Ahead of the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, the facelifted Kia Optima has been revealed for the European market, which will be available in sedan and Sportswagon forms. Set to go on sale in the third quarter of 2018, the refreshed Optima gains a number of visual and mechanical updates.
In terms of design changes, the Optima destined for Europe is similar to the new K5 that was launched in Korea last month. This includes the ‘tiger nose’ grille, which sports vertical slats, and V-shaped mesh pattern on the GT variant.
Elsewhere, the Optima receives new front and rear bumpers, LED taillights, plus a revised design for the headlights and fog lamps. A new ‘Runway Red’ paint colour has also been added, and buyers can choose from new alloy wheel designs ranging from 16 to 18 inches in size.
The interior also gets the same updates as the K5, with a new steering wheel design, satin-chrome trim and ambient lighting with six colours. Colour and upholstery themes include black, two-tone black and grey fabric or leather, or a new brown cloth or leather.
Infotainment is handled by either seven- or eight-inch touchscreen units, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. The display also works with the Around View Monitor (AVM), while other convenient features include wireless smartphone charging.
On the sportier GT Line and performance-focused GT variants, you’ll find new LED fog lamps, 18-inch aluminium alloy wheel designs and gloss black highlights on the mirror caps, side sills and grille. Only the Optima GT gets dual chrome exhaust outlets, while the GT Line is fitted with twin exhausts. Inside, two-tone black and red leather seats are now available, and GT variants get dedicated logos in contrast black or grey stitching on the front seats.
Safety features include the latest Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), which includes Forward Collision-avoidance Assist (FCA) with pedestrian recognition, Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), High Beam Assist (HBA) and Driver Attention Warning (DAW).
The Optima’s engine line-up now welcomes the brand’s new U3 1.6 litre CRDi diesel unit, which replaces the previous 1.7 litre CRDi. The oil burner is also available in the new Ceed, and serves up 136 PS and 320 Nm of torque in the Optima.
On the petrol side of things, there’s now a 1.6 litre T-GDI that outputs 180 PS, and is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The mill fills the gap between models equipped with a 2.0 litre CVVL (163 PS) and the 2.0 litre T-GDi (245 PS) in the GT.
Drivers will also get to swap between a number of drive modes – Eco, Comfort, Sport and Smart – each providing different powertrain responses and weightage for the power steering system.
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I find it very interesting for the Koreans to follow closely the German design language, and abandoning the old funky K-pop design.
The Chief Designer since 2006 ,Peter Schreyer is a German so hardly surprising.
Kia and Hyundai sell 8 million cars globally. Their designs are very appealing to people.
Designers are clever. They work hard. And they come out with brilliant designs.
Yes. Kudos to Audi design team that KiaHyundai copied from.
Not only the design but the engine options too. 1.6 turbo diesel is very frugal yet provide enuf pulling power for daily use. And the gt with the power output like the german premium car engine.
Quite a tempting proposition with a 2.0 turbo under the hood, and those rims looked wicked