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Optimal cruise

Singapore — The Kia Optima K5 made a big impression when it was launched in 2011. For one thing, it was leagues ahead of the car it replaced here, the Kia Magentis, a by-the-numbers big sedan if there ever was one.

Singapore — The Kia Optima K5 made a big impression when it was launched in 2011. For one thing, it was leagues ahead of the car it replaced here, the Kia Magentis, a by-the-numbers big sedan if there ever was one.

With good driving dynamics, a very sporty exterior design, lots of space and a generous list of standard equipment, the K5 injected lots of life into a usually staid segment. It has barely been two years since the launch, but Kia’s already face-lifted the car.

The market standard is three years — or half the typical life-span of a car — and this is only the first of two facelifts, a new procedure all Kia models will enjoy.

This time round, the sharp headlights are rearranged, with LED daytime running lights now on top, and in a segment first, the car has LED fog lamps too, which all look very high-tech, while new 18-inch alloy wheels and re-made grille round out the exterior changes.

The K5 wasn’t short on amenities the first time round — it’s one of the few non-luxury cars with air-conditioned seats, for instance — but now it gets a blind spot and lane change assist system, plus a premium Infinity sound system.

The sole variant is the 2.4-litre engine that gives more than enough power for Singapore’s roads, and if you find yourself unable to hold back, you can toggle between Eco and Sport driving modes now.

Kia has done what any facelift should hope to achieve: Adding more while subtracting nothing; and the K5 is still relatively affordable as well. In any case, if you don’t like the new one right now, you only have to wait two years for an even more optimal Optima to come along.

 

 

 

Kia Optima K5

Engine: 2,359cc in-line 4, 180hp & 132Nm

Performance: 210kmh, 0-100kmh 9.5 seconds, 8.5L/100km, 197g/km CO2

Price: S$163,999 with COE

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