Kia Optima GT - The Game Changer for D Segment Cars in the market.

Introduction

With turbocharging fast becoming a mainstream powertrain option across all car manufacturers, the Koreans are no different. Kia, in particular, slowly introduced turbocharged petrol engines with their Koup Turbo, but that trickle-down effect eventually made its way to the more mainstream models too. While we won’t be seeing any 1.0-litre turbocharged Picantos anytime soon on Malaysian roads, we are glad to know that Kia has decided to equipped the Optima GT with a turbocharged engine instead.

The current generation Kia Optima GT is powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine. It’s a fairly powerful mill, with a solid 242 hp and 350 Nm of torque from just 1,400 rpm, up to 4,000 rpm. Paired with a six-speed conventional automatic transmission, this is the kind of formula you would expect to see in a sleeper car of sorts. It would be easily be able to outrun a BMW 3 series or 5 Series on Malaysian roads.

Compared to the previous generation Optima that was introduced, there has been major improvements seen throughout the car both the outside and in, helping to refresh the looks of the car and use more trendy materials. On the whole, the Optima GT has grown a little and this translates to more interior room.

Priced at RM 179,888 (at time of testing), the Optima GT sits right in the middle of the segment’s price bracket, being neither as expensive as a top-of-the-line Volkswagen Passat, nor being as budget friendly as a Honda Accord 2.4 VTi-L. That’s not an entirely bad position to be in, as it bridges the gap between conventional powertrains and pure performance and luxury.


Specifications:

· Engine: 2.0-litre, Inline-4 Transverse, Direct Injection, Petrol

· Power: 242 hp at 6,000 rpm

· Torque: 350 Nm from 1,400 to 4,000 rpm

· Transmission: 6-speed torque converter automatic, front-wheel drive

· Safety: Six airbags, electronic stability control (ESC), Emergency Stop Signal, Hill Assist Control

· Origin: Locally assembled at Gurun, Kedah

· Price: RM 179,888 (OTR with insurance)

Exterior of the Optima

For Korean carmarker Kia their design is constantly evolving with each model launched. There’s no defined line between generations, which can be a little confusing but isn’t any indication of designs being clumsy or poorly thought out.

The Optima GT is a stunner, whether you’re viewing it from head on or from any of the quarter-panel views. Perhaps the only peculiar perspective is when you view it directly from the side, which really gives you an impression of how long the car is.

In terms of the actual features on the car itself, the Optima GT carefully blends fluid metal bodywork with sharp elements such as a rear diffuser and both headlights and taillights.

The grill up front has a more seamless blending with the headlights for a truly cohesive design. While the wheels could use a little more offset and a face that isn’t quite so flat, they aren’t be any means a design you couldn’t live with.

Interior of the Optima

Perhaps this is the crux of the Optima GT: it doesn’t feel like it has come far enough from the previous generation. We were already fans of the Optima GT of old, but that was at a time when manufacturers weren’t stepping up their game in the department of interior designs. The top-of-the-line Volkswagen Passat comes with a massive LCD screen; one can’t help but wonder when this will be made available on more mass market models.

What we like in terms of the interior is that the Kia has done a good job in imitating the interior of the BMW as seen in the Optima GT. Where quality is concern, Kia has done a great job, as the knobs and switches of the car feel premium to the touch, including the solid build quality and feedback from the switchgear.

One of the major letdown of the Optima GT down is the rather small entertainment unit, which occupies a tiny portion of the dashboard which looks out of place when looking at the overall interior of the car as they are plenty of unused dashboard trim in the background.

On the bright side the interior has decent amount of legroom. Front and rear passengers are hardly ever wanting more, even with four tall occupants. Headroom, however, is a little bit of a sore topic for rear passengers given the taper of the Optima GT’s roof.

How does the Optima GT Fare on Malaysian Roads?

For car that is price around RM200k the Optima GT has to face intense competition from its rivals such as the Mazda 6 in the market. As it is a car that is renown by many as a car that is refined and has good handling performance especially when maneuvering the car on tight bends.

One of the redeeming factors of the Optima GT is that the brakes feels really responsive as you would not have to push your foot to the pedal to brake rapidly especially when maneuvering around tight bends on Malaysian roads.

The major let-down of the Optima GT would be the gear ratios. In the case of the Optima GT, there are very long gear ratios which ends up robbing the feeling of acceleration from the rather potent engine.

As for handling itself, the Optima GT is rather blend for a car of its price.The car feels long and heavy, making it particularly slow to react to directional changes. Braking is required to helps to coax the Optima GT into a corner, which is unique for a car these days, but it’s more a workaround than a solution.

I would say that the Honda Civic handles much better than the Optima GT despite being price more than RM50k cheaper than the Optima GT. The handling in the Civic was good due to the FC’s stiff chassis, further strengthened by a rear cross brace gives the driver a good degree of body control, enabling turn-ins to be executed with poise and high speeds to be carried with confidence. 

Is the Optima GT comfortable enough for day to day driving?

For starters for front passengers, the damping is fairly spot on. However don’t expect the same level of refinement found in the Lexus though.

For the rear passengers, as is the case with a lot of cars these days, things are a little less comfortable as undulations and bumps are transmitted directly to the rear seats. It’s not uncomfortable to the point of being unusable, but more a minor annoyance.

Would it be classified as a fuel efficient car?

For a mixture of aggressive and normal driving the Optima GT returned 8.6 litres per 100 kilometres. However, you are more likely to see that figure go up to around 10 litres per 100 kilometres, if you were to drive it economically on a day to day basis.

Summary

Overall, the Optima GT lacks in handling but is compensated with a sophisticate engine that is above its competition for a car of its price.Depending on what you look for in a car the Optima GT may be the most appealing option.

For detailed review of the Kia Optima GT, kindly click on the video below. Credits to

Bobby Ang for reviewing the Kia Optima GT.

2017 Kia Optima GT 2.0 Turbo Full In Depth Review