2016 Kia Optima First Look

Here’s our first look at the all-new 2016 Kia Optima sedan debuting next week at the 2015 New York Auto Show. It was at the New York event back in 2010 that Kia broke off the shackles of lame, design by committee styling when it unveiled its striking, third-generation Optima. The vehicle quickly became the brand’s bestseller here, a title it’s held for the past three years, and now, five years later, Kia is launching a successor model.

The latest design isn’t quite the revolution Kia’s design team made with the previous model, and we have to admit feeling a little letdown after seeing the impressive teaser sketches and recent Sportspace concept, but we’ll reserve final judgement until we see the 2016 Optima in full.

Kia says the 2016 Optima will offer multiple engine choices, which we’re expecting to include a naturally aspirated 2.4-liter mill, a turbocharged 2.0-liter unit and at least one hybrid option. The car is closely linked with the Sonata from sister brand Hyundai, meaning we’re likely to see the new Optima pick up most of the upgrades offered on the latest version of the Sonata, which comes with both hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains.

We’ll have all the details soon, as the New York Auto Show gets underway April 1. To see what else will be at the show, head over to our dedicated hub.

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