When Kia recently debuted the mega-über-super-hot Sportspace wagon concept at the Geneva auto show, we immediately speculated that it previewed the brand’s next-generation Optima sedan. Sure, the wagon might turn into a thing—albeit only for Europe—but the Sportspace’s real value was showing us what the 2016 Optima might look like. As it turns out, we were right (it’s a good feeling!), because Kia has now released sketches of the new Optima, and it is more or less a sultry twin to the Sportspace wagon concept, minus the wagon part.
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Ignoring the gigantic wheels in Kia’s Optima sketches, this is more or less what we expect the production car to look like. If that seems a bit far-fetched to you, consider how breakthrough the current-generation Optima’s styling was when it debuted. We dig the slim taillights, sloping roofline, and that muscular, squinty front-end design. We’ll get an even better look when the production version bows at the 2015 New York auto show. There, we’ll also ascertain what changes the new Optima is hiding beneath its high-style exterior.
