Kia Optima Si 2016 review

Kia wants to play with the big boys and is finally getting the toys to earn acceptance as a serious mainstream player.

It aims to be considered on its own merits and not solely its price and/or industry-leading seven-year warranty.

The South Korean outfit has just earned CarsGuide's Car of the Year accolade for the Sorento SUV. Before the Sorento, the Optima was the highlight of the company's transformation, being the best-looking, best-handling car the company had built.

That's not to say it was ever going to challenge for class supremacy but the combination of features, performance and low running costs made it a genuine contender for those who weren't besotted with having a Mazda or VW badge on the bonnet of their mid-sized cars.

The fourth-generation Optima improves on an impressive baseline. It now deserves to be considered among the top-flight mid-sized sedans, given the advances in interior refinement and driving competence. That said, it still isn't leading the field, at least not in base Si guise.

Design

Shapely was a good description for the previous Optima and the new version doesn't change a successful formula.

In terms of size, the Kia has grown in every area but the designers have taken care not to change the basic look of the sleek sedan.

The 2.4-litre engine is no powerhouse but is a willing performer

They had more liberty with the interior and have taken big strides in modernising the layout. The dash configuration is vaguely reminiscent of BMW, right down to the instruments angled towards the driver.

It is still more austere than I'd like, with the chrome and interior finishes failing to relieve what is a fairly dark interior. The good news is burly teens will fit in the back despite the tapering roofline and the boot space has grown with a larger opening to shove stuff in.

Around town

A reversing camera and front and rear parking sensors mean the Optima is a breeze to slot into a shopping bay.

The 2.4-litre engine is no powerhouse but is a willing performer at low revs and the six-speed auto is as slick as anything in a Japanese model.

It needs to be good, though: at $34,490 ($35K in reality once you pay $595 for any paint other than white), it is directly competing with the likes of the Mazda6, Skoda Octavia and Toyota Camry.

Better bring your A-game, then. In many respects, the Optima does.

Autonomous emergency braking is standard, the dual-zone aircon is quick to rise or drop to the required temp and the seven-inch touchscreen pairs Apple and Android phones without drama.

It is quiet and more than capable of stringing a series of corners together

Suspension is fettled for our increasingly average roads (where do those fuel taxes go?) and at urban speeds it is hard to fault. The steering isn't going to earn awards for feedback but you always knows where the Optima is pointed, even if you're not quite sure exactly what it's rolling over.

On the road

If you're not looking to hustle, the Optima is a smart fit. The top-spec Optima GT picks up a turbocharged 2.0-litre engine with vastly more performance but the $9500 hit will deter many, despite extra active safety features and leather upholstery.

Foot-to-the-floor acceleration isn't the Si's strong suit. The engine sounds distantly coarse at higher revs and continued running near the redline returns well beyond the claimed 8.3L/100km. The turbo engine of the Optima GT is said to use 0.9L/100km more but there won't be much between the two mills in real-world use.

Moderate throttle and highways speeds are the Optima Si's forte. It is quiet and more than capable of stringing a series of corners together with enough finesse to satisfy family sedan buyers.

Handling is vastly improved, again without challenging a Mazda6. Turn in on the Continental rubber is good and the Kia is happy to scrub off pace without unsettling the car and trying to launch it into the scenery or oncoming traffic.

The brakes are better than average and body roll and fore/aft pitch are both well damped.