Kia Optima sedan as new four-door flagship scores for value
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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NOVATO, Calif. -- A fast clip running north of San Francisco on the 101 freeway -- teeming in multiple lanes with commuter cars and freight-hauling trucks -- quickly illuminates the quiet nature of Optima, a new mid-size sedan crowning the 2001 line of Korean automaker Kia.
Optima does such a good job of damping mechanical vibrations and insulating the cabin from external noises that passengers can converse in subtle voices and still hear one another easily above the din of traffic.
And our backseat rider -- B. M. Ahn, president and chief executive office of Kia Motors America -- has something to say that illustrates the role of Optima in Kia's rapidly expanding lineup of car models: "We expect Optima not only to enhance Kia's reputation for developing well-built vehicles at high-value prices, but also move the Kia brand upward to a new level of refinement and luxury."
Creating a vehicle that fosters a serene and rattle-free interior environment is no trick, as a variety of pricy luxury cars demonstrate. However, properties of superior sound isolation are rarely found in vehicles pitched at the bottom of competitive price charts, and that point alone makes Optima the unusual vehicle.
It looks stylish, stocks comfy seats in a cabin that's as spacious as the best-selling mid-size sedans, and it brings two engine choices including a V6 teamed to a select-shift automatic transaxle designed by Germany's Porsche.
Despite these ingredients, Optima's prices drop to the bottom of the class among four-door mid-size imports.
Kia casts the base Optima LX at only $15,299. Tack on the inescapable delivery fee of $450 and the figure bumps to $15,749 as Optima's lowest mark.
The Optima LX V6 starts at $18,499, yet even the top model Optima SE V6 when loaded with all options caps at $21,919, plus the delivery fee.
Then Kia supports Optima with its Long Haul Warranty.
The program extends well beyond protection for other vehicles. Optima's powertrain is insured for ten years or 100,000 miles and there's a five-year or 60,000-mile shield against defects plus five years with unlimited mileage of a roadside assistance program that includes towing service.
Core structural and mechanical elements of the Optima -- platform, suspension system and engines -- come from the Sonata sedan by Hyundai, Korea's larger automaker that now owns Kia. Although the two cars share essential components, each appears distinctly different, with Optima dressed in a conservative exterior package and the cabin of unique design containing equipment specific only to Kia.
The smooth package design, in conventional three-box arrangement, looks classy.
It features subtle monotone trim that draws attention to the bold face marked by an egg-crate grille dipped in bright chrome and large reflective multi-lens headlamp clusters pinned at both corners.
From the base of the grille a pair of crisp notches streak across the sloping hood and segment the panel from flanking fenders, each topped by a flat canted plane that extends rearward across both doors to the tail.
Wheelwells flare only modestly in flat rings around nine-spoke alloy wheels that show up on all save Optima's entry issue.
Behind a tall stack of windows, the passenger compartment is a space of generous scale that carries a high content of features for comfort and luxury, along with safety systems including frontal and side air bags plus three-point belts for five seats.
A conventional layout puts a pair of comfortable bucket seats up front with a center console housing the transmission shift lever. Behind the front seats, a bench for three has indentations for two. The rear seat adds a fold-down armrest and split back for trunk access.
The cabin ceiling rises high so headroom for front and rear seats is good even for someone with a tall torso.
This is also a broad space so there's ample room for shoulders of those riding in the back, and the long wheelbase adds sufficient legroom for all seats.
Front buckets, designed to fit large American frames, slide forward and back on long tracks to exaggerate floor space and accommodate even a long-legged driver.
The dash panel centers a vertical oval cluster of audio and climate equipment above the console, with a horizontal glove box on the right and a hooded instrument panel to the left in front of the driver.
Instruments, with round analog gauges, include a large speedometer and tachometer lodged beneath two smaller dials indicating fuel and coolant levels.
All editions contain standard equipment such as air conditioning, a stereo sound kit with cassette deck and six speakers, and power controls for windows, locks and mirrors.
Optima's flat-floored trunk contains 13.6 cubic feet of room in an area with low bumper lift-over and lid hinges that don't get in the way of stored cargo.
A steel unibody structure surrounds the passenger compartment, with high-tension reinforcements layered at critical junctures to increase rigidity of the system.
The suspension design uses a flexible steel sub-frame in front to cradle the suspension and steering hardware. Such a design, rarely found in price-conscious products, blocks noises when rolling over bumps and pavement irregularities, then keeps the platform riding relatively flat by absorbing energy of wheels bouncing vertically.
Independent elements include a double wishbone in front with coil springs, gas-charged shocks and stabilizer bar, with a rear multi-link system and stabilizer bar. Ride quality feels smooth yet firm and controlled, as the system eliminates typical squat or dive response when accelerating rapidly or braking hard.
Speed-sensitive rack and pinion steering contributes to the agile nature of Optima. Mounting the steering gear box directly on the front suspension's sub-frame dampens tendencies to shimmy and shake, ultimately forging a better feel of the road for the driver.
Power-assisted brakes use ventilated front discs, with rear drums on base Optima and solid back discs on versions with the V6 engine, where anti-lock controls are optional.
Optima LX and SE carry a 2.4-liter four-in-line engine rigged with twin-cam aluminum heads and dual balanced shafts. Output extends to 149 hp through either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission.
Optima LX V6 and SE V6 get a 2.5-liter aluminum V6 that hits 170 hp through the automatic with Tiptronic manual shift action. Tip the stick forward or back to bump up or down one gear at a time without having to pump a clutch.
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| 2001 KIA OPTIMA VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS |
| Description: |
Mid-size 4-door sedan
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| Model Options: |
Mid-size 4-door sedan
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| Wheelbase: |
106.3 inches
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| Overall Length: |
185.8 inches
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| Engine Size: |
DOHC 2.4-L I4
DOHC 2.5-L V6
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| Transmission: |
I4: Manual/5, Auto/4
V6: Auto/4 Tiptronic
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| Drive: |
Front
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| Braking: |
Power disc/drum
V6: Power 4-disc/opt. ABS
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| Airbags: |
2 (front) + 2 (side)
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| Gas Mileage: |
I4 M/5: 21/28 mpg
I4 A/4: 20/27 mpg
V6 A/4: 19/25 mpg
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| MSRP Price: |
$ 15,299 to $ 21,919 |
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