ROOMYBUTNOTRACY
GOOD
THE ’ 66 six- monthly registration plate arrives on Thursday, followed by the new Sportswagon — an affordable, good-looking, stylish, economical and smooth family estate.
IT’S a serious loadlugger with 552 litres of cargo space when the rear seats are in place, expanding to 1,686 litres when folded down.
THIS capacious and sweeping five-seater wins the space race for occupants, too, with generous amounts at the front and rear.
KIA’S first family estate has been designed to appeal to British and European tastes. It won’t be sold in Korea, where it’s built.
I DROVE two versions: the range-topping GT-Line S with an automatic sevenspeed dual-clutch transmission, and the Sportswagon 3, with a slick six-speed manual gearbox for more involved driving. They are powered by an 1.7-litre 139bhp CRDi turbo-diesel engine that cruises well.
THE utilitarian interior and unfussy fascia is simple without being bland. The black cloth, faux leather and real leather trims will resist family wear and tear.
WELL stocked with standard kit at each of the three grade levels: the entry-level model includes satnav and an electronic parking brake; the mid-level upgrades display screens from 7 in to 8 in and tyres from 17 in to 18 in; and the range-top ping GT-Line S has the lot, plus a 360-degree camera view around the car — useful when manoeuvring in tight spots.
IF YOU’RE a nervous parker, a smart parking assist system steers the car automatically into parallel parking slots while you operate the accelerator and brakes.
COOLED front seats — not just heated — were a delight during hot weather.
SAFETY features include an autonomous emergency braking system, which detects pedestrians and brings the car to a stop at speeds of up to 50 mph if you fail to react in time.
BLIND spot detection was helpful at warning of cars sneaking up from the rear; and the hill start assist was handy for steep inclines.
TO HELP keep your licence and your sanity, a TomTom package (free for seven years) provides live traffic updates, speed camera alerts and weather reports.
KIA’S ‘Idle, Stop and Go’ is the useful engine stop-andstart system that helps keep down fuel bills and emissions by cutting off the engine and stopping petrol consumption when at a standstill and reducing pollution. The six-speed manual Optima Sportswagon manages a frugal 64.2 mpg, emitting just 113g/km of CO2, while the seven-speed automatic is slightly less at 61.4 mpg and 120g/km.
YOU hope nothing will go wrong with your car, but if it does, Kia’s industry-leading sevenyear or 100,000-mile transferable warranty provides reassurance.
BAD
NOT the most exciting drive. That said, a sportier GT version is in the pipeline for next year.
IT FELT and sounded laboured on some steep hills and under more aggressive acceleration, when the 1.7-litre diesel engine had to work harder.
The automatic accelerates from 0-62 mph in a leisurely 10.7 seconds; the manual does so in 9.8 seconds.
ASKING £30,595 for the GT-Line S is steep.
ONLY one engine is currently available. A 2-litre petrol- electric plug in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) Optima saloon will launch in Britain this autumn at a pricey £31,495.