One of the things that we decided to do with my redundancy payout last year was to purchase a large family car. One that would last us for the foreseeable future. Having almost always driven an MPV since passing my driving test and loving the amount of internal space available, it was practical for us to once again select another MPV.
Whilst I have a nice new car to complete the everyday chores with, run the children to after school activities etc and complete days trips with. Mr. Boo, however, has been lumbered with our old family car – which has seen better days. With it, on its last legs, we have been looking around at different makes and models to see what type of car we should purchase for him. Although it will predominately be used for his daily commute to work, I am keen for him to still have a vehicle that we can fit the three children in the back of ‘just in case‘.
Summer family days out with the Kia Optima Sportswagon
Just before the start of the summer holidays, Kia contacted us to see if we would like to test drive the Kia Optima Sportswagon. Challenging us to see how it performs for us on family days out. We jumped at the chance as neither of us has driven a Kia model before and would be a great way to see how it works for our family.
Kia Optima Sportswagon // Features
- Fuel consumption up to 64.2 MPG
- 7 Years / 100,000 miles warranty
- 8″ Touchscreen Satellite Navigation with European Mapping
- Wireless Mobile Phone Charger
- Panoramic Sunroof with Tilting & Sliding Function & Automatic Electric Roll Blinds
- Smart Key with Illuminated Start/Stop Ignition Button
- Smart Park Assist System (SPAS)
- Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB)
- Blind Spot Detection (BSD) with Rear-Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)
- LED Headlights with Automatic Levelling & Headlight Washers & High Beam Assist (HBA)
Kia Optima Sportswagon // Family Days Out
With the challenge of seeing how the Kia Optima Sportswagon performs on family days out, we decided to put it to test in different scenarios. Starting with the basics of fitting all five of us in the car. Having tried a few family cars over the years we have come across the issue of having two cars seats in the ISOfix points and then unable to fit a third person on the 2nd row. Thankfully for Roo, there was ample room available for her to both access the middle seat but also to sit comfortably on our travels.
We opted for a few days in London for our first challenge. I’m always nervous about taking a new car to the capital (have you seen how they drive!)- especially when it comes to having to park too. Whilst Westfield Stratford’s car park is fairly generous on the up and down sections the actual car parking spaces are somewhat small for the modern day sized car. The parking sensors and cameras on board make reversing into a car parking space and lining it up correctly an absolute dream.
The drive down to London from Norfolk was smooth and comfortable and gave us an opportunity to try out some of the many technological features included on the car. From keeping the car in the line, correcting itself when it felt we were too close to the white line. To the automated washers and highlighters were very useful, especially switching from the main beam to dipped beam when driving at night. The touchscreen sat nav meant that we could easily search for our destination and see any upcoming issues on the roads ahead. Plus the wireless phone charger point is most welcomed after a long day snapping photos of our adventures.
Having survived a few days in London and with Mr. Boo back at work I decided that I’d take a trip into the local countryside. There is a section of country roads close by that I knew would put it to the test – plus it leads to a fantastic country pub that is by the river, perfect for a pub lunch with the children.
The twists and turns of the road were handled with grace and attention. The Kia Optima Sportswagon might look like an exclusives car from the outside, however, it has the power and manoeuvrability of a sporty model to handle country life. With a large boot, it could easily accommodate weekend camping equipment if you were heading off to a festival or just getting away from it all for a few days.
Kia Optima Sportswagon // Thoughts
We received the Kia Optima Sportswagon ‘GT-Line S’ model to review – which houses more technology and features than the standard Kia Optima Sportswagon. I have to confess that usually, I’m a little overwhelmed by all the technology within a car. Being someone who likes to jump in and drive off. To me, Kia has catered for both types of driver with the technology and features included there for a reason. With an array of safety features to ensure that your drive is as safe as possible, with these being able to be tuned to your requirements or switched off. Alongside features to make your drive more comfortable from adjustable seats, wireless phone charging, touchscreen sat nav and media centre.
Needless to say, Mr. Boo did not want me to hand the keys back for this car. Kia may not have been a make that we were previously aware of but have just jumped to the top of Mr. Boo’s wishlist.
Kia Optima Sportswagon // Where Can I Buy?
The Kia Optima Sportswagon is available from Kia – please see the Kia website for your nearest dealership. Prices start from £22,455, with the model we reviewed is priced at £30,595 on the road.
Disclosure: We received the Kia Optima Sportswagon on loan
FOC for the purpose of review
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