Vehicles You Never Knew Existed: #1 The Kia Optima

[Truckosaurus]

As I no longer read any mainstream motoring magazines (eg. CAR, Autocar etc) I was unaware of the most recent incarnation of the Kia Optima until I saw one parked up at the weekend.

Quite a handsome motorcar for a Reasonably Priced Saloon. (The one I saw was also in white and had the same wheels as pictured)



Probably not offered with any desirable engines though.

[Shaw Tarse]

There have been a couple of threads about it on PH. (I think it looks good)

[mnkiboy]

I might be wrong, but I think it comes with one engine option. A 1.7 diesel.

It's what the public wants. The idiots.

[kambites]

Seems it comes with the following engines:

134bhp 1.7 diesel
162bhp 2.0 petrol
178bhp 2.4 petrol
274bhp 2.0 petrol (turbo)
200bhp 2.4 petrol

But predictably enough, the two higher powered versions are North American only; and only the diesel comes to the UK.


ETA: Oh and there's a North American only hybrid, too.

Edited by kambites on Tuesday 26th February 15:23

[Cupramax]

Quick test on 5th Gear...

http://youtu.be/bqemWhGVX9U

[Willy Nilly]

A colleague has one, he's chuffed to bits with it. They look even better in the flesh.

[Shaw Tarse]

You may also have missed the Suzuki Kizashi

[marshall100]

Shaw Tarse said:

You may also have missed the Suzuki Kizashi

This. Was pondering the very same car on the way to work this morning. You never see them and that's despite there being much praise out there for it in the press.

[S2Mike]

Have I not been looking but followed one of these earlier this week, heard nothing about it before.

[slomax]

Cars are getting horrendously big. The optima is a big old brute. The newest Accord is massive too. I only say this as i saw a 2005 Audi A4 get overtaken by a 2012 accord recently and it was an awful lot bigger. Seems crazy.

My brother had a 2000 Volvo s40 and it felt similar in size (on the inside) as my dads 2005 Vectra, yet was considerably smaller. My dad has been eying up a new car over the last year or so for when his vectra dies (140k on it atm) but the insignia/mondeo/passat/optima/accord are all just massive!

i have a feeling he might look at a slightly smaller car like the new v40, 1 series, A class etc.