Overall rating:

If the Optima looks familiar then think back to the 2010 Paris Motor Show in September - that's when it made its first appearance in Europe. Though a four-door saloon isn't anything new for Kia, it's been a while since we've seen one from the Korean maker that's destined for the UK. We tried it out at Kia's Namyang R&D centre on the outskirts of Seoul.

Key Facts

Pricing: less than £20,000 (estimate)
Engine: 1.7-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel, 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol, 2.4-litre turbo petrol, 2.4-litre petrol-electric hybrid
Transmission: six-speed manual/automatic, front-wheel drive
Body style: four-door saloon
Rivals: Ford Mondeo, Volkswagen Passat, Mazda6
CO₂ emissions: 122g/km (1.7 turbodiesel)
Combined economy: data not available
Top speed: data not available
0-62mph: data not available
Power: 134bhp at 6,300rpm (1.7 turbodiesel)
Torque: data not available

In the Metal:

It's a rather sexy looking thing, the Kia Optima. A length of over 4.8 metres gives it plenty of road presence, which is rounded off by the scalpel-sharp headlamps and Kia's trademark grille.

Comfort is the name of the game inside. The quality of the dash materials isn't quite up there with established European rivals, but it's not far off. Stitched leather features heavily around the dashboard and on the inner door handles, while space is abundant throughout the cabin, particularly for rear seat passengers.

Driving it:

We tested the Optima SXT GDI with the 2.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine. It's no surprise that this 274bhp version isn't destined for UK shores - rather the American market - but it was enough to get a feel for the Optima that we'll get at the end of 2011 (the 1.7-litre turbodiesel version).

The six-speed automatic transmission is smooth enough to suit such a relaxed saloon. The downside is the ride, which isn't quite as comfortable as we'd expect from a large saloon. The steering, though responsive, is lacking in feedback and there are plenty of rivals that are more fun to drive.

Our test car wasn't honed for European roads (not least because of the engine), so we won't know exactly what the Optima will be like until we try it in full Euro spec on some proper, rutted roads later this year.

What you get for your Money:

Pricing and spec levels have yet to be announced, but it's safe to say that the Optima will start at less than £20,000. A high teens price tag will put the Optima firmly into entry-level Ford Mondeo territory, but you can bet that the Kia will pack plenty more equipment - and there's the seven-year warranty to think about.

Worth Noting

We also got behind the wheel of the Kia Optima Hybrid. Again, this isn't destined for the UK (not yet, anyway), but it features a small electric motor mounted behind the engine in the transmission tunnel and a lithium polymer battery pack at the rear.

The 30kW (equivalent to 40bhp) motor can power the Optima independently for around a kilometre and the 2.4-litre twin-cam petrol engine is there to pick up the rest of the slack. An average of 45.6mpg isn't record-breaking by our standards, but for a saloon aimed at the US market, it's not bad. A European version will use a 2.0-litre engine with the same hybrid system.

Summary

Non premium saloon cars are up against it in the UK - Brits don't go mad for four-door models and there's plenty of strong competition. That said, there's no reason why the diesel-powered Kia Optima couldn't muscle its way in front of a few Mazda6 buyers - particularly fleet types. The Kia's value, good looks and top after-sales care make it a worthy contender.