The long-awaited, all-new Optima, Kia's hugely successful mid-size saloon, is now in Malta. The Optima is expected to have huge success among car buyers looking for a modern and luxuriously good-looking car at a highly-competitive price for its segment.
Configured to appeal to drivers with high expectations for comfort and high-tech from a saloon car - particularly the business community and chauffeur-driven services - the Optima LX is fitted with an extensive list of very exclusive standard features. These include alloy wheels, dual climate control, LED daytime running lamps, dual projection headlamps, electric folding heated mirrors and cruise control with a speed limiter, a leather-trimmed steering wheel, Radio/CD with MP3 compatibility, Bluetooth with voice recognition, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, powered windows, and chrome belt line.
The boot capacity is 505 litres, and the low loading lip makes the business of lifting in luggage less strenuous. Standard 60:40 split folding rear seats allow longer loads to be transported.
Useful storage spaces, shaped to accommodate items which owners like to carry, abound. There is a cooled glovebox, a centre console box, cupholders front and rear, a sunglasses holder, space for bottles in the front and rear doors, pockets in the backs of the front seats and a centre fascia tray large enough for a mobile telephone - conveniently located adjacent to the standard USB and 12-volt recharging socket.
The Optima EX version adds 17" Alloy Wheels, chrome outside handles, rain sensor, centre console leather armrests, keyless entry system with Smart Key and Start Button.
For the more discerning drivers, the luxurious Optima EX+ supplements all this with a tilting and sliding panoramic sunroof with automatic electric roller blinds, blind spot detection, Sport Package and paddle gear shift with the 6-speed automatic transmission; the Kia Optima EX+ adds more live to your driving.
The new alloy wheels - 16 inches in diameter on the entry-grade model and the 17 and 18 inches on EX and EX+ respectively - are now fitted which give the Optima an added air of sportiness to its elegant profile.
Kia's shift from a purely rational brand to one which is design-driven is typified by the Optima. This 'must have' quality is enhanced in the latest model by subtle but significant changes which sharpen the external appearance and give the Optima even more of the crispness of a fine Italian suit - the phrase which Group President and Chief Design Officer Peter Schreyer used to sum up the car at its introduction.
All versions of the Optima provide exemplary levels of safety thanks to an incredibly stiff structure - featuring almost 60 per cent high-tensile steel plates - and a comprehensive range of active and passive protection features. All of this ensures outstanding front, side and rear impact protection without adding to the car's overall weight.
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) is also standard to help counter any tendency of the car to skid out of control in bad weather or because of over-exuberant driving. This is linked to Vehicle Stability Management (VSM), which senses when the wheels on one side of the car are on a lower-grip surface than those on the other side and then stabilises the car.
To alert other motorists to emergency braking, an Emergency Stop Signalling system (ESS) is also fitted. This flashes the brake lights rapidly to warn following drivers. Every Optima is fitted with front, side and curtain airbags, plus active front-seat head restraints to minimise the risk of whiplash injuries. Seat-belt pre-tensioners reduce the forces on the wearer's chest in a collision, and ISOFIX top tethers and anchors are fitted to allow child seats to be mounted. A passenger airbag cut-off switch is standard to permit a rear-facing child seat to be carried in the front of the car. A class leading safety with 5* EuroNCAP.
All manual versions feature Kia's EcoDynamics fuel-saving, CO2-reducing measures, while automatics have a Drive Select Mode featuring three modes: Normal, Eco and Sport which alter the transmission shift timing, throttle mapping and steering wheel weighting accordingly. The manual can achieve 5.1l/100km, with CO2 emissions of 133g/km, while the figures for the automatic are 6.0l/100km and 158g/km.
As with every other Kia model, the Optima guarantees owners with the peace of mind provided by Kia's unique seven-year warranty.
The Optima is available for test-drive at Cars International, Mdina Road, Qormi. For more information or to book your test-drive, kindly send an email to [email protected], call on 2269 2120 or visit the website www.kia.com/mt or Facebook page Kia Motors Malta.