- Doors and Seats
4 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
2.0T, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
180kW, 350Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (91) 8.5L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
7 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
2017 Kia Optima GT review
As an owner of 4WD and SUV vehicles for the last 15 years, against the current trends, I decided to make the switch back to a mid-size sedan because of the value they currently represent, and I decided on the Kia Optima GT.
- Comfort
- Genuine feeling of value for money
- It is so great to be back in a mid-size sedan
- Performance
- Luxury
- Service intervals
- Fuel economy, but worth it
I have to say I am extremely happy with this decision for a number of reasons. My previous vehicle was the most popular SUV on the market, and while it was a very good motor car with an extremely punchy turbo-diesel motor that really moved, it was never an absolute pleasure or mood enhancer to drive like my new vehicle is.
The pluses for the Kia are: the technology; the nostalgia of driving a big roomy sedan; the extra technology for driver and passenger comfort; the feeling of European luxury at a working man's price; and the performance levels that may not be up to the levels of a pure-bred GT, but are well above both its rivals and what you really actually need. My bicycle fits more easily into the boot of the sedan than it did in the back of the SUV too.
The negatives are that people still look at you oddly when you say Kia, and this is also reflected in some of the vehicle reviews you read, apart from CarAdvice. Also, the fuel consumption, but I am happy to pay the extra $10 a fortnight for the experience I am getting. There are so many SUVs and 4WDs on the road that your forward visibility is not what you would like. Six-monthly service requirements, but having a capped price offsets this to some degree. And I would struggle to come up with any more negatives.