First Drive: 2011 Kia Optima
Rivalries are a fact of life. When they are in the family, they can be troublesome. On the other hand, they can help to raise the level of game for both family members.
That’s the case Kia finds itself in with the 2011 Kia Optima.
First seen at the New York International Auto Show back in April, the Optima looked a stunning, almost Teutonic counterpart to the stylized and swoopy Hyundai Sonata. This wouldn’t much matter if the two cars came from separate automakers, but the Optima and Sonata are direct rivals offered by the same parent company.
At that point, the gauntlet was thrown, and all bets were off. It looks like Kia is not content to just play second fiddle anymore.
See also:
Driving your vehicle
Ignition switch
Starting the engine
Manual transaxle
Automatic transaxle
Four wheel drive (4WD)
Brake system
Steering wheel
Cruise control system
Electronic stability control
Instrument clust ...
Cruise control system
The cruise control system allows you to
program the vehicle to maintain a constant
speed without pressing the accelerator
pedal.
This system is designed to function
above approximately 40 km/h (2 ...
Rear parking assist system
The rear parking assist system assists
the driver during backward movement of
the vehicle by chiming if any object is
sensed within a distance of 120 cm (47
in.) behind the vehicle.
This system ...


