Kia Optima at the 2015 New York International Auto Show

► First look at the new Kia Optima
► Due to debut at 2015 New York show
► Incoming: a dose of major style?

Here's Kia's big news at the 2015 New York International Auto Show: the new, next-generation Optima.

It is essentially the sanitised, four-door saloon production version of the stylish Sportspace concept car from the Geneva motor show. Are we alone in thinking this solitary first photograph makes it appear somewhat less dazzling?

This single official photograph of the 2015 Optima follows a couple of design renderings issued earlier this month, and the US-spec saloon looks much more conventional than the wild design sketches suggested.

What do we know about the 2015 Kia Optima?

Not a huge amount yet. We're in classic teaser territory: just the three images in our gallery have been issued by Kia.

Kia's brief announcement says merely this: 'Instantly recognisable yet thoroughly fresh, Kia will introduce the all-new 2016 Optima at the upcoming New York Auto Show on 1 April. Available with multiple engine choices, the all-new Optima features a more spacious interior, premium features from the class above and a number of technologies not previously offered on Kia's best-selling D-segment sedan.'

See the new car in the metal on Wednesday 1 April. CAR will be reporting live from New York and will bring all the news, galleries and launches as they happen.

And in the meantime, check out the Kia Sportspace for an idea of how an Optima estate would look.

Maserati Ghibli vs BMW 6 Series : Which Will You Buy?

When considering vehicles like Maserati Ghibli and the BWM 6 Series Gran Coupe, both reflect an effort toward blending dignified luxury with exhilarating performance. Though beholding vehicles of this caliber is always an exercise most fruitfully left to the natural eye, the image above serves as a simple example of each sedan’s inherent dignity. In lieu of experiencing each vehicle’s performance profile from behind the wheel, the table provided similarly works to demonstrate what both Ghibli and BMW’s 6 series have been engineered to accomplish. Comparing the Maserati Ghibli vs. BMW 6 Series in this regard yields a number of important emphases. Local clients will notice that both vehicles develop their identity around six-cylinder engines with a pair of strategic turbochargers. Yet regardless of identical displacement and analogous induction technology, Maserati serves its Ghibli clients with significantly greater quantities of horsepower and torque. In addition to t...

McLaren 650S Sprint

McLaren’s new 650S model now comes in three flavors, the standard road going 650S, the competition-spec 650S GT3 for serious racers, and now there’s the 650S Sprint which is aimed at track enthusiasts who still want a little bit of comfort. The 650S Sprint also replaces the MP4-12C-based 12C Sprint as McLaren’s track toy for the super-rich. Compared to the road model, the 650S Sprint features increased downforce and better cooling airflow to the 3.8 litre twin-turbocharged V8. It also features a competition-spec fuel tank and quick-fill cap, a larger radiator borrowed from the GT3 car, a new hood with additional cooling ducts for the radiator, front wing louvres for improved airflow, reduced ride height and recalibrated damping and spring rates, 19-inch center-locking race wheels with either Pirelli slicks or wet tires, onboard air jack system, and an upgraded braking system. On the inside the McLaren 650S Sprint features a stripped-out design with a FIA-approved rol...

Mercedes-Benz SL550

Of all the Mercedes-Benz models that could be accused of being born with a silver spoon in its mouth, the SL arguably tops the list. Unlike many grand-touring cars, the Mercedes SL has never been forced to compromise its blue-blood personal-luxury/sport ideals with feigned attempts at practicality to please executives or attract buyers. It has, more or less, remained an unapologetic take-it-or-leave-it proposition since it debuted nearly six decades ago, and the 2013 SL550 does nothing to alter its course. Cool, Quiet Confidence Every move the 2013 SL550 makes is steeped in a competent, laid-back confidence; pin the throttle, and the car takes a moment to gather itself, as if saying to the driver, “Okay, dude, you ready? This is gonna be pretty awesome.” And with that, the seven-speed automatic downshifts, the twin turbos gorge themselves on air, and the whole shebang takes off, pulling hard to an observed 159-mph top speed (Mercedes claims an electronically limited 155). Life in th...

Road Strikers

Search This Blog