Remember our report a while back on possibly the first publicly recorded case of ‘severe Kia envy’, when our Optima was keyed by a local dipstick?

As anyone who’s been through such a small-scale but irritating incident knows, the aftermath is rarely straightforward, especially where a company vehicle is concerned.

Various quotes have to be obtained and then there’s the usual to and fro before the job can be approved, booked in and work can finally start. But start it did, and swiftly too, courtesy of an independent mobile Smart scratch repairer who arrived at BusinessCar HQ’s car park and completed the repair of the multiple scratches down one side of the car in about four hours. This required our team only to open the office window so he could access the building’s mains electricity via his extension lead. At £300 all in as opposed to the £350+VAT quoted by the franchised dealer repair centre, plus avoiding the associated cost of having the car out of action for two to three days, the mobile solution made sense both from a cost and time perspective. If you’re based in the South East, try Tony of Scratch Doctor on 07764 849676 for a quote.

Kia Optima 1.7 CRDi 2 Tech (manual)
Mileage 2450
Claimed combined
consumption
57.6mpg
Our average consumption 35.8mpg
P11D price £21,640*
Model price range £19,595-£25,995
CO2 (tax) 128g/km/18%
BIK 20/40% per month £65/£130
Service interval 12,500 or 12months
Insurance group 17
Warranty 7yrs/100,000 miles
Boot space 505 litres
Engine size/power 1685cc/134hp
Top speed/0-62mph 125mph/10.2secs
Why we’re running it To see if Kia really
can mix-it with the
fleet’s big boys
Positive Smart looks, spacious,
good value
Negative Attracts envious vandals!
*Before options fitted: Metallic paint £475