Kia drops Optima price and spec
BY TIM NICHOLSON | 20th Jun 2018
KIA Motors Australia (KMAu) has stripped some of the standard specification from its updated Optima sedan to lower the costs and keep the model competitive in the declining medium passenger car segment.
On sale now, the facelifted Optima retains two variants – the entry-level Si that now kicks off from $33,390 plus on-road costs, representing a $1100 drop, and the flagship GT that is now $43,290 – $1200 less than before.
In Si guise, the Optima has gained Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as part of the new 7.0-inch infotainment system, and as a result has lost integrated satellite navigation.
The HID headlights have also been switched up for dual projection headlights in the fleet-friendly Si.
The GT retains sat-nav through the new head unit that is an inch larger than the Si unit, at 8.0 inches. It includes 10 years of MapCare and SUNA traffic information.
As part of the price cut, Kia has stripped out a few more features from the GT, including the sunroof, tyre pressure monitoring, ventilated front seats and high-beam assist, while the front passenger seat is no longer power assisted.
Both variants gain more safety gear, including driver-attention alert, while the lane departure warning has been upgraded to the more advanced lane-keep assist system.
As recently reported by GoAuto, KMAu could discontinue the Optima by the end of next year if its sales performance does not improve.
Optima sales which are down by 35 per cent, to 237 units, this year, apparently impacted by the Stinger performance liftback and Cerato sedan .
Last year, sales dropped by 46.5 per cent to 727 units, leaving the Optima in 10th place in the segment that was down by 20 per cent.
Announcing the revision t Optima, Kia Motors Australia chief operating officer Damien Meredith said it was critical to keep product fresh and relevant in a rapidly changing market.
“Optima has been a key Kia model, for a number of reasons, for more than half a decade and keeping it fresh and market relevant is a constant review process,” he said.
Kia’s Australian engineering team has made improvements to ride and handling as well as steering feel.
The subtle exterior changes include refreshed grille and front fascia, changes to some of the rear panels and re-styled wheels.
Under the bonnet of the Si is a 2.4-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine delivering 138kW/241Nm, with a combined fuel consumption figure of 8.3 litres per 100 kilometres.
The GT uses a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-pot pumping out 180kW/350Nm and an 8.5L/100km fuel figure. Both variants are paired with a six-speed automatic transmission.
The Si features as standard a six-speaker audio system, dual-zone climate control air-conditioning, rear air vents, Bluetooth, steering wheel mounted audio controls, USB charger and paddle shifters.
In GT guise, the Optima features a flat-bottomed heated steering wheel, alloy sports pedals and scuff plates, wireless phone charging, a sports package and keyless start among standard gear.
