Kia will take a fresh swipe at the new
Ford Mondeo, VW Passat and Vauxhall Insignia when it launches an all-new
version of the Optima
less than a year from now. It will feature a sharper design, higher-quality
interior and the option of diesel, hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains, and
we had a chance to poke around the production car at Kia’s new Namyang design centre,
near Seoul.
Although
no photography was allowed of the new car, we can
reveal that design sticks closely to the current, post-facelift model (pictured) with a wide
‘tiger nose’ grille connecting up to the headlights either side and large
wraparound taillights at the rear. The petrol model features more aggressive,
sharper intakes in the front bumper, while the hybrid models get a blanked
out front grille that opens when cooling is required. Softer curves in the
front bumper, special wheels and a wider rear bumper to help reduce aerodynamic
drag.
New Kia Optima: interior and tech
The
interior quality has taken another leap forward, one of Kia’s main focuses for all its
new models, with leather seats and a new larger, widescreen display installed
in the centre of the leather-wrapped dash. Matt black switchgear arranged in
horizontal rows is reminiscent of BMW’s latest cabin design, which is no bad
thing.
No detailed specifications were
made available, but bosses confirmed that an model featuring a development of
the current 1.7 CRDi diesel engine will be offered, along with a hybrid and a
plug-in hybrid a little later
in the life cycle. And Kia is
targeting a class-leading electric-only range with the plug in, according to
its head of overseas marketing, Spencer Cho.
“Look
at the Soul EV, apart from the Tesla it has the longest range of any of its
competitors,” he said. “In the same way we are trying to extend EV range for
plug-in hybrids, too.”
Cho
also revealed that a diesel-electric hybrid powertrain
is under development, and an Optima estate is under development especially for
the European market.
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