The 2016 Kia Optima dazzles at New York International Auto Show
Five years after it debuted in the Land of Opportunity, the Kia Optima returns to the New York Auto Show floor to repeat history and introduce a game-changing mid-size sedan to the segment once again. Conceived under the watchful eye of Kia’s President and Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer, the Optima maintains its athletic identity, but rides on a chassis that is longer, wider and stiffer for improved ride and handling.
Inside, the driver-oriented cabin has been simplified with a cleaner, more unified design than the outgoing model, with a stronger horizontal plane and a wider centre console that help create a greater sense of space.
With more than 50 percent of the body constructed from Advanced High Strength Steel (AHSS), the all-new Optima sees improvements in NVH and structural rigidity. The 2016 Optima is also the first Kia to feature a panoramic sunroof support structure made with carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic, which helps reduce weight and lower the vehicle’s centre of gravity.
On the performance front, the Optima carries over the 2.4 litre GDI four-cylinder engine and the 2.0 litre turbocharged unit from the previous generation model. The former remains good for an approximate 185 horsepower, while the turbo ups it to a more respectable 247 horses. Both engines get mated to six speed automatic transmissions.
