The Kia Optima’s prior full redesign was somewhat shocking. Formerly a forgettable-hunting, cheaper sibling to Hyundai’s Sonata, the Optima abruptly became the hotter of the sisters. Courtesy of ex–Volkswagen Group designer Peter Schreyer, Kia’s household sedan looked like the Passat we could’ve had if VW hadn’t dowdified the thing when it enlarged the vehicle for the American market place. 5 years soon after the final car’s reveal at the New York show, Kia is hoping to maintain the magic going with this all-new model.
The new car is swoopier and probably a tad much more futuristic-looking than the previous model, losing a small bit of its Germanic presence in the update. The larger rear lights appear much more Tokyo than Teutonic, whilst the widened signature “tiger nose” grille suggests some sort of cybernetic unibrow. The greenhouse has much more of a fastback lilt, and the bigger daylight opening suggests much better outward visibility at the cost of the last car’s perfectly contemporary proportions.
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Kia claims the new body structure is 150 % stiffer than the outgoing model’s. It also says it has stiffened the wheels, engine mounts, and body panels. The work goes toward each quelling NVH and improving handling. Provided that we had been impressed by the new Sonata’s dynamic improvements, we don’t doubt that Kia has place in time in this arena, as well. Undercarriage upgrades include extra bushings on the subframe mounts, suspension-mounting points moved farther outboard, and larger dual rear reduced control arms. The wheelbase is up by .4 inch, to 110.4, although girth increases by 1 inch. Wheel sizes range from 16 to 18 inches.
Engine alternatives match the Sonata’s, so there’s a 2.4-liter naturally aspirated 4-cylinder, a 2.-liter turbo 4, and a 1.6-liter turbo 4. The initial 2 are paired with a 6-speed automatic, while the 1.6 matches up to Hyundai/Kia’s 6-speed dual-clutch. Kia hasn’t finalized output numbers, but it estimates 185 hp and 178 lb-ft from the 2.4, 247 hp and 260 lb-ft from the 2.0T, and 178 hp and 195 lb-ft from the 1.6.
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Inside, the interior gets genuine stitching along the dash and doors—something that’s frequently simulated at this price point. Kia also touts focus paid to seat comfort, crediting improvement in that location to a stiffer frame and denser, much more supportive foam. Heated and ventilated energy-adjustable front chairs are offered. Depending on trim level—the roster is LX, LX Turbo, EX, SX, SX Turbo, and SXL—seating surfaces are covered in cloth, leather, or uplevel nappa leather. Because the mid-1980s are back, the new vehicle offers dark aubergine and merlot among its interior-colour options.
Kia’s Uvo infotainment method now has massive-brother systems for teen drivers, including geofencing, speed alert, curfew alert, and “driving score.” Germane to adult and teen drivers alike, the new Optima is the first Kia to function each Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration. Streamed tunes can be bumped by means of a 630-watt Infinity technique with 14 speakers.
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Other electronic company contains a suite of offered driver aids such as a 360-degree camera, adaptive cruise, blind-spot detection, rear cross-traffic alert, and automatic braking. These may possibly help maintain your new Optima in 1 piece. The auto now can be fitted with active, HID headlamps, as nicely as automatic higher beams.
Offered that the Optima’s slight aesthetic downgrade isn’t the backward stylistic step that the Sonata took, and provided that we anticipate the Hyundai’s all round dynamic and comfort improvements to be generally mirrored by the Kia, the sexier sib remains the a lot more desirable of the pair. Now if they’d only deign to give us a Sportspace-looking wagon variant . . .
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2016 Kia Optima Photos and Info: Larger and Optimized for Sales Development
