New Kia Optima: prices announced
Family saloon recieves price increase, starting from £21,495 - plug-in hybrid model due in 2016
Kia has just announced prices for its latest Optima. The large saloon is said to be more premium, more engaging to drive and more economical than its predecessor, which may be why Kia has seen fit to raise the price from £19,995 for the previous car to £21,495 for the new model.
The price rise may be due to the deletion of the entry-level '1' trim – the range now consists of trims badged 2, 3 and 4, while Kia will add GT-Line and GT trims in 2016. The company say this is to bring the Optima in line with the Sorento and Sportage, as those cars also start with a '2' trim.
The higher price may be easier to stomach though thanks to generous equipment. The 2 trim level comes as standard with a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with sat-nav and a reversing camera. It also includes dual-zone air conditioning, cruise control, electric mirrors, DAB radio and LED daytime running lights.
3 trim upgrades the screen to 8.0-inches, and adds electronic adjustment to the drivers seat, xenon headlights, faux leather panels on the seats and chrome touches inside and out. 4 trim adds 360-degree cameras, park assist, blind-spot detection, high beam assist, an opening panoramic sunroof, and full leather. Another highlight of the top trim is a new wireless phone charger, which Kia says is the first of its kind in a production car.
All Optimas come with Kia's 1.7-litre CRDi diesel, which has been boosted to 139bhp. There's a choice of manual or automatic gearboxes depending on trim level. The automatic is an upgraded twin-clutch unit which gives far better economy than the previous model, which had a torque converter. Economy and emissions are improved across the range, and even the dirtiest Optima only emits 116g/km of CO2, and returns economy of 64.2mpg. However, there's no tax-busting sub 99g/km model available yet – this will come in 2016, in the form of the Optima plug-in hybrid.
The new Kia Optima is on sale from January 5th.
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