2016 Kia Optima: Staying The Course

In the thin air of Aspen, Colorado's peaks, which range in height from two and a half to a full four kilometres above sea level, I discovered that it can be advantageous to bring along your own oxygen. Even the slightest physical exertion during my time there driving the all-new 2016 Kia Optima offered me a preview of how poorly I assume my cardiovascular system will function in my twilight years.

It's fitting, then, that the fleet of Optima sedans offered to us during our day-long exploration of the precipices immediately surrounding the Continental Divide featured their own special equipment specifically designed for heavy breathing. I'm referring of course to the fresh 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine that has joined the mid-size Kia's options list for 2016, where it sits alongside the carry-over 2.0-litre four-cylinder (also turbo). There's a base 2.4-litre engine also on the docket for the Optima, but wisely, given the scarcity of atmospheric pressure at Aspen's altitude, the Korean automaker elected to leave that particular model at home.

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With traditional four-door cars increasingly seeing their market share given over to the crossover craze - both big and small - the updated Kia Optima has much to prove as it enters into perhaps its most important iteration. It's also a chance to set itself further apart from its corporate parent Hyundai's Sonata cousin, a vehicle with which it shares most of its platform, but increasingly less of its attitude.

Variations On A Theme

I'm not the only person who was disappointed at the 'blandening' suffered by last year's Sonata at the hands of Hyundai designers who elected to trade individuality for the broad, soft middle ground of family sedan styling. I'm happy to report that the 2016 Kia Optima has made no such concessions: this is a car that continues to prize distinctive design, at least on the outside, as one of its core attributes. From the long, sloping roofline of its silhouette to the sharper angles judiciously framing the front fascia of the car, the Optima's shark-tooth grin is a promise that you won't lose it in the parking lot alongside row after row of grey Camrys and Altimas.

Stretched Where It Counts

The longer shadow cast by the 2016 Kia Optima can be directly linked to a wheelbase that's been stretched by 10 mm. In combination with a 30 mm push in width, the sedan now boasts one of the most spacious back seats in its class. Kia has further scalloped the door panels front and rear to accentuate the car's up-tick in girth, with the result being a mid-size model that feels closer to full-size when riding as third or fourth passenger.

Less successful has been the Optima's shift towards improving the cabin materials offered by higher trim levels. Although the quilted stitching available with the car's leather seats looks great and is quite comfortable, the previously-mentioned door panels don't fare quite so well with the leather bonded to their surfaces. Switch gear also feels less-than-premium, which is absolutely fine for the more affordable members of the Optima line-up, but less impressive on top-tier cars.

Then there's Android Auto. Kia's in-house navigation and infotainment system delivers attractive graphics and easy-to-use logic, but the implementation of Android Auto in the new Optima is problematic at best. Every time I plugged my Android phone into one of the car's USB ports to charge it, I was bombarded by demands popping up on the device to download the Google software required for this new system. Irritated to the point of malleability, I eventually gave in and installed the app, only to discover that it completely took over the Optima's touchscreen and replaced the previous interface and functionality that I liked so much with an Android-specific system linked entirely to my phone.

Did I mention it did this mid-trip, locking out the navigation route I had already programmed into the car and not bothering to transfer it over to the Google Maps feature that was now in its place? Or that it kept me from accessing the satellite radio system I had previously been enjoying? A yank of the USB plug brought it all back, thankfully, and I immediately uninstalled the feature (which, incidentally, sends your data through Google servers for analysis and marketing purposes).

Predictable Mid-Size Driving Dynamics

The 2016 Kia Optima's chassis has been optimized for comfortable commuting, and while there is a Sport driving mode available, it serves mostly to sharpen the throttle and add heft to the steering wheel. Handling is on par with rivals like the Sonata and the Altima, although not as engaging as the Ford Fusion or the Mazda Mazda6.

Eco mode is also selectable in the Optima, and I found it easy to live with when tooling down the meandering 80 km descent from Leadville, Colorado, which itself boasts just over three kilometres of elevation. The 2.0-litre's 245 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque are competent in most situations, as is the programming of its six-speed automatic transmission; the new 1.6-litre mill's 178 horses and 195 lb-ft are adequate, if noisy, while the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox that accompanies it isn't quite as refined as its torque-converter equivalent. The upshot is a significant improvement in claimed fuel efficiency, with the latter checking it at 8.4 l/100 km in city driving and 6.1 l/100 km on the highway. The base 2.4 is roughly as powerful as the 1.6, and almost as frugal in combined driving, which when taking into account its pliable standard six-speed autobox makes it the value pick for budget-oriented buyers.

A Style-Conscious Choice

The 2016 Kia Optima makes a good case for luring in mid-size customers tired of the humdrum looks that make up a substantial chunk of the segment, and its competitive pricing and respectable level of features availability are two strong points in its favour. Not an exciting car to drive, the Optima is nevertheless comfortable, and if you can stomach an interior that doesn't quite live up to the promise of its sheet metal, then you'll find a lot to like about its daily charm and wallet-friendly window sticker.