The new 2016 Kia Optima builds on the exterior styling of its predecessor. It his showrooms this fall.
The 2016 Kia Optima, the car that basically pushed the maker to the head of the class with midsize sedan buyers, finally got its full-on debut at New York International Auto Show.
“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,” said Michael Sprague, executive vice president, sales and marketing, KMA.
“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.”
Knowing the significance of the Optima, Kia engaged in phased reveal of the sedan in the weeks and even gave an even earlier hint of what’s to come at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this month in the form of the Kia Sportspace wagon concept.
The new Optima feature three engine options for 2016, including a new 1.6-liter 178-horsepower four-cylinder.
However, the payoff came early when the Korean maker took the wraps off of the new sedan prior to the reveal today. The new Optima is more evolution than revolution, described by officials as “a sophisticated and dynamic sedan that is instantly recognizable yet has more road presence than ever.”
That’s a nice way of letting folks know: we understand you like it so we’re not going to screw it up by making the new model a complete departure from the old one.
There’s a bit of symmetry in today’s unveiling: Kia also launched the outgoing Optima at the New York Auto Show – shortly after the debut of an even more over-the-top Hyundai Sonata.
(Kia gives full look at Optima before NY Auto Show. Click Here for more.)
Available with three engine choices, including a new 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that’s mated to a seven-speed Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT), the Optima is more confident than ever on the road. The all-new Optima’s roomier, more luxurious cabin features an impressive level of craftsmanship that will come standard across five trim levels – LX, LX Turbo, EX, SX Turbo and SXL – when sales begin in the fourth quarter of 2015, Kia notes.
The new Optima is slightly bigger on the inside than the outgoing model courtesy of a longer wheelbase and a wider frame. Like the other sedans in its class, there is a focus on the use of technology to entertain occupants. Kia’s UVO2 connectivity system is standard with four additional eServices not previously available on Optima: Geo-fencing, Speed Alert, Curfew Alert and Driving Score3. Additionally, Optima is Kia’s pilot vehicle for the introduction of Android 4 Auto and Apple 5 CarPlay, which allow drivers to access a suite of core functions from their smartphones.
The interior on the new Optima feature a slew of new entertainment-based technologies.
(Kia rated one of the Ten 10 brands in latest Consumer Reports auto report. Click Here for the full list.)
The focus on technology is evident making the new Optima a safer vehicle than its predecessor. A rear-camera display is available on every Optima while the SX and SXL models offer a 360-degree Around View Monitor. Additionally, other driver-aid technologies are available including Advanced Smart Cruise Control, Blind Spot Detection, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Autonomous Emergency Braking – which, under appropriate conditions, will bring the vehicle to a complete stop to potentially avoid a collision or reduce damage – makes the task of driving easier and more convenient.
(Click Here for details about Toyota’s new architecture.)
The all-new Optima is available with three engine choices, including two carried over from the previous generation: the 2.4-liter, 185-horsepower GDI four-cylinder, available on the LX and EX models, and the 2.0-liter GDI turbo engine, available on the SXL and SX Turbo models, and producing 247 hp.
Both engines are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with Sportmatic shifting while the SX and SXL trims add paddle shifters. All new for the 2016 model is a 1.6-liter four-cylinder turbo engine. The 1.6-liter will be offered on the LX trim. Pushing out an estimated 178 hp at 5,500 rpm and a stout 195 lb.-ft. of torque at just 1,500 rpm, the new engine mates to a seven-speed DCT, a first for the Kia brand.