Five years after Kia launched the third generation Optima at the New York Auto Show, the Korean manufacturer returned with the all-new model – which boasts a new exterior design, more premium cabin and three powertrain options.
The new Optima’s predecessor has been Kia’s most successful model in the US market to date, so it was important for Peter Schreyer’s design team to retain some of its identity. With an Optima that’s longer, taller and wider than before, the team’s come up with styling cues that grant the Optima even more road presence through the use of bi-functional HID headlamps swept back into the front fenders, new “tiger nose” grille, raked A-pillar and thick C-pillar for a more dramatic roofline and profile, and “halo-style” LED tail lamps.
Inside, the Optima’s cabin has been granted upmarket finishes thanks to the use of more soft-touch surfaces, metallic accents, stitched upholstery and more premium materials. More emphasis has also been placed on keeping the cabin’s design a clean as possible, by minimising the amount of switchgear.
The new Optima also features Kia’s new connectivity system, UVO (most likely to only be available in the US) as well as Android Auto and Apple CarPlay – which allows the driver to access their smartphone functions via the 8-inch touchscreen display that dominates the facia. A six-speaker audio system comes standard, but there’s a 14-speaker premium system by Infinity that’ll be optional.
The new Optima is being launched with three engine options. The first is the familiar 2,4-litre normally aspirated four-cylinder motor that produces 136 kW at 6 000 kW and 241 N.m of torque at 4 000 r/min. Two new turbopetrol engines, a 182 kW/353 N.m 2,0-litre, and a 131 kW/264 N.m 1,6-litre. The larger engines are paired with six-speed automatic transmissions, while the 1,6 turbopetrol uses a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
“The Optima changed the way people felt about the KIA brand, and KMA owes much of its growth and success to its head-turning design and sporty performance. It was – and still is to this day – a fresh alternative in the midsize sedan segment, and it amplified a five-year design-led transformation that propelled KIA to record-setting sales year-on-year,” says Michael Sprague, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Kia Motors America.
“The all-new Optima retains the signature personality of its predecessor, but we’ve literally improved everything, providing more space, better ride and handling, more technology and greater refinement.”