Kia Optima

Looking at the first-generation Optima, it’s hard to believe the Korean nameplate has grown to become one of the better looking and better equipped sedans of the midsize segment. But that became a fact in 2011, when Kia launched the third-gen car, and it’s about to gain new meaning with the fourth-generation model that just broke cover at the 2015 New York Auto Show. Sporting an evolutionary design inspired by the Sportspace Concept, the Optima got better in just about any department for the 2016 model year.

Introduced in 2000, the first-generation Kia Optima was essentially a rebadged Hyundai Sonata, with only minor exterior styling details and equipment packages setting it apart from its Hyundai sibling. The sedan arrived in U.S. dealerships for the 2001 model year with a V-6 engine under the hood. A redesigned, second-gen model was launched in 2005. By this time, the Optima differed further from the Hyundai Sonata it was based on. The vehicle was slightly larger and received a wide range of four-cylinder and V-6 engines. The Kia Optima was revamped yet again for the 2011 model year, when it was used to launch Kia’s new design language with the "tiger nose" front grille and "ice cube" LED headlamps.

The fourth-gen sedan takes the brand’s styling up a notch and brings forth a restyled interior equipped with a wide range of premium features. There’s big news in the drivetrain department as well, but you’ll have to keep reading to find out more about that.

Updated 10/13/2015: Kia announced prices for the 2016 Optima which will go on sale in in five trim levels – LX, LX 1.6T, EX, SX and SXL. Prices will range from $21,840 for the LX with a 2.4-liter engine up to $35,790 for the SXL version equipped with the 2.0-liter turbocharged GDI 4-cylinder engine.

Continue reading to learn more about the 2016 Kia Optima.

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