Earlier this January, we told you that KIA, a popular automaker from the South Korea, was working on its next generation Optima model and that the model would come with a sharper design. Well, it seems that some of us may be able to judge now whether that is true or not. Thing is, the vehicle had been spotted somewhere in Scandinavia as it was undertaking some cold weather tests of sorts.
The car was spotted wearing pretty heavy camouflage. However, it can be seen on the spy photos available that the car will still feature the tiger nose front grille design that has become the company’s signature grille style for the recent years. In addition to the tiger nose grille, a pair of sweptback headlamps can also be seen on the front fascia. Underneath its camouflage, it seems that the car will also have a beltline that sweeps upwards, twin exhaust pipes and a pair of rear doors that are potentially longer than those of its predecessor.
Unfortunately, there are no interior photos available as of yet. Nonetheless, not long ago, some leaked photos indicated that the car would very likely feature components like an onboard infotainment system, chrome trims and a 3-spoke steering wheel inside the cabin. The center console will reportedly be oriented to the driver for easy access of common vehicle functions.
The engines that customers will get on the 2016 KIA Optima, it seems, will be the same as the ones used on the new Hyundai Sonata. If this is true, buyers can expect two engine options. First, there is the 2.4L 4-cylinder engine capable of 185 bhp of power and 241 Nm of torque. Secondly, there will be a 2.0L 4-cylinder turbo engine with 245 bhp and 352 Nm of power output and torque, respectively.
