Kia Optima Sportswagon Phev

The Americans call them ‘station wagons’ and coachbuilders (and now Mercedes) give us the ‘shooting brake’ but whatever you call them, estate cars have been around for many years and their demise is seemingly not imminent; estate cars have a certain coolness about them that’s for sure. Paul Beard finds out what Kia’s latest Optima Sportswagon PHEV has to offer.

- Paul Beard

Nowadays there is a plethora of estate cars to choose from, but if you need a comfortable family estate that easily seats five, their luggage, a couple of dogs and crucially has excellent green credentials, the market is quite limited. This is the latest offering in this segment from Kia; the Optima Sportswagon PHEV. I think you’ll agree that it is very stylish; it’s specification impresses too, but how does it stack up in the real world.