OVERVIEW A family sedan and sports sedan in a tidy, richly equipped package. PROSAthletic performance, generous amenities, standard safety system/crash test scores CONSAnnoying lane departure warning system, inane “Smart” trunk release VALUE FOR MONEYGood WHAT TO CHANGE?Turn up the turbo’s wick and produce a GT version along the lines of the Stinger GT. And, yes, that is coming with the next redo. HOW TO SPEC IT?Like a Stinger GT… Of the mid-sized sedans on the market, not one has been reworked more than the Kia Optima. For 2019, it gets yet another facelift to keep it contemporary and in touch with a shifting segment — mostly a shift away from sedans and into crossovers! The SXL’s refresh sharpens things with a revised front fascia with LED fog lights, LED interior ambient lighting, a sport steering wheel and smart cruise control with stop-and-go functionality along with a simplified infotainment system. The revised infotainment system is easier to use and it supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto while allowing the driver to use the standard built-in navigation system. The cabin’s layout further simplifies things. Everything above the steering wheel’s crossbar is about displaying important information; everything below is about controlling things. The format makes it a no-nonsense proposition. The rest of it sees high-quality soft-touch materials and, in the SXL, swanky diamond-pattern Nappa leather seating to go along with everything from a power panoramic moonroof to a 12-way heated/cooled power driver’s seat with memory, and it touches everything between the extremes. The rear seat has plenty of stretch-out space and heated outboard pews. Behind that sits a spacious 450-litre trunk — that is large by mid-size standards. The trunk has what Kia calls a “Smart” release. Stand at the back end of the car for a few seconds and the car senses the key and pops the trunk lid open automatically, which is pretty smart, I’ll admit. The hitch is that the lid only opens partially so you still have to put down your packages and manually lift it fully open. That’s not so smart. Given the level of standard equipment a proper power trunk is one of the few missing links. The Optima SXL’s feature-rich packaging extends to the list of safety aids — advanced forward collision warning with auto braking, blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, a surround-view camera, auto high beams, drowsy-driver detection and lane departure warning with keep assist is all standard on this high trim. That’s more than many much more expensive rides. As is common, I find the lane departure/keep assist system very annoying. Worthy of note is the Kia Optima is one of the few mid-sized sedans to retain the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Top Safety Pick+ designation even as the standards have been toughened of late. The tighter standards has seen many lose the “+” designation — the Honda Accord being a big one. What impresses with the 2.0-litre turbocharged four found in the SXL is not so much the 245 horsepower, but the 260 pound-feet of torque and the fact it turns up 1,350 rpm. As peak torque is developed 700 rpm off idle there is no turbo lag off the line. The engine then remains smooth and refined across the operating range. It drives the front wheels through a six-speed automatic with paddle shifters. While it works as is, a couple of extra gears in the box would improve the already solid performance — one of Optima’s most cross-shopped competitors is the top-selling Toyota Camry and its eight-speed tranny. The drive characteristics are adjustable with Eco, Comfort, Sport and Smart modes. Most are redundant as Smart automatically picks the appropriate driving mode based on driver input — typically it switches between Eco and Comfort. However, a twisty road demands Sport, as it not only amps up the performance it also puts some needed weight in the steering. When in Sport the Optima loves to spin its wheels on a fast takeoff, so roll into the throttle easily and then hammer it! The combination brings a rapid run to 100 kilometres an hour of 6.7 seconds and it turns the more important 80-120 km/h passing move in 4.6 seconds. Both times are quick for a family-oriented sedan. The SXL arrives with a sportier suspension than the base models. As such it is noticeably firmer, but nonetheless comfortable. On the highway it wafts over road ripples. Throw it into a corner and it rides it out with minimal body roll and understeer is a long way out thanks to the P235/45R18 tires. The key to the comfort/sporty blend boils down to the high performance dampers. They adjust the damping level according to the speed of the body’s movement. On the highway, where body motion is typically slow, the shocks deliver softer damping. Dial in some steering and the rapid change in body motion sees the mechanical dampers switch to a firmer setting. While not as effective as true active
Origin: Car Review: 2019 Kia Optima SXL