The new Kia Optima making its debut in New York is undoubtedly the star of the show. Pushing Kia's new design initiatives forward, the new sedan is a clear departure from the previous generation, continuing the design language first seen on the Soul and since evolved into the recently revealed Sportage. But while the Sportage's exterior was designed in Kia's California design studio and the interior was created in the automaker's European studio, the reverse is true for the Optima.
Longer, lower, wider and with a longer wheelbase than the model it will soon replace, the exterior design of the new car is a lesson in cautious elegance. At the front, an amplified version of the Korean automaker's defining grille - larger than on any other model in the Kia range - is outlined in chrome and features a piano black surround, an element repeated in the lower corners of the bumper around the foglamps and the fender vent. Pronounced hood creases running from between the headlamps and grille integrate neatly with the A-pillar, as on the Sportage.
The clean, elegant design is arguably best appreciated in profile, where a subtle shoulder and clearly defined lightcatcher are separated by a feature line that cuts between both doors, breaking up the volume. The dynamic DLO kicks up at the rear and features a chrome strip running along the top that cuts through the C-pillar to highlight the edge of the backlight. At the rear, the feature line again reappears to break up the surface expanse of the trunklid, while the taillamps bleed over onto the rear fender.
The interior is more driver-oriented than current Kia models, with a center console angled toward the driver and airvents framing subtle chrome detailing around the gauges. And from the driver's seat, the levels of perceived quality are indeed high. The Optima is yet another successful design from Kia.
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