Kia hints at estate model for next-generation Optima

By / 10 years ago / News / No Comments

The teaser image shows nothing from the B-pillar backwards and, with Kia claiming space and versatility for customers with active lifestyles, this could be hiding a sports tourer version of the previously saloon-only family car, ideal for broadening its appeal in Europe.

Expect a much broader range of engines, including petrol, diesel and petrol-hybrid drivetrains as in the current Optima and possibly a plug-in hybrid utilising technology derived from the Hyundai Sonata which launched recently in the United States.

The European range is also likely to feature Kia’s T-Hybrid system, as previewed at last year’s Geneva and Paris Motor Shows. This uses a high-powered battery and a motor-generator which either functions as a power-boosting electric supercharger for the 1.7-litre diesel engine, or can recapture wasted energy as electrical charge. Kia said last year that this could bring CO2 emissions under 100g/km.

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Alex Grant

Trained on Cardiff University’s renowned Postgraduate Diploma in Motor Magazine Journalism, Alex is an award-winning motoring journalist with ten years’ experience across B2B and consumer titles. A life-long car enthusiast with a fascination for new technology and future drivetrains, he joined Fleet World in April 2011, contributing across the magazine and website portfolio and editing the EV Fleet World Website.

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