I admit it. Even as an automotive analyst, after all these years I remain completely befuddled by the American car buyer’s ongoing obsession with SUVs and aversion to station wagons. Sure, there are all the claims from the marketing experts that people buy them as lifestyle vehicles, but look at how people actually use them. Mostly for schlepping groceries and the occasional Ikea flat pack, something for which the midsize station wagon is ideally suited. Yet, the market has spoken and thus rather than offering us rides like the stunning European-market Optima Sportwagon, Kia of America forces us to make do with the equally sleek, but far less useful sedan. At least in hybrid form it’s both surprisingly fuel efficient and fun to drive.
Seemingly, unlike many people I still enjoy driving and I have a fondness for the superior dynamics that a car offers over its taller utility style siblings. I’m old enough to remember a time (actually not all that long ago) when discussing the concept of driving dynamics in the context of Kia would bring up snorts of derision. It’s really only been in the last decade that the Korean brand has managed to combine style, chassis control, quality and value into cohesive products and they’ve done it very well.
The Optima is a prime example of what Kia’s design team has proven itself capable of under the guidance of Peter Schreyer. Modern Kias have a distinct look that is consistent across the brand without being overwhelming. While the Optima shares its underpinnings with its Hyundai Motor Group corporate cousin, the Sonata, it looks nothing like it and has a distinctly more up-market flare.
Unlike many brands, Kia has evolved a face that is recognizable without utilizing a massive grille. The so-called “tiger nose” has consistent visual DNA while still developing in a variety of ways across the model lineup. On the Optima, the flow from the headlamps into the grille with subtle chrome trim tying it all together horizontally, gives the car a wide, athletic stance. From any angle, the Optima doesn’t look like an econo-car, despite its 42 mpg combined EPA rating.
Inside, the leather-wrapped seats offer excellent comfort and support and all of the controls are well laid out with proper physical switches and knobs for the audio system and climate controls. The eight-inch touchscreen display which is the same one used on most current Kia and Hyundai vehicles with navigation is bright and clearly visible no matter the angle of the sun. Equally important for those of us that wear polarized sunglasses, the screen doesn’t lose any visibility due to eye protection. There is full support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, although Kia hasn’t yet followed Honda’s lead and mirrored navigation prompts in the instrument cluster.
Like its Hyundai badged sibling, the Optima has cavernous rear seats with plenty of room in all directions even with the panoramic glass moonroof. For cold weeks like the one during which I had the Optima, it also had the optional rear seat heating to complement the standard front heaters.
Unlike the competing hybrid midsize sedans from Ford and Toyota, Kia has packaged the battery entirely under the floor of the trunk and retained folding seats for carrying larger objects. The battery packaging means that the floor is higher than in gas-only Optimas so total cargo volume is limited to 13.4 cubic feet, but at least you have the option of carrying longer objects. This is where I would prefer to have the option of a hybrid wagon. The flexibility of folding the back seat and having the full volume up to the roofline for bulkier cargo just can’t be beat while still retaining the driving characteristics of a car. However, that horse remains dead so I will stop beating it.
When Hyundai and Kia introduced their first hybrid system to the U.S. market back in 2010, it had a unique configuration. Rather than integrating a pair of motor-generators into an electronic continuously variable transmission the way Ford and Toyota do, the Koreans put the motor in place of the torque convertor and used a conventional six-speed automatic transmission. The system was fairly efficient, but not always as smooth as the competition.
Now in its second generation, the hybrid powertrain retains the same architecture but has a more powerful 50-horsepower motor and improved controls. Transitions between gas, electric and blended control are now virtually seamless. The only indication that the engine is starting and stopping is the power gauge and the EV indicator. Under more aggressive acceleration, the engine can be heard growling a bit, but step-ratio transmission gives it a more traditional note as it upshifts rather than the motor-boating effect you get with many other hybrids.
The combined 192-horsepower and 271 lb.-ft. of torque provided by the 2.0-liter four-cylinder and electric motor are more than enough to achieve brisk acceleration in virtually all conditions and the Optima never felt like it was struggling to keep up.
Compared to some earlier Optimas I’ve driven, the low-rolling resistance tires on the hybrid and cold pavement meant the steering didn’t feel quite as precise as I’d expect, but it was superior to the Camry hybrid I drove the week before. The ride quality of the Optima was excellent and aside from the steering, overall driving dynamics felt about on a par with the Ford Fusion. The EX hybrid I tested had the optional radar-based adaptive cruise control which works very well along with lane departure warning but it lacked lane departure prevention.
As noted, the EPA rates the Optima hybrid at 39 mpg city, 46 mpg highway and 42 mpg combined. The week I spent with the Optima was one of the colder weeks of the winter and I averaged 38 mpg in my driving. The Optima Hybrid Premium starts at a quite reasonable $26,000 while the EX trim I drove bumps that up to a $31,000 starting price. As tested with the $5,000 technology package and delivery, the total price comes up to $36,885. Overall, I’d rate the Optima among the best in its segment although personally, I’d prefer to see Kia break out the driver assist features from the technology package so they would be available without the glass roof and other features. Honda is now offering similar features as a standalone package on all trim levels for just $1,000 on most models and the 2018 Camry will get them as standard equipment.
Oh yeah and I want a hybrid wagon. Me and probably a dozen other journalists, which is probably why we’ll never see it.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/samabuelsamid/2017/03/18/2017-kia-optima-hybrid-a-high-efficiency-family-sedan-that-should-be-available-as-a-wagon/
2017-03-18T15:50:00+00:00