I dislike when I need to write this kind of articles, but unfortunately, its true. Kia decided not to launch an Optima Wagon (based on the Kia SportSpace concept).
[ads id=”0″ style=”float:left;padding:5px;”]When the South Korean carmaker unveiled the Kia Sportspace concept in March at the Geneva Motor Show, there was a big exciment on the media, Kia fans, also not only Kia fans with the possibility of this concept car turns into a production model.
The bad news arrived from the USA arm of Kia where Orth Hendricks, Kia Motors America (KMA) vice president of product planning told to Auto Guide during the New York AutoShow, “We looked at it. It’s a beautiful car and obviously it’s a big deal in Europe mainly because they love estates over there.” he said.
“However, the company determined the Kia Sportspace concept would overlap with the Sorento and wouldn’t attract enough buyers to justify the production costs.” he added.
Ok so, today is a bad day, don’t you think? 🙁
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Its not really a loss with the new Optima front though i love spotrswagon after Venga, Carens and Sorento. If KIA would make the Carens( not the Sorento but the Carens would overlap with the Optima sportswagon) a little bit longer in turn i could live with it very good.. But if the next Optima gets the NOVO concept front i insist on building an optima sportswagon in the future. It would deliver more space than the smaller ceed sportswagon. But also then i would decide for a more spacious Carens. In best case with the new NOVO front . I love it. Namyang forever.
KIA forever.
Hi Kia lover, well the thing is, with the current optima prices on my hand, a future Optima wagon well equipped and with 150 hp probably cost 35.000€, while for the same price you have a Sorento. Its sad, but is what the people wants, SUVs.
For sportswagon (SW) fans KIA also could make the next Ceed longer as an alternative for an Optima SW. Of course with the NOVO front.
As i already wrote here 2 days ago: KIA should save the money in terms of an Optima SW with this ugly front and realize my suggestions here and below instead.
KIA forever. But only from Namyang.
The current KIA ceed SW and the Carens are both almost 4,55 meters long. If KIa would strengten them to nearly 4,70 meters with the next generations these two models would be a ferfect alternative for the Optima Wagon. With the Carens your head wouldnt touch the roof on the third row as a adult and with the ceed wagon one would receive the long time desired and loved spacious wagon in europe. Of course both wit the beautiful NOVO front. This would be the solution fot KIAs current size and front problem.
I love KIA.
As an estate, it isn’t so much a loss as even the Europeans are moving from wagons to small CUVs, but Kia needs to make the front end of the Optima more like that of the Sportspace for its MCE (as well as the rear/taillights); and further down the road, the basic greenhouse shape for the Sportspace should be used for the next gen Sorento (just giving it a bit more glass as needed for a CUV).
Conflicting report from Drive.au dated the 2nd stating that the Sportspace has been greenlit for Europe and that Kia Australia is pondering it.
Here is the link to the article:
http://www.drive.com.au/motor-news/kia-optima-wagon-confirmed-20150403-1mdxu4.html
This would definitely do well in Australia.
That’s a shame. The SportSpace was the first Kia that ever got me excited. I guess my next vehicle won’t be a Kia afterall.