The new Kia Optima reveals its front end in the first photograph

Kia released yesterday the first glimpse real of the new generation of the Optima, which it will present next week at the New York Auto Show. Although this photograph shows only the front of the saloon, it allows us to see that the sketches published a week ago differ from the final design in certain features.

The most obvious change is in the lines that shape the front bumper. The road version of the Optima will drop the distinctive air intakes that the SPORTSPACE prototype from Geneva had. Instead, it will feature three trapezoidal intakes, neatly trimmed in a finish matching that of the upper grille.

Other changes that were expected to be made by Kia to the production version lie in the lights, also LED-based but more conventional, and the exterior mirrors, which adopt a more voluminous shape, as is usual in these cases.

Despite all this, the Kia Optima retains a fresher look that will help it stay competitive in its segment. The nose of the new generation conveys a greater sense of poise thanks to the smaller headlights and the finer, wider grille. All without abandoning the aesthetic hallmarks of the Korean brand, so that the model remains easily identifiable.

Kia notes in the press release accompanying the photograph that the new Optima will offer a more spacious cabin than its predecessor, and its equipment will include new, never-before-seen technologies in its models that will have nothing to envy from those of premium cars. Detailed information will be released on 1 April, although we note that certain data will correspond to the North American version of the Optima. For the European figures we will have to wait a little longer.

Source | Kia