2016 Kia Optima SW Estate
While you’d be forgiven for forgetting
the saloon even exists, such are its poor sales figures, the Kia Optima
Sportswagon represents a change of tack for the Korean firm in a few crucial
ways.
First, the car we’ve been poring over is
something European Optima buyers have been crying out for: an estate. Next,
there’s a warm GT version on the way and last but not
least, a plug-in hybrid version of the saloon is coming too.
Five of every six Optimas sold in the UK
are set to be Sportswagons, which gives you an indication just how important
this car is. That name, in our minds, is vastly inferior to the Sportspace
concept car it’s based on, which was unveiled at last year’s Geneva show.
Its 553-litre boot isn’t as big as
rivals like the VW Passat or Skoda Superb, but it beats the Ford Mondeo
Estate’s, and that’s not exactly tiny. It also wins over the saloon because its
boot aperture is far bigger and the load lip lower – both valid reasons to take
a tourer over a three-box car.
It’s still exclusively front-wheel
drive, with the GT making use of a new four-pot 2.0 turbocharged
direct-injection petrol engine. It produces 242 bhp and 260 lb-ft, which is sent
through a six-speed automatic gearbox. You’ll get bi-modal adaptive suspension
too, which is controlled either by flicking to ‘sport’ mode or by G-force
sensors picking up your enthusiastic driving. The very same rack-mounted steering
system as seen on the dynamically impressive Sportage promises an assured front
end, while multilink rear suspension makes the recipe for fun all the more
tempting.
A claimed carbon dioxide output of
37 g/km will raise a few eyebrows and the claimed fuel economy the firm is targeting is 166 mpg. The drivetrain is comprised of a naturally
aspirated 2.0-litre four-pot petrol with 154 bhp and a parallel hybrid system
fed from lithium-polymer batteries, all driving the front wheels through a
six-speed automatic gearbox.
This won’t be anything like as quick as
the GT version, with a combined power output of 202 bhp and 276 lb-ft making for
a 0-62 mph trip in 9.4 seconds.
