IT'S NOT THAT long ago that the merest mention of a car from Korea caused joviality and mockery. Now though, even the mainstream volume manufacturers like Ford and Vauxhall are paying attention to what the Koreans are doing. And believe me, with the launch of the Kia Optima — it goes on sale on February 1 — they'll be paying even more attention.
The Optima is Kia's new family saloon. I say new, but in reality it's been on sale in the home market since 2010 and has been such a runaway success, both there and in the States, that production levels are only now able to cope with supplies to the UK.
The manual returns 57.6mpg and just 128g/km CO2, while the auto has slightly lower fuel figures, and a CO2 level of 158g/km. And unlike the auto, which has one of these new-fangled electronic parking brakes, the manual reassuringly has a good, old-fashioned hand-operated handbrake. There's no denying the manual handbrake still makes it easier in close-quarter manouevring.
The Mondeo-sized four-door — it's actually 20mm longer than the Ford — is something of a looker, with its wedgy stance, deep flanks and fierce nose.
Sensibly, only one powerplant will come to the UK, the 1.7-litre, 134bhp turbodiesel — the same engine as is used in its sister Hyundai i40 — and it's an impressive all-round package. The Optima also comes with a choice of six-speed gearboxes — a regular manual or a torque-converter auto with steering-wheel paddles for manual intervention.
Despite the relatively small nature of the engine, specifically in relation to the size and weight of the car (it's nearly a tonne and a half) it manages to cope supremely well with today's driving demands.
Sure it lags a little through low gears if you're trying to push on, but drive it sensibly and you'll be rewarded with a car which is comfortably capable of going head-to-head with Ford's Mondeo, or the Vauxhall Insignia. And if you're considering a Mazda6 or Peugeot 508, you definitely need to add the Optima to your test list.
The manual returns 57.6mpg and just 128g/km CO2, while the auto has slightly lower fuel figures, and a CO2 level of 158g/km. And unlike the auto, which has one of these new-fangled electronic parking brakes, the manual reassuringly has a good, old-fashioned hand-operated handbrake. There's no denying the manual handbrake still makes it easier in close-quarter manouevring.
Quiet, smooth and torquey, the responsive performance above 2000rpm means the car sits easily at the more sporting end of the D-segment.
Good-looking, credible and well-priced
While our test car did suffer from a little excessive tyre noise on some of the Hampshire roads we experienced, the Optima rides well and there's very little body roll.
In fact, for anyone after their ideal everyday family four-door saloon, the handling and rise compromise which Kia has settled for is ideal.
Kia, which now has good-looking, credible, well-priced models on offer in all of Europe’s main new car market segments, in Picanto, Rio, Cee’d and new Optima — and not forgetting the excellent Sportage SUV — has stuck with its rather strange 1, 2 and 3 trim level identification.
Prices start at a highly competitive £19,595 for the Optima '1' and rise to £25,995: plus it comes with Kia's fantastic seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty. The entry level '1' gets air conditioning, Bluetooth, cruise control as standard.
Step up to the '2' and you're faced with the choice of either the Luxe or the Tech: it's this mid-spec '2' which will account for the bulk of UK SALES.
No cheap and nasty textures
While the '2 Luxe' gets a panoramic sunroof, it does rather eat into the interior headroom space. So I'd suggest you go for the '2 Tech' which not only has a far roomier feel, but also benefits from Kia’s excellent Infinity audio system and touchscreen satnav, which both come as standard.
Perhaps, given my experience of tyre noise on the test car, another more important reason to go for the '2 Tech' is it's fitted with smaller, 17in alloys and slightly chubbier Hankook tyres. The '2 Luxe', which perches on good-looking 18in alloys shod with Nexen tyres, is definitely slightly noisier, choppy and unsettled.
Inside the cabin, there's none of the cheap fittings and nasty textures which were once associated with cars from the Far East.
It's a comfortable environment in which to be transported, and there's more than enough space in both the front and rear. Open the boot and you'll struggle to reach the back of the rear seats, such is its depth.
Due to supply restrictions, only 1600 Optima models will enter Kia's showrooms this year. While that will no doubt be frustrating for Kia dealerships, I imagine the salesmen in Ford, Vauxhall, Mazda and Peugeot showrooms across the country are breathing a deep sigh of relief.
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Jim McGill