The 2016 Kia Optima has grown up, a symbol of changes currently underway at the South Korean car company that is transforming itself for the second time.
Kia first entered the American market as the producer of cheap alternatives to inexpensive Japanese economy cars and crossovers. But company executives decided to improve the quality of their vehicles just before the Great Recession hit and reaped the benefit when bargain shoppers quickly realized the new models were actually well made and came with a lot of standard equipment.
Now Kia is evolving again, this time focusing on its larger vehicles to compete against luxury manufacturers. In recent years, the company has upgraded its full size Cadenza and introduced the even bigger K900. And it has turned the large Sorento crossover and revived Sedona personal van into world class people haulers.
For 2016, Kia has also lavishing the same attention on the Optima, the company's breakout affordable midsize car. The Optima was already reinvented in 2010, changing from a dowdy family car to a bold and value-package five-passenger sedan. The change caught the automotive world off guard. The redesigned model featured sharp exterior lines, a contemporary interior, and a choice of economy or performance drivetrains. Suddenly midsize sedans didn't have to be boring. Consumers got it and snatched them up. Other manufacturers got it, too, and began producing affordable but sporty family cars of their.
The new Optima hopes to build on that success by offering more of everything. It is longer, wider and taller than last year's model, and the exterior lines are more rounded, with huge grill and air dam replacing the previous sharp front end. The interior is roomier, especially in the back seat, and the styling is more formal. Perhaps the most apparent change is the dash, where the display screen and controls now spread out between the driver and passenger, instead of being corralled in a wrap around console angled toward the driver.
Last generation Optimas offered a range of drivetrains, beginning with a gas direct injected 2.4-liter inline four, a turbocharged 2.0-liter four, and a hybrid version. The hybrid, which was the economy champ, is replaced this year with a 1.6-liter turbocharged four matched to a dual clutch automated manual transmission as the most fuel efficient version. The 2.4 and turbo 2.0 continue, but get better mileage than last year.
Out test car was a fully loaded SXL, which included the turbo 2.0 and a six-speed automatic transmission with Eco, Normal and Sport settings. That's the most performance-oriented version, but the "L" denotes luxury upgrades, included quilted and perforated leather front and rear seats that looked like overstuffed living rooming chairs, but were heated and cooled.
On the road, our test car felt more substantial than the last generation Optima. It was capable of brisk acceleration, especially in the Sport mode, but seemed more solid at slower speeds. The suspension isolated it more from the road, floating over broken pavement and potholes. The effect was much more like driving a full-size car with a good engine than an overachieving midsize.
Kia may intend the new Optima to compete against more expensive luxury sport sedans, but it is also a good alternative to the company's larger cars, the Cadenza, which comes with a V6, and the K900, which comes with a V8. They are both very good cars, but at least some buyers are going to wonder if they're worth the additional cost over a well-equipped 2015 Optima.
2016 Kia Optima
Base price: $21,840
Price as tested: $38,615
Type: Midsize sedan
Engines: Turbocharged 1.6-liter inline 4 (178 hp, 195 lbs-ft); Turbocharged 2.0-liter inline 4 (245 hp, 260 lbs-ft - as tested); 2.4-liter inline 4 (185 hp, 178 lbs-ft - as tested)
Transmissions: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic; 6-speed automatic (as tested)
EPA estimated mileage: 22/32 (T2.0) to 28/39 (T1.6)
Overall length: 191.1 inches
Curb weight: 3,219 to 3,594 pounds
Final assembly: West Point, Georgia