The 2013 Kia Optima

Price range N4.5Mill-5.2Mill /  $21,200-$27,000

INTRODUCTION

To be sincere, I really don’t know where to start with the 2013 Kia Optima. That car is astonishingly beautiful  for a family sedan.  It’s also very well equipped and with pricing estimates starting at N4.5Million, it is super duper value for money. I know to some of us, that sounds expensive, but consider the Toyota Corolla which to me is one of the blandest “if that word exists”  and most boring cars one can buy; here’s a little surprise; the 2013 model costs the same as the Optima. Now what do you say to that? Heres another example, consider the 2012 Camry "which is about the same size as the Optima"; when Toyota Nigeria were doing Christmas sales on that car last year, the discounted prices were still going at N7.1Mill!. Imagine how much the regular price would be then… I believe you’ve gotten my point. 

So again, welcome to the 2013 Kia Optima.  

Stylish, beautiful, classy, modish, chic, polished, refined… Okay I’m not talking about the BMW X6 or the Range Rover Evoque here so I better cool down with the compliments. Anyway the new Optima is indeed very beautiful to look at and awesome to drive. When I looked up images of the 2013 Optima, I began to wonder, what if the Optima had a BMW or a Mercedes Badge on it? mehnnnnn, the kind of price tag that would have been slapped on it ehn!!

Plainly speaking I’m glad that Kia has finally grown up and given us cars our younger ones can buy wallpapers for and hang up their bedroom walls. 

Though I have to admit I wasn’t too surprised about the design especially after I heard that Kia’s new designer used to work for Audi.

Trim Levels and Options.

As I said earlier on, features dey plenty plenty “permit my pidgin” on the new Optima. As with any new Kia model, the Optima gives you as many features for your money as possible. Even the base model comes standard with stuffs like alloy wheels, cruise control, Bluetooth and an iPod/USB audio interface “items unavailable in most competitors”. Also in the US, the Optima comes with a lengthy warranty which saves you a lot of dollars.

The LX comes standard with 16inch alloy wheels, fog lamps, keyless entry, cruise control, air-conditioning, Bluetooth phone connectivity, a six speaker sound system with a CD player, an auxiliary audio jack and an iPod/USB audio interface.

Upgrading to the EX gives you sexier 17inch wheels, automatic climate control, rear air vents, leather trimmings, an upgraded dash trim and floor mats.

LX Model

The premium SX trim adds a turbocharged engine, sporty 18inch wheels, a sport tuned suspension, unique exterior and interior styling elements, xenon headlamps, steering wheel mounted transmission paddle shifters “Formula One Style” and leather upholstery.

In the US, every trim is eligible for the Tech Package that adds a navigation system, a touch screen interface, a rear view camera, real time traffic and HD radio. You can also get an eight speaker Infinity sound system as part of the EX premium or SX premium. Options also available include a four way power passenger seat, heated and ventilated front seats and the Uvo voice activated phone and media player interface. Other options include 18inch chrome wheels, LED running lamps, an electronic parking brake, a first aid kit and upgraded leather upholstery.

You can also get the Optima Hybrid which comes with a lot of the EX options,  but with 16inch wheels and a rear view camera.

Performance and Safety.

Don’t think the changes on the Optima are just skin deep. The LX and EX now come with 2.4litre four cylinder engines that produces 200horsepower “more than the base Camry”. All 2013 Optima’s are also front wheel drive.  A 6speed manual transmission is standard on the LX with the automatic transmission being optional while on the EX, the 6speed automatic comes standard. The Optima EX went from 0-100km/h in 10secs which is average for its class but has fuel economy ratings of 24mpg city “10.2km/litre” 35mpg highway “14.9km/litre” highway and 28mpg combined “11.9km/litre” which means it passes our “3^rdmainland bridge on a single litre of fuel” test which means its economic.

The 2.0litre turbocharged engine

The SX trim is powered by a 2.0litre turbocharged 4cylinder engine that produces 274hp. This one goes from 0-100km/h in 6.7secs which is quite fast. Though it seems even with the turbocharger, this engine is less economic as compared with the base engine.

The Hybrid version also comes with a 2.4litre engine paired with an electric motor. It puts and 206hp and goes from 0-100km/h in 8.6secs. Its said to come with average fuel economy ratings of 36mpg “15.3km/litre” though online comments suggest it would be hard to get those ratings in real world usage.

In terms of safety, all Optima’s come with 4wheel antilock disc brakes, traction and stability control, side airbags, front air bags, curtain airbags and hill start assist.  In US govt crash tests, the Optima earned a top 5 star rating for overall safety performance.

In summary I really like the new Optima. It has a spacious interior with comfortable seats and enough legroom, however, due to the curvy slope line of the car, head room “especially at the back” is quite hampered. Anyway the Optima compensates with a fairly large boot and super sexy looks that can easily fool one into thinking its more expensive than it really is.  The powerful economic engine should also be extra icing on the cake for prospective buyers.

Used and Old Models.  

2009 Optima

2006 Optima

Considering all the odds, I would still advice you to go for the 2012 Optima. It looks exactly the same as the 2013 model and with DANA motors preparing stock for the 2013 Model, the old 2012 should be considerably cheaper. Expect prices for the 2012 LX model to drop to around N3.5Mill from the previous N4.05Mill and the EX to drop to around N4Mill from the previous N4.5Mill.

If you’re a bit short on cash, you can easily go for the 2005 model at N800k though its very ugly or the 2009model at around N1.6Million. 

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