Kia seems aware that this is a bit of a daring choice for a family sedan: for now, that pairing is available in just one trim, called LX Tech (The day after we published this, Kia Canada let us know that, in order to avoid confusion caused by the similar names of the LX Tech and EX Tech packages, they will instead call 1.6L models LX ECO Turbo. –Ed.), found third from the bottom of seven packages available. In this application, the engine makes 178 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque, more or less matching the Tucson’s output, but giving up more than 20 hp to the Veloster.

Turbo motors in family sedans aren’t news any more, but a dual-clutch transmissions certainly is: Kia is second only to Volkswagen in dropping one into a mid-priced sedan. Sadly, this one’s performance doesn’t live up to the hype created by the best of the breed: it lacks the seamless shift feel of VW’s six-speed DSG, and even with the drive mode selector set to ‘sport’ (the other options are ‘normal’ and ‘eco’), automatic downshifts don’t happen as promptly as they should.

That’s all a shame, because the 1.6L turbo deserves a better dance partner. With peak torque happening from 1,500 rpm through 4,500, it feels stronger from a stop than its horsepower figure might suggest, and more potent overall than the 2.4L four-cylinder (185 hp/178 lb-ft) carried over to power four other Optima trims.

The one to rule them all, of course, is a 2.0L turbocharged mill also brought forward from the outgoing Optima. It’s a bit less powerful than before, with 245 hp and 260 lb-ft, but remains a sweet performer, handily running the Optima up and down the hilly roads around Aspen, Colorado, where Kia staged the Optima launch event.

Kia left 2.4L models out of the mix for this preview drive, which is no surprise: turbo motors are much better at adapting to the relative lack of oxygen at high elevations like Aspen’s 2,400 meters (8,000 feet) than are engines that breathe without forced induction.

Both 2.4L and 2.0L models get a traditional (rather than a fancy dual-clutch) six-speed automatic transmission that is generally a better performer than the 1.6’s seven-speed. Curiously, 2.0L cars are the only ones to get steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. No big surprise, given that the SX and SXL trims using that engine are considered the ‘sport’ sedans of the bunch, but in that context, the six-speed disappoints with its slow reaction times and lack of a rev-matching function in manual downshifts. Instead, the seven-speed, which does have a rev-match feature, can only be worked manually via the shift lever.

According to Kia’s fuel consumption estimates (calculated using Natural Resources Canada test procedures), the 1.6L is the Optima’s most efficient motor, at 8.4/6.1 L/100 km (city/highway), besting the 2.4L (9.4/6.5) and 2.0L (10.9/7.4). Couple that with its satisfying performance, and it becomes a compelling choice.

Kia says the new Optima’s body structure is 50 percent stiffer, a fact we think explains improved over-the-road feel compared to the old car, whose chassis tended to feel unsettled over broken pavement. While it’s been a few years since we’ve driven the last-gen model, this one felt notably quieter at highway speeds.

Less noise will translate as more refinement in the eyes of most Optima shoppers, but to us (and also presumably, to some of the most enthusiastic drivers reading this) it makes the car seem less involving for a driver who wants an active role in the task of getting from A to B. Also, in spite of revised electric power steering systems (SX and SXL cars get a different setup than the rest of the line) that Kia says transmit more road feel to the driver’s hands, we were left underwhelmed by steering that wasn’t as well suited to the twisty canyon-side roads on our drive route as the company’s reps would have had us believe.

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