Update: As nice as the Sportspace Concept is, Kia has since junked the idea of producing a wagon Optima. It has been reported that Kia did not think it would sell in enough numbers to be viable. Plus it would overlap the niche occupied by the Sorento.

 

LOS ANGELES: Kia will unveil the all-new Optima at the New York Auto Show next month.

Signs of what the car would look like were previewed in the SPORTSPACE Concept shown at the recent Geneva Motor Show.

The new D-segment model is the 11th concept car created by Kia’s European design studio in Frankfurt.



With flowing lines which sweep elegantly from Kia’s hallmark ‘tiger-nose’ grille towards the rear of the vehicle, Kia’s new concept car embodies modern design and refined, understated energy.

According to a Kia statement, the concept “has been created as a spacious and versatile accessory to an active lifestyle, as a purposeful, energetic design study for the style-conscious, and as a sanctuary from the stresses of the modern world.”

The Optima also includes a hybrid variant.

The Peter Schreyer-penned Optima mid-size sedan was unveiled at the 2010 New York International Motor Show.

Since then,  the Optima became a catalyst for Kia's growth and has been the brand’s best-selling vehicle in the United States for three years running.

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