Filed under:
New York Auto Show,
Sedan,
Kia,
Design/Style
Kia is showing off a slew of vehicles here in
New York, including the ever-so-slightly refreshed
2014 Optima sedan you see here. The brunt of the changes surround the new front fascia, with repositioned LED lighting above the headlamp units and some new quad-LED fogs rounding of a touched-up front bumper. At the rear, Kia has reworked the taillamps, and of course, LEDs are found there, as well.
Other changes to the Optima for 2014 include the additions of two new displays inside the cabin - a 4.3-inch TFT display in the gauge cluster and a larger, eight-inch high-resolution screen that houses the navigation and infotainment data. There are also new seats inside the Optima, which are hopefully more comfortable and offer better bolstering than the decidedly flat chairs found in the current car, plus Kia has added available new safety features like blind spot monitoring and cross-traffic alert.
The powertrain offerings have not changed for 2014 - base cars still get a naturally aspirated 2.4-liter engine while the SX models get the 2.0-liter turbo. There is, however, a new Drive Mode Select system specifically for the SX, which adjusts transmission shift points and steering weight for a more engaging dynamic, or so we're told. (The
Optima Hybrid model did receive upgrades to its battery and electric motor
just recently, but those changes technically hit during the 2013 model year - it is not immediately clear if the gas-electric model will receive the updates shown here).
We'll have plenty more images of the refreshed Optima in short order, so stay tuned. In the meantime, have a look
below for Kia's press blast.
Continue reading 2014 Kia Optima is better by a nose
2014 Kia Optima is better by a nose originally appeared on
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New York: 2014 Kia Optima is better by a nose
