Kia Motors Debuts New Optima at New York Show; Powertrains Aligned with New Sonata
02 April 2010
Kia Motors Corporation unveiled its all-new Optima midsize sedan at the New York International Auto Show. Featuring a new design language for Kia, the new Optima shares the new Theta II-based powertrains featured in the new Hyundai Sonata: a 2.4-liter GDI (gasoline direct injection) four-cylinder; a 2.0-liter GDI turbo engine (earlier post); and a 2.4-liter hybrid (earlier post).
| The new Optima. Click to enlarge. |
The 2.4-liter GDI engine produces 203 PS (200 hp, 149 kW). Upgrading to the available 2.0-liter turbo GDI engine delivers V6-type power from a four-cylinder engine that produces 278 PS (274 hp, 204 kW), while mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. This represents Kia’s first application of GDI technology. A 2.4-liter hybrid Optima will be introduced in 2011.
For Europe, there will be an available 2.0 liter CVVL engine along with a 1.7-liter VGT diesel unit. Outside Europe and North America, Optima offers a 2.0 liter MPI engine producing 165 PS (163 hp, 121 kW) and a 2.4 liter MPI engine producing 178 PS (176 hp, 239 kW), while Australia will also receive the 2.4 liter GDI engine.
All transmissions on the new Optima, both manual and automatic, have six speeds while all automatics feature Sportmatic clutchless shifting.
Designed at Kia’s studios in Frankfurt and Irvine, California, the all-new Optima is longer, wider and lower than the vehicle it replaces and is based on an all-new midsize platform.
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