contained the following section titled NRPA (Non-requested Professional Advice):
“Too many dead leaves + a car to give back = what an opportunity to discover:
1. How many leaves you can fit in an Optima’s trunk.
2. How interested your readers are in knowing this fact (the more who are interested means the more you should be worrying about your target audience).
3. How proud Kia will be with the results!’’
He made me smile.
The previous generation Optima was a great step forward in terms of style, content, and performance. This latest iteration, the fourth generation, continues that upward curve. This time, however, the changes might not be as obvious because they’re in that subjective area called refinement, the one area we felt past Kia (and Hyundai) models lagged. No longer.
There are five trim levels of the Optima—the LX, LX (1.6T), EX, SX, and SXT. Ours was the LX 1.6T, powered by a new-to-the-lineup 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder mated to a new seven-speed dual clutch automatic transmission.
The nice part about this outlier in the Optima’s powertrain lineup is that it falls under the company’s 10-year, 100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty. Never forget that the combination of that warranty (and building vehicles that were equal to it) were the key reasons Kia and its corporate sibling Hyundai rose from irrelevance to claim 8.1 percent of the US market.
Kia is on pace to sell 160,000 Optimas this calendar year even with the late-year transition to the new model.
OPTIMUM INTERIOR: Kia gave the 2016 Optima a more linear look which adds to the feel of spaciousness. Controls are user-friendly.
The new powerplant puts out a surprising amount of power (178 horsepower, 195 lb.-ft. of torque). It achieved 34.2 miles per gallon despite spending 2.5 hours making a Friday afternoon trek through Boston’s rush-hour traffic heading from Mansfield to Newburyport.
It offers an intriguing combination of quick throttle response and quick upshifts. But it’s a bit twitchy at lower speeds and not quite as refined as the tried-and-true non-turbo 2.4-liter (185 hp, 178 lb.-ft.) that’s in the LX and EX or the 2.0-liter turbo (245 hp, 260 lb.-ft.) in the more expensive SX and SXT. Both of those are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.
However, the dual-clutch transmission and nimble 1.6-liter engine will appeal to the driver who appreciates the combination of performance and economy that’s packaged in a sedan that makes no apologies for resembling a European sports sedan.
Story continues after gallery
Kia Optima and other “Recommended’’ vehicles under $34,000
[bdc-gallery id=”1429936″]
A confident ride helps in this department and continues the Optima’s niche as being on the sporty side of the midsize sedan market segment.
Outside, Kia evolved the outgoing body style, and the casual observer won’t notice it’s got a slightly longer wheelbase (0.4 inches) and is 1.2 inches wider.
Inside, there’s a more spacious feel with a switch to a horizontal dashboard layout and incrementally more passenger space.
Controls warmed my heart. Everything was intuitive.
Our test vehicle started at $24,815 (including destination). The only option was a Technology Package that added navigation, dual-zone climate controls, power driver’s seat with memory, LED taillights, center console USB chargers, blind spot detection, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear parking sensors.
Bottom line was $27,415, a number you can increase by another $10,000 by moving up to the three upscale models and adding technology such as adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and frontal collision warning systems.
The driving experience is improved with the expanded use of lighter high-strength steel in the stiffened chassis coupled with a lower center of gravity, which leads to both better driving dynamics and improved crash protection in a relatively light (3,224-pound) vehicle. That, combined with improvements in structural adhesives, insulation, and laminated glass, also makes for a notably quieter ride.
Retained are the asymmetrical looks in both the windshield and interestingly named “tiger’s nose’’ grille.
Kia has given the new Optima a real upgrade, something we wondered about, considering that both the larger Cadenza and K900 are above it in the model lineup.
To Kia’s credit, it did make the improvements, though the rear of the new Optima definitely echoes the Cadenza’s look.
It was way too nice to stuff full of leaves.
2016 Kia Optima LX 1.6 Turbo
THE BASICS
Price, base/as tested (with destination): $24,815/$27,415. Fuel economy, EPA estimated: 28 city/39 highway/32 combined. Fuel economy, Globe observed: 34.2. Drivetrain: 1.6-liter 4-cylinder turbo, 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, front-wheel-drive. Body: 5-passenger, midsize sedan.
THE SPECIFICS
Horsepower: 178. Torque: 195 lb.-ft. Overall length: 191.1 in. Wheelbase: 110.4 in. Height: 57.7 in. Width: 73.2 in. Curb weight: 3,224 lbs.
THE GOOD
Performance, handling, fuel economy, value.
THE BAD
Smaller 1.6-liter powertrain and dual-clutch transmission take some getting used to.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Optima remains a sporty option in the midsize segment.
ALSO CONSIDER
Buick Regal, Chevrolet Malibu, Chrysler 200, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, Mazda6, Nissan Altima, Subaru Legacy, Toyota Camry, VW Passat.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com