The Kia Optima is the Korean brand’s best-selling car here in the United States, and going into 2016 there is a new and improved model. The 2016 Kia Optima is longer, wider, stiffer, more luxurious, and roomier than any Optima to come before. The new nose is a stronger and bolder interpretation of the old car that shares lots of visual cues with the larger and more expensive k900 sedan. With its wider and longer body, the new Optima looks sleeker and a bit more aggressive than the outgoing model, but it still doesn’t lose its general design feel. When people see the new Optima, they will instantly know it’s newer, but they may not notice that it’s actually an “all-new” model.
Gallery: 2016 Kia Optima
Thanks to the stretched dimensions, the cabin grows to be a bit roomer with the biggest gains coming in headroom and rear-seat leg room. The trunk is also larger. Kia has spruced up the cabin with an even greater focus on premium materials. Soft-touch points have been increased, and small details like stitching for dash and door panels have been improved. Kia also offers high-quality Nappa leather on certain trim levels.
The infotainment system is still the standard UVO system, but it has been improved with new features and services, as well as Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility.
Under the hood you will find the same 2.4-liter and 2.0-liter turbocharged motors from last year, but 2016 also brings a new 1.6-liter turbocharged engine. This is the same engine found in the new Tucson and it produces 178 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque. It comes mated to a 7-speed ducal-clutch automatic transmission, and while EPA numbers have not been released yet, Kia expects this 1.6-liter to be the fuel economy leader of the lineup.
