The 2015 Kia Optima will premiere at the New York motor show on April 1, but to tide us over, the Korean brand has issued a pair of teaser renderings.
These images, as well as the Sportspace wagon concept from the Geneva motor show earlier this month and spy shots we have previously run, show that new next-generation Optima will sport an evolutionary design that will retain the signature sharpness of the current model.
The current Optima was one of the first models to kick off Kia’s design renaissance when it launched in 2010, as was responsible in significant part for changing common perceptions of the brand.
The car to appear in New York will be the sedan version, while a wagon model styled on the Sportspace is green-lit for production in 2016 â€" as we have reported. A drip-feed rollout of the body-styles appears to be a way to keep interest piqued over a longer term.
The new-generation Optima sedan will launch in Australia around September this year, with a regular petrol engine option, but also a 180kW turbo-petrol engine shared with the Hyundai Sonata, and a petrol-electric conventional hybrid option â€" a first for Kia in Australia.
The Optima will also come with a plug-in hybrid powertrain option shortly after launch, though this version appears some way off an Australian launch.
The wagon version based on the Sportspace (pictured above in red) is a likely starter for Australia, a decision made based on keen interest from locals â€" including favourable comments on sites such as this one.
The new range will have its work cut out for it, given sales of mid-sized sedans and wagons dropped 15 per cent in 2014, with the Optima’s rate of decline exactly double that. Even the class-leading Toyota Camry and Mazda 6 were down by double-digits.
What do you think of the look of these official 2015 Kia Optima renderings?
Comments
Post a Comment