Garmin’s newest smartwatch slims down, but packs on features
After going high-end with the Fenix Chronos, Garmin is getting back to its core focus with the new Forerunner 35, a feature-packed smartwatch and all-day activity tracker. This latest addition to the Forerunner line packs GPS tracking, a high-contrast display and Garmin’s Elevate wrist-based heart rate monitor into a sleek new design with up to nine days of battery life.
Battery mileage may vary, of course, but according to Garmin, the Forerunner 35 should last for about a week and a half in smartwatch/activity tracking mode. In training mode, the company estimates about 13 hours of battery life, so even with the heart rate monitor and GPS tracking enabled, users should be able to complete a 50-mile Ultramarathon without needing to stop for a charge.
For users whose daily workouts don’t involve such feats of endurance, the Forerunner 35 comes equipped with multiple sport profiles to track walking, indoor running, cycling, and cardio activities. Naturally, it also tracks all the metrics you’d expect from an activity tracker in 2016, like steps, calories and workout intensity. In and out of the gym, the Forerunner can also handle your phone notifications and music controls, plus the device automatically syncs with Garmin Connect to upload workout stats. In other words, it’s a Vivosmart HR in a smartwatch body.
The Forerunner 35 is expected to hit the market during Fall 2016 with a $199.99 retail price, and comes in four colors: black, limelight, frost blue and white.
Source: Garmin
Uber is offering electric cars in London
It’s fair to say that Uber isn’t having the best of times in London right now, with a lawsuit against TfL’s new taxi rules and disgruntled UberEats couriers dominating the headlines. One thing that could help change the public (and perhaps political) perception of the company is a reinforced commitment to reducing pollution on the city’s roads. That’s what Uber is doing today with a pledge to make more than 50 electric cars available in its app in London over the next month as part of its UberX service.
It’s all thanks to a partnership with car makers BYD and Nissan. With their help, Uber will offer “top-rated drivers” a mix of zero-emission BYD E6s and Nissan Leafs. You might remember that Uber performed a similar trial in Chicago last year. The Energy Saving Trust (EST) will then conduct a three-month study into Uber’s EV programme to see whether running a large EV fleet is beneficial for everyone involved.
Uber says that more than 60 percent of rides in London already take place in hybrid cars, but today’s launch may help reduce the city’s air pollution a tiny bit more. Should everything go to plan, the company intends to introduce EVs “at least one other UK city this autumn,” ensuring that it has “hundreds of fully electric vehicles on its app next year.”
Qualcomm’s new flagship chip loads apps 10 percent faster
Qualcomm has unveiled more details about its flagship Snapdragon 821 processor that we first saw in July. It’s intended to fill the gap until a future next-gen chip comes along, so performance improvements over the Snapdragon 820 (used in Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7) are decent, but not amazing. CPU performance is better across the board, with boot times, app loading and overall performance up to 10 percent faster.
New UI optimizations also bring “smoother scrolling and more responsive browsing performance,” Qualcomm says. Adreno GPU performance is up five percent, which will help games and VR run smoother. Despite those gains, your phone’s battery should last about 5 percent longer overall.
Smartphones using the chip will be compatible with Google’s Daydream VR system, though that’s not a surprise considering that Snapdragon 820 devices are also compatible. To make it easier for VR developers to get on board, Qualcomm is releasing an SDK for the chip that “supports a superior level of visual and audio quality and more immersive virtual reality and gaming experiences,” it says.
Other features include Dual PDAF (phase detection auto-focus) support for quicker smartphone camera focusing and improved laser focus accuracy compared to the Snapdragon 820. The first smartphone to get the chip, the ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe, has both laser and dual PDAF, both of which boast .03 second autofocus times. Qualcomm didn’t reveal any new devices that will pack the chip, but with IFA 2016 in full swing, don’t be surprised to hear more announcements in the coming days.
Tile’s slimmest Bluetooth tracker won’t bulk up your wallet
Tile, which raised over a million dollars on Kickstarter over three years ago, is a popular Bluetooth tracker that helps you find your missing stuff. Aside from Bluetooth, it also uses a crowd-finding feature where other Tile app users can ping you the whereabouts of a Tile that’s out of Bluetooth range. There was an update last year to Tile 2.0, which has a louder alarm plus it’ll help find your phone as well. The problem with the existing Tile, however, is that it’s a little chunky. That’s why Tile has now introduced the Tile Slim, a much thinner version of the tracker that’ll fit more comfortably in tight spots like wallets and passport holders. But that’s not all. Tile has also announced a new initiative that just might bring Tile’s location-finding smarts to anything and everything.
But let’s talk about the Slim first. As the name suggests, it is a lot wider and flatter than the original Tile, measuring 54 by 54 by 2.4mm (or as Tile says, about the width of two credit cards). The design is also a touch different. There’s a center Tile logo doubling as the button while the rest of the Slim surface has a pleasant embossed pattern. The rear is all grey, with a tiny cavity where the sound can get through. Unlike the original Tile however, there’s no loop, so you can’t use it as a keychain. But that’s because the Slim wasn’t designed to replace the original Tile; it’s just another product in the Tile stable. So you can have the original Tile for your keys, say, and the Slim for your wallet.
I’ve used the original Tile with my wallet for over a year now, and it’s always left a pretty sizable dent. I switched to the Slim a few days ago and now I can barely tell it’s there. If you want, you can also adhere it to your laptop, your tablet, your ID badge or any place where a slim profile is key.
Another feature that sets the Slim apart is that you can select one of four different ringtones for the alert. They’re called Bionic Birdie, Classic Call, Pep in your Step and Blues for Slim. This capability is only for the Slim and is mostly just for fun, though it could prove useful if you have multiple Tile trackers and want a way to differentiate them. To coincide with the announce of the Slim is also a redesigned app. It’s mostly just a brighter reskin to match the company’s current branding, but there’s also now a slightly different flow when adding new Tiles. It’ll ask you which Tile you’re adding — the Slim or the classic — and then it’ll coach you through the rest of the activation process.
Slim works a lot like the original Tile, but here’s a brief primer in case you need a reminder on how it works. Once you’ve associated and attached a Tile tracker with an object — say your keys or your wallet — you can now use the app to find it. If the item is within Bluetooth range, the app will show it with a green circle. Tap it and the tracker will emit an alarm. If it isn’t, it’ll show you the location where it was last seen, so you can retrace your steps to look for it. Either that or you can select “Notify when Found,” where it’ll now turn to the aforementioned crowd-finding feature to help you find it. If anyone with the Tile app running goes near the object, you’ll then get a location ping. There are around 6 million Tiles on the market in over 200 countries, so chances are pretty good that this will happen.
The Slim will retail for $30/£30 each, which is $5/£10 more than the original. You can also pay $100/£95 for a 4-pack. The Slim has a guaranteed battery life of a year. We should note that, just like all the other Tiles, the battery is not replaceable — if the juice is running out, the app will let you know that you should replace it. The company does offer something called a reTile discount program that’ll let you replace your existing Tile with a new one at a discounted rate. So instead of paying $30 for a new Slim, you could just pay $21 to replace the old one.
But imagine if you don’t need to buy a Tile at all. Imagine if that same Tile location-tracking smarts was simply just built into whatever it is that you don’t want to lose. That is the idea behind Tile’s other big announcement today: The Tile Platform. “We want to blanket the world in smart location,” says Mike Farley, Tile’s CEO and co-founder. “Everything that moves should have smart location built into it.”
So with that concept in mind, Tile is kicking off the Platform announcement today with three partners: EcoReco, an electric scooter company; Nomad, which makes a variety of backup battery packs and power banks; and Zillion, a maker of smartphone wallets with that battery pack built right in. Starting today, all three of these companies will start offering products with the Tile Platform. That means you would be able to use the Tile app to locate, say, a missing EcoReco scooter or a Nomad battery pack. Just add them to the app like you would with a Tile tracker and you can find them in the same way. Tile has already partnered with Land Rover to build the tech into the 2017 Discovery Sport.
Eventually, Farley says he wants the Tile Platform to be in even more things. “Any product that’s mobile is fair game,” he says. “The lowest hanging fruit is if it has Bluetooth in it already.” So, a pair of Bluetooth headphones would be ideal, or a fitness tracker like a Fitbit, or maybe a smartwatch. In the future, he could even see the Tile tech integrated into everyday items like a remote control, a car’s key fob, or perhaps a regular pair of glasses.
“We spend so much time every day finding misplaced stuff. That doesn’t even factor in the cost and time it takes to replace them, nor the stress and anxiety,” says Farley. “Our vision is that the world will be a simpler and happier place when the world has smart location.”
ASUS’ Zenwatch 3 is fast and round
Following Motorola, Huawei and a bunch of other smartwatch manufacturers, ASUS has built a round Android Wear device. The Zenwatch 3 has a 1.39-inch AMOLED display with a 400×400 resolution, which works out at 287 pixels per inch (ppi). That’s almost identical to the Huawei Watch and a smidge sharper than the larger second-gen Moto 360. The casing is made from stainless steel and will be available in a few different styles: gunmetal (black), silver and rose gold. All three have a gold inlay, which ASUS claims is like “the corona of an annular solar eclipse.”
The new wearable is 9.95mm thick — a tad thinner than both the Huawei Watch and Moto 360. It runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor and 512MB of RAM, coupled with 4GB of onboard storage. While the 341mAh battery will last you for “up to two days,” ASUS is also pushing its “HyperCharge” technology, which will bring you back up to 60 percent in 15 minutes. Charging is handled with a magnetic port on the underside.
On the software side, it’s a typical Android Wear experience. Google’s wrist-ready operating system is slowly improving, and the company has its “biggest platform update yet,” Android 2.0, scheduled for the fall. ASUS is offering some custom watch faces for the Zenwatch 3, and hopes you’ll make your own with the FaceDesigner app available on smartphones. The smartwatch also has some fitness chops, with automatic step-counting that is supposedly 95 percent accurate. It can also track a few other basic activities such as running, push-ups and sit-ups — don’t expect too much, however, this isn’t a Garmin or Fitbit.
We haven’t heard much regarding price or availability. When ASUS reveals more, we’ll be sure to let you know.
We’re live all week from Berlin, Germany, for IFA 2016. Click here to catch up on all the news from the show.
Amazon Launches Dash Buttons in Germany, Austria, and the U.K.
Amazon has expanded its domestic goods-ordering Dash Buttons program beyond U.S. shores, bringing the devices to Germany, Austria, and the U.K. for the first time.
The buttons have been available in the U.S. since March of last year, and enable Amazon Prime customers to reorder specific household items like coffee, toilet paper, and washing up liquid by pressing a physical button that’s wirelessly linked to their Amazon account.
Amazon has added over 100 popular household brands to its Dash program in the 18 months since its launch, in a bid to make reordering goods online a seamless process. Daniel Rausch, Director of Amazon Dash, said of the launch:
“We’ve all experienced the frustration of running out of something we need—Dash Button and Dash Replenishment Service are designed to make that moment a thing of the past.
“Dash Buttons offer the convenience of 1-Click shopping from anywhere in the home — they can be placed near those frequently used items you don’t want to run out of, and when you see supplies running low, the Dash Button makes it easier than ever to order more. Just press the button and your item is on its way.”
Dash buttons cost $4.99 (£4.99 / 4.99 euros) each, but Prime members get the same amount discounted off their first order, making the first device essentially free.
Amazon also announced it is launching its Dash Replacement Service (DRS) in the above countries. DRS lets connected devices like water filters and printers link up to the Dash system, either by manufacturers incorporating manual Dash buttons into the hardware, or enabling the devices to automatically reorder supplies when they are running low.
Companies including Bosch, Siemens, Samsung and Whirlpool are currently working on integrating Dash Replenishment into their products, according to Rausch.
Amazon Prime costs $99 (£79 / 49 euros) and grants customers access to a range of Amazon services.
Tag: Amazon
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Spec Sheet Shows iPhone 7 Plus With 256GB Storage and Lightning EarPods
A photo claiming to show a specification sheet for a 256GB-capacity iPhone 7 Plus has been circulating online today.
Originally posted on Chinese microblogging site Weibo, the image is just the latest in a series of pictures of potentially dubious authenticity given how easy it is to digitally alter them.
The photo in question appears to be of Hong Kong origin, and claims to show the inclusion of Lightning-equipped wired EarPods and a Lightning to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter in the box.
Those details square with the widely held belief that Apple’s upcoming iPhone 7 and 7 Plus won’t have a headphone jack, and will instead rely on an all-in-one Lightning port for charging, listening, and connectivity.
Yesterday, Apple added a 2TB storage tier to its iCloud service, which could be tied to the impending launch of a larger capacity handset or improvements to phone camera quality. Also yesterday, Apple was granted EAEC certificates for “AirPods” – wireless in-ear headphones which may be sold separately as accessories.
With just a week to go before Apple’s September 7 media event, leaks and rumors of varying quality will undoubtedly continue to emerge at an increasing pace. Pre-orders for the new iPhones are expected to begin on September 9 with a potential launch of September 16 or September 23.
Related Roundup: iPhone 7
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Acer reveals ‘Pawbo’ pet accessories
Acer is branching into pet accessories with a recent acquisition called Pawbo, and has revealed at IFA 2016 that it’ll soon release a bunch of dog- and cat-centric products. The first one, the Pawbo+ interactive pet camera, lets you keep an eye on or even chat with with Fluffy or Bowser, in case they’re traumatized by your absence. Equipped with a microphone and speaker, it lets you see them and carry on a two-way “conversation.”
You can capture images of your pet and share them on social media, of course. If your l’il pal isn’t being animated enough for a decent Instagram, you can dispense a treat using the device or get his attention via a manually or automatically controlled laser pointer. Thanks to a party chat feature, up to eight friends at once can see Rex, tell him he’s a good boy and control the accessories. The Pawbo+ is now on pre-order for $169, and is scheduled to arrive in November, 2016.
If Miss Mittensworth is still not amused, Acer will soon launch other accessories that can be controlled by the Pawbo+. A couple are activity toys: The Punch is an adorable pop-up “whack-a-mole” game, while the Catch whirls around a bird-like toy that your cat can try to nab. The Munch, meanwhile, is a separate treat dispenser (not a smart feeder), in case you have multiple pets. Finally, if you want to record a Pawbo+ video in a dark room (without scaring the bejesus out of Fido), there’s Flash, a lighting system with infrared LEDs that are somehow controlled by the “ears.”
As mentioned, the Pawbo+ is now up for pre-order, and we should know more about the availability of the Punch, Flash and other accessories soon. All told, it looks like Acer is creating quite the pet ecosystem for really avid animal owners.
We’re live all week from Berlin, Germany, for IFA 2016. Click here to catch up on all the news from the show.
Coolpad Mega 2.5D review: An inexpensive performer for the Indian market
Coolpad is a Chinese brand offering excellent smartphones at impressively low prices.
The quick take
The recent deluge of smartphones in India under $125/₹8,500 is changing the way we perceive budget smartphones, and upping the consumer expectations. Once ready to compromise for a basic smartphone experience, budget smartphone customers are now spoilt for choice with manufacturers pushing the boundaries with devices that have decent specifications sheet, good looks, as well as a capable camera.
Coolpad is one such brand offering feature-laden smartphones at affordable prices like we saw with the Coolpad Note 3 — 3GB RAM and a fingerprint sensor for cheap. Focused at the selfie-loving crowd, the Coolpad Mega 2.5D is a delightful looking phone with a pretty good overall experience for customers on a budget.
The Good
- Impressive design
- Good display
- Decent selfies for a budget smartphone
The Bad
- Middling performance
- Average battery life
About this review
I used the Indian retail variant of the Coolpad Mega 2.5D that ran Cool UI running on top of Android Marshmallow 6.0.1 out of the box. For most of the time, I used it with an Airtel 4G SIM in Delhi NCR. During my two weeks of usage, I received a minor system update with no specific changelog.
Coolpad Mega 2.5D Design
For a budget device, the Coolpad Mega 2.5D impresses on the first glance. Despite the plastic casing, Coolpad has done quite well in the design and construction of the phone making it one of the best looking devices in its price segment.
With the gold metal-colored finish and metal frame on the side, the Mega 2.5D doesn’t look cheap in any way and despite sporting a plastic body, the matte finish on the back panel and slightly curved body gives it an unlikely elegance. Of course, as the name suggests, the highlight is the 2.5D curved glass on the front which adds to the overall style and gives it almost a premium look.
One of the understated highlights of the Coolpad Mega 2.5D is its weight, or rather the lack thereof. At just about 140 grams, the smartphone feels really light once you hold it in your hand. Most 5.5-inch devices in the market easily weigh upwards of 150 grams.
Coolpad Mega 2.5D Hardware
| Operating system | Android Marshmallow 6.0.1 with Cool UI 8.0 |
| Display | 5.5-inch HD (720 x 1280) |
| Processor | MediaTek Quad-core 1GHz MT6735P processor |
| RAM | 3 GB |
| Internal Storage | 16GB, upgradable up to 32GB via a microSD card |
| Battery | 2500mAh |
| Camera | 8MP primary camera | 8MP secondary camera |
| Dimensions | 153 x 76.8 x 7.9 mm |
| Weight | 143 grams |
Powered by the 1GHz MediaTek MT67355P 64-bit quad-core chipset paired with Mali T720 GPU and 3GB RAM, the Coolpad Mega 2.5D does well on the specifications sheet – similar to other budget smartphones in the segment. In real world usage, the performance is just about average though. While it is decent enough to handle day-to-day tasks, there is a bit of lag here and there – sometimes while performing basic operations or switching between apps. It’s a shame because the phone packs in a generous 3GB of RAM.
While playing graphic-intensive games, there is a visible drop in frames and the back panel tends to heat up (rarely though when not gaming). Clearly, if you’re a mobile gaming fan, the Mega 2.5D isn’t for you.
Although the Mega 2.5D sports 16GB of internal storage, you can expand it using a microSD card. That’s only if you’re using only one SIM with the phone since the hybrid tray allows you to use two nano SIMs or a combination of one SIM card and a microSD card.
Coolpad Mega 2.5D isn’t the fastest phone in the market, but gets along through most everyday tasks. With the specs it boasts of, one would’ve expected it to fare much better though.
The Coolpad Mega 2.5D sports an impressive 5.5-inch HD display. The color reproduction is accurate and viewing angles are fairly good as well. The text looks sharp, and even outdoors the sunlight legibility is surprisingly high.
The curved glass on the top though is a tad reflective. There are no physical buttons on the Mega 2.5D, and it uses on-screen navigation buttons.
Coolpad Mega 2.5D Software
The Coolpad Mega 2.5D runs on Android Marshmallow 6.0 with the company’s proprietary UI, CoolUI 8.0, on top. Like most custom UIs from Chinese OEMs, it doesn’t come with an app drawer and several aspects of it are clearly inspired by iOS – like the drop-down search for apps or the control center that comes up on swiping from the bottom, for example.
Honestly, the UI isn’t bad and like with most UX paradigms, one gets used to it. However, it’s apparent that Cool UI is a significantly heavy UI and pretty much the culprit behind the phone’s less than impressive performance. The phone is also painfully slow to boot up, although that’s not a showstopper really.
Coolpad Mega 2.5D Battery life
The battery life on the Coolpad Mega 2.5D is just about average. Only with limited use, the 2500mAh battery would last for an entire day. Stretch it a little, and you’d need to run for your charger by evening.
Few other smartphones in the price segment are offering two-day battery life, and although that’s not an absolute comparison, customers might want to look elsewhere if this is a primary buying decision. Of course, it’s not all bad. Also, the bundled 5V charger can charge the battery to full capacity in under two hours.
Coolpad Mega 2.5D Camera
The Coolpad Mega 2.5D packs in an 8MP rear camera with f/2.2 aperture. The photos from the rear camera are decent and the color reproduction is good enough mostly. Although, you’d notice some washed out photos or the ones with the colors bleeding too frequently.
The front camera though fares better – justifying the focus on selfies in marketing pitch. The Mega 2.5D sports a generous 8MP front camera with 83.6-degrees field of view, that allows you to take great selfies for its price. Most photos are decent and sharp, and that’s that. Even indoors, photos turned out to be nice to look at, although with a bit of noise. There’s the beauty mode with options to make your skin smooth or slim your face, but most photos with the beauty mode tend to look a bit unnatural.
Coolpad Mega 2.5D Bottom line
The Coolpad Mega 2.5D is no pushover. There are few things going fine for a phone at its price – the impressive design, the decent selfies one could manage, and the overall neat display. Therefore, it’s a capable phone let down by just about average performance. There’s no fingerprint reader too, mind you.
The Mega 2.5D is company’s third budget smartphone in the Indian market after the well-rounded Note 3 and the Note 3 Lite. Clearly, the Coolpad Mega 2.5D is not as impressive as those two, but still makes for a fair option on the table.
Should you buy it? Probably
At ₹6,999 ($105), the Coolpad Mega 2.5D is a good enough budget smartphone with a decent display and acceptable performance. While the selfies are better than most in the segment and it looks stunning, the competition from Xiaomi with the Redmi 3s is tough – with a battery that lasts really long.
Pick up a Mega 2.5D if you’re okay with its misses, and really appreciate the positives. Coolpad though will do itself a favor to improve the Cool UI experience because that would take care of most of the mishits with this phone.
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Kia Optima Sportswagon first drive: A big friendly giant that lacks a bit of personality
The Kia Optima is the sort of car that you see starring in flashy US TV commercials, where enormous NBA superstars cram their frames into the cockpit and ramble on about its superb comfort and desirability, despite the fact they likely own a fleet of Rolls-Royces and Lamborghinis.
As such, the Optima has never been one to make waves in the UK, partly thanks to the fact that four-door saloons sales largely fall into the company car category, which has long been bossed by the Ford Mondeo, Vauxhall Insignia and, more recently, the Skoda Superb.
Sensibly, Kia has decided to stretch the salesman’s favourite and offer it in an estate body style, which it refers to as the Sportswagon. Us Brits love a spacious estate – what with our dogs and kids and bicycles – and the Korean marque hopes it will appeal to families with plenty of junk to haul, as well as more traditional business users.
Kia Optima Sportswagon review: The wiley wagon
First thing to note is that Kia offers some seriously impressive kit on even the most basic “2” trim line Sportswagon models.
Granted, there’s no opportunity to order the barebones “1” specification level that’s offered on other models, but £22,295 for a spacious vehicle that comes equipped with a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, 17-inch alloy wheels, hints of leather inside and a full suite of DAB radio and Bluetooth connectivity isn’t a bad start.
Spend a couple of grand more and “3” level customers are treated to an 8-inch touchscreen display, which is bright and responsive, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.
The dash in these more expensive models isn’t quite on par with those offered by the VW Group – but the tech works seamlessly and the more expensive cars also get larger wheels, which helps the Optima Sportswagon live up to its athletic moniker.
Kia Optima Sportswagon review: Real estate
Kia owes a great deal to chief designer Peter Schreyer, who has single-handedly transformed the budget brand into something that can genuinely compete with the big German players in terms of styling.
In keeping with recent from, the Optima Sportswagon is a handsome machine that features plenty of sweeping lines, a large and bejewelled front grille, and the latest LED head and tail lamp technology that ensures it cuts an imposing figure on the UK’s roadways.
It’s also cleverly packaged, with 552-litres of load space in the back when the rear seats are upright, or 1,686-litres when those rear thrones are flipped down – via a single pull-lever, we hasten to add.
All those riding aboard get plenty of head and legroom, while handy little tech features, such as USB charging slots in the rear, are a welcome addition.
Kia Optima Sportswagon review: A dull daily drive
The Optima Sportswagon was never intended to offer scintillating performance but the driving experience is rather dreary. This is partly down to the fact that only one engine is on offer – a 1.7-litre CRDi diesel unit.
There’s not a lot of low-down torque, which renders quick getaways or speedy overtakes quite tricky, while the unit itself isn’t particularly refined. Give it a boot-load of throttle and it grumbles away until the car is up to cruising speeds.
The steering is also quite vague and slow, which can be an issue if you’re trying to hustle the thing along a twisting country road. Granted, the soft suspension is comfortable on long cruises and doesn’t wallow too much through corners, but it’s certainly not the sharpest tool in the box.
A Ford Mondeo Estate is arguably more entertaining to drive and Skoda’s 2.0-litre TDI engine is more powerful.
Kia also revealed a plug-in hybrid version of its Optima Saloon, which potentially returns a staggering 176.6mpg on the combined, belches out just 37g/km of CO2, and can be driven for up to 33-miles on electricity alone. The driving experience isn’t any more enthralling but it could be a good way to reduce the household motoring bills.
Kia Optima Sportswagon review: Top-of-the range tech
Those with a bit of cash to splash should look towards the GT-Line S, purely because it comes offered with some very neat kit.
The interior is given the full leather treatment, the wheels increase to 18-inches and there’s a suite of semi-autonomous safety features that rivals those of the premium German rivals.
Adaptive smart cruise control, high beam assist, autonomous emergency braking, blind spot detection, smart park assist and a 360-degree around view monitor are all thrown into the deal, while ambient interior lighting and chrome flourishes help elevate the overall quality no end.
Verdict
The Kia Optima Sportswagon will make a solid daily hack for most customers. It’s a good looking machine, especially in the top-of-the-range GT-Line S trim, while its infotainment system is slick and intuitive and the “3” models and above spearhead a suite of standard kit that’s more impressive than its rivals.
The problem, however, is poor engine choice. More importantly, an engine that isn’t as clean nor as fuel efficient as its closest competition, which will prove a stumbling block for company car users and fleet buyers. That, paired with the dreary driving experience, make the competition more compelling overall.
