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Autumn European launch for all-new Optima

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Kia Optima

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13 April 2015

Kia Optima
The old Kia Optima struggled in the UK but was a US best seller for the brand

Optima at a glance

  • Refined exterior styling and premium-quality interior;
  • Longer, wider and more spacious;
  • New 1.6-litre turbo petrol with seven-speed dual clutch auto gearbox;
  • European introduction in the autumn

KIA is hoping a reworking of its mid-sized family saloon Optima will help replicate its US success story when it arrives in UK showrooms this Autumn.

For while the old model sold little more than 500 cars in the UK in 2013, it was Kia’s top-selling car Stateside so it comes as little surprise that the all-new Optima was unveiled at the New York International Auto Show.

Now the company car focused saloon has been completely reworked under the watchful eye of Kia’s president and chief design officer, Peter Schreyer. While maintaining its athletic identity, its body is longer, wider and stiffer for improved ride and handling and a more spacious cabin.

Available in the USA with three engine choices, including a new 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder mated to a seven-speed Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT), the Optima is more confident than ever on the road.

It will deliver 178 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and a stout 195 lb/ft of torque at just 1,500 rpm.

Two powerplants carry over from the previous generation: the 2.4-litre GDI four-cylinder and the 2.0-litre GDI turbo engine.  The 2.4-litre is estimated to produce 185 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 178 lb/ft of torque at 4,000 rpm.  The 2.0-litre turbo is expected to generate approximately 247 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 260 lb/ft of torque at 1,350 rpm.  Both engines come with six-speed automatic transmission with Sportmatic shifting while some variants add paddle shifters.  Both engines have been retuned for fuel economy and better performance and drivability with maximum torque now available at a lower rev.

Exact specification details, trim levels, pricing and launch dates for European markets will be released in time for an autumn launch.

 

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