As we leaked a few weaks after the Frankfurt Motor Show, Kia confirmed that will launch an Optima GT and also revealed the first official pictures.
[ads id=”0″ style=”float:left;padding:9px;”]During the press event at Kia Headquarters in Frankfurt, Kia said it will launch a new generation Optima Plug-In Hybrid in 2016, and the surprise (for European market) “A wider range of powertrains are currently under development by Kia, which will lead to the 2016 launch of a high-efficiency plug-in hybrid electric Optima, as well as Kia Motors Europe’s first high performance sedan, the Optima GT, with a 2.0 Turbo GDi engine.” added Michael Cole.
For North America or South Korea customers, this won’t be any surprise (they already have this engine on the current one as well as in the precedent generation), but we need to applaud Kia to the tune of launch a 250 hp non-premium D-segment powered sedan in the heart of Europe.
I’m sure this will give another step forward in Kia’s European Brand Image. The car is totally the same as we saw in the Optima SX models, but without the chromed wheels, Kia decided to change for a black/grey wheels.
Probably, now you’re dreaming about an Optima GT Turbo, with 350 hp a new body kit, 19″ wheels, Brembo brakes….But looking at the pictures revealed by Kia, the car could be as just as an SX variant (available in South Korea and North America), so probably comes with the SX front, new alloy wheels, sport seats and a 2.0 T-GDi engine with 245 hp, but I would like to say again that this is a big step forward to Kia, and to separate it from Hyundai as a sister brand.[ads id=”3″ style=”float:left;padding:9px;”]
Press release
Kia Motors Europe has today announced that a high-powered version of the all-new Kia Optima is in development. The new Optima GT will be Kia’s first-ever high performance Optima in Europe when it goes on sale in 2016.
The Kia Optima GT is being shown for the first time today at the 66th Frankfurt International Motor Show (IAA), alongside the all-new Optima in European production specification. Set to introduce the Kia brand to those looking for a more emotive, performance-oriented drive, the Optima will be Kia’s second GT model, after the cee’d GT and pro_cee’d GT were introduced to the European market in 2013.
More athletic design, inside and out
The Optima GT will boast a more athletic appearance than the standard Optima model – already one of the most distinctive, bold-looking cars in the D-segment. Previewed today as a prototype in Frankfurt, the production-ready Optima GT will feature a redesigned ‘tiger-nose’ grille, bold body styling, and a new wheel design.
Inside, the Optima GT will be based upon the same refined, high-quality interior found in standard versions of the all-new Optima, with a more dynamic intent in its execution, to leave drivers in no doubt as to the sporty character of the car.
On-road performance to match more dynamic brief
The new Optima GT is currently in development as a collaborative effort between Kia’s global R&D centre in Namyang, Korea, and the company’s European R&D centre in Rüsselsheim, Germany. The result will be a sports sedan that matches the dynamic expectations of European drivers.
Ride, handling and performance will each be tuned to match the Optima GT’s more muscular appearance and dynamic brief, without compromising the refinement and comfortable ride of the more conventional models in the range
[ads id=”7″ style=”float:left;padding:9px;”]Engineered for European roads, the Optima GT will get its own unique suspension settings compared to standard models in the Optima range, and will be fitted with a new Electronically-Controlled Suspension system, to provide individualised damping force to each wheel. Larger disc brakes and a tailored version of Kia’s new rack-mounted motor-driven power steering (R-MDPS) will further improve the Optima GT’s dynamic performance.
Offering a higher power output than other models in the range, the Optima GT will be powered by a 2.0-litre T-GDI (turbocharged gasoline direct injection) engine. Further technical details of the Optima GT will be announced closer to the European launch.
