Kia unveiled the 2012 Optima SX Limited sedan today at the Chicago auto show; it’s a new, fully loaded trim that sits at the top of the mid-size Optima range. It’s true that family-sedan news hardly stokes the enthusiast fire, but the Limited is based on one of the nicest-driving mainstream four-doors on the market: the turbocharged Optima SX. The luxurious Limited is basically an SX at which Kia threw the kitchen sink.
The Limited treatment starts with a $3300 package on the SX’s option sheet. Checking that box adds black or white Nappa leather for the seats, door panels, and center console; LED daytime running lights; wood interior trim; red-painted front brake calipers; additional exterior chrome, including the 18-inch wheels; a first-aid kit; and SXL badging. But Limited buyers aren’t done spending money: Ordering those goodies mandates the $4350 SX Technology and Premium package, which includes a backup camera, in-dash navigation, a panoramic sunroof, eight-speaker Infinity audio system, a four-way power front-passenger seat, heated and cooled front seats, heated rear outboard seating, and power folding side mirrors. Only three exterior colors are available, so we hope you like black, white, or silver. Being based on the SX, the Limited also packs a 274-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter four, a paddle-shifted six-speed automatic, HID headlights, and a firmer suspension.
About the money: The Optima SX starts at a reasonable $27,250; adding $7650 in Limited kit (some of which is available on lesser Optimas) inflates the bottom line to $34,900. That’s more money than a Toyota Camry XLE V6 or Honda Accord EX-L with navigation, and nudges awfully close to BMW 3-series territory. While the Optima Limited has more features than any of the aforementioned cars, we can’t help but feel that it’s a pretty aggressive deviation from Kia’s tried-and-true value strategy.
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