The biggest thorn in the Optima’s side is Hyundai’s i40.
Near identical underneath, parent firm Hyundai is perceived as being more premium by a small margin, so I assumed the Optima would undercut an equivalent i40 on price at least. However, running a Kwikcarcost comparison reveals a like-for-like i40 (1.7 CRDi 136 Blue Drive Style) actually has a £400 lower P11D. Superior running costs also result in 49.7ppm next to the Kia’s 52.5ppm. As good a companion as the Optima is, the cold, hard figures make it slightly harder to recommend over the Hyundai.
