2011 Kia Optima 2.0T test drive

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Look out, automakers: Kia is creeping up your tails, and now they've got a turbo. The other Korean, Kia has quietly chalked up 15 consecutive years of increased US market share, and achieved record sales in 2010. Now, hot on the heels of Hyundai's impressive Sonata Turbo, Kia debuts its own mid-size turbo sedan, the 2011 Kia Optima Turbo. The 2011 Kia Optima Turbo rolls in with base prices of $24,495 (EX) and $25,995 (SX) with EPA fuel economy estimates of 22 city/34 highway. Is it any good? Read on.

Larger photos: Front - rear - all photos

Kia's late success has been built on design, and Optima adds another pillar to that edifice. Part of that success rests on a global design sensibility, and exceptionally good taste. From the avant styling of the Soul to the elegance of the new Sorento and the insouciance of the latest Sportage, Kia has changed the look and feel of its exteriors from functional followers to style leaders. Color me impressed.

Penned in Kia's studios in Frankfurt, Germany and Irvine, California, the new Optima is longer, lower, and wider than the outgoing model. Optima leads with its own interpretation of the signature corporate grille, a little more pinched than on its CUV brethren. Horizontally arrayed headlights flank the grille, with a blacked out lower vent housing fog lamps. The look is very much an anthropomorphic superhero mask, very expressive and full of personality without being cute. Muscular yet restrained fenders rise over the front wheels feeding into a crisp profile, with gently riding shoulder line and scooped rocker panels. Short, Aston-Martin-like C-pillars connect the sides and trunk. The 18" wheels (link goes to photo) featured on my SX test vehicle were a bit over the top for my taste; a plainer wheel might lend more elegance to the overall look. Out back, Optima manages to look svelte without looking narrow.

Overall, Optima is a gorgeous sedan, with a much more elegant appearance than any previous Kia vehicle.

Larger interior photo

Like its corporate parent Hyundai, Kia is not shy about loading up a vehicle with technology and features, sometimes to the detriment of usability. Even in base (LX) trim, Optima has an abundance of standard equipment. The Turbo models (EX 2.0T and SX 2.0T) get an even heavier array, with more goodies available in the Technology and Premium option packages. Some very impressive near-luxury features can be ordered, including dual zone climate control with rear vents, heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel and more. A very well designed GPS navigation system is part of the Technology Package, and includes live traffic conditions via Sirius Traffic, a very handy feature. For the most part, the features do not overwhelm the otherwise neat and cleanly-laid out interior. The only glaring mistake I noticed was the location of the USB/auxiliary audio inputs, which are placed at the bottom of the center stack in the middle of the dash. They would be more useful concealed inside the glove compartment or inside the center console armrest, so that it wouldn't be necessary to unplug your iPod (or other device) every time the vehicle is parked.

I drove the SX 2.0T, and the best thing I had to say after driving it came out as a backhanded compliment, though I didn't mean it that way. I emerged from the Optima Turbo saying that if I didn't know that it was a Korean vehicle, I never would have suspected it. What I really meant was that Kia has achieved a European level of luxury, sportiness and quality with the interior of the Optima Turbo, and that I was very impressed. I may be forced to recalibrate my entire view of automotive interiors if Kia keeps cranking out this level of quality. Let's hope so!

Performance snobs will tell you that the only really sporty sedans are rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, but don't tell that to the Optima Turbo (or the Mazda6, for that matter). 274 hp and 269 lb-ft of torque is not an overwhelming amount of engine output, but when that force is applied to the road in an efficient manner, it can deliver a lot of fun. Optima Turbo's 2.0-liter in-line 4-cylinder engine makes use of Kia's first-ever turbocharger.

A turbo uses exhaust gases to compress the air that goes into the engine's cylinders, delivering more power from each spark. A well-executed turbo, like this one, minimizes the delay between power demand and power delivery, known as "lag," which used to be a big problem with turbos. You'd press on the accelerator, and the turbo boost would take a few seconds to kick in, and you'd get a sometimes-unpredictable goose of power. In front-wheel drive cars like Optima, that goose might prompt a phenomenon called "torque steer," where the front wheels pull to the side when power is delivered abruptly. Not safe, or fun. Optima's beautifully tuned turbo and engine display little or no lag or torque steer, just direct, predictable linear power.

And with its sporty suspension setup, Optima can really hug the curves. The only thing I could have wished for in the Optima Turbo is a manual transmission, instead of the six-speed automatic with paddle shifters (in the SX). The manual is only available with the less-potent naturally aspirated 2.4-liter engine in the LX. Don't fear the manual, Kia!

I really liked the new Kia Optima Turbo. My only real reservations are fears of the unknown. A brand new powerplant with a brand new turbocharger challenge my conservative nature. Even with the Optima's 10-year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty, I'd be a little reluctant to rely on the Optima Turbo. Kia assured me that they've done durability testing, pushing the engine and turbo for 300 hours at redline (6,500 rpm), then pushing it further by over-revving it to 6,800 rpm for an additional 20 hours to ensure the setup was bulletproof. I'm still a skeptic, but I liked the performance -- and the 22 mpg city/34 highway fuel economy ratings -- enough to recommend the Optima Turbo despite my anxiety.

Kia is gunning for the big dogs with the Optima Turbo. The Toyota Camry and Honda Accord are the major canines in this pack, and I'd pick Optima Turbo over either one. The Mazda6 has been my favorite mid-sized sedan for a few years, and Optima Turbo nudges up against the Mazda for my affection.

We are living in a golden age of automobiles, when a plethora of superb, affordable vehicles await our selection. The idea that a 274 hp turbocharged sedan from South Korea might be one of the choices to drive in 2011 was unthinkable in 2001, and the notion that said sedan would be rated to go 34 miles on a gallon of gas wouldn't have been believed. But that's what the Optima Turbo can do, and starting at about 26 grand. Not only am I excited about the Optima Turbo right now, I'm already looking forward to 2021. -- Jason Fogelson

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