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:

Roof rack
If the vehicle has a roof rack, you can load things on top of your vehicle. Crossrails and fixing components to adapt the roof rack on your vehicle may be obtained from an authorized Kia dealer ...

Luggage net
To keep items from shifting in the trunk, you can use the four rings located in the trunk to attach the cargo net. NOTICE Do not put fragile, bulky or an excessive quantity of items into lugg ...

Trailer towing
We do not recommend using this vehicle for trailer towing. ...