Test drive Kia Optima

Stylish grille, red leather, new software and camera on the go - how the popular sedan changed after the update

She still looks great

Any sloppy touches could spoil the successful appearance of the sedan, therefore, little work was done on the appearance. For example, there are new bumpers, as well as differently designed radiator grilles. In the simpler versions, it is chrome-plated with vertical strips, and in the richer versions - with a honeycomb structure, as before. But no longer chrome, but glossy black. In addition, the bumper design of the GT and GT Line versions has become more aggressive, and the younger versions have wheels with a new pattern.

It has become cozier inside

The interior design has remained almost unchanged - only a couple of details have appeared like chrome bezels around the multimedia display or the engine start button. But inside, it still became more comfortable: the quality of workmanship of some details is now much higher. So, in the interior with leather trim, the stitching is decorated differently, and the choice of leather itself has become wider. There is a brown color finish, as well as a combined red and black interior upholstery. Optima in such designs, if not premium, certainly looks more solid than before.

The hardware was not touched, but the software was changed

The base engine is still a two-liter atmospheric "four" with a capacity of 150 hp, which can be combined with both "mechanics" and "automatic". One step higher is the most popular modification with a 188-horsepower 2,4-liter engine paired with an automatic transmission. Well, the top version of the GT with a 245-horsepower "turbo four" is crowned the Optima line. That's just for her and changed the software a little.

In the menu of the Drive Mode Select system, which allows you to change the settings of the power unit and transmission of the car, a new fourth mode has appeared. Smart has been added to the existing ECO, Comfort, and Sport. It allows the electronic control unit to independently change the settings for the operation of the power plant, depending on the traffic situation.

The logic of its work is simple. During normal driving, the engine and gearbox operate in the most economical mode. If the sensors detect an increase in the driving pace or a slight difference in altitude, the Optima electronics will activate the Comfort settings. And when active work begins with the gas pedal, for example, when overtaking or passing a series of turns, the Sport mode is automatically activated.

The camera can be turned on on the go

Now multimedia systems with 7- and 8-inch displays have access to the information network. You can share internet from your smartphone and get traffic or weather information from your TomTom provider. In addition, the rear view camera can now be forced to activate and use the image from it at all times.

However, this is a very dubious alternative to the conventional rear-view mirror. But the resolution of all-round cameras has increased from 0,3 megapixels to 1,0, and the picture from them is now transmitted more clearly. And the box in the center console can be equipped with Qi wireless charging.

She still went up a little

Don't be fooled by the entry price. Yes, the base car has become cheaper than the previous one and now costs $ 16. That's $ 089 cheaper than before. But the other versions of the car went up a little - by an average of $ 131. So one of the most popular versions of Luxe, which was previously priced at $ 395, now costs $ 20. The sports version of the GT-Line is priced at $ 441 instead of $ 20 for a pre-styling car, and the sports GT version costs $ 837 instead of $ 23. The price hike is always unpleasant, but the Optima's price list is still one of the nicest in the class.