2016 Kia Optima: First Look

Kia isn’t messing with success with the redesigned 2016 Kia Optima. While touted as all-new, the company admits the change is more evolutionary, calling the fourth-gen sedan “a symbol of the Kia brand’s maturation.” They might’ve been gone too conservative on the exterior, but the biggest changes are within, as the interior feels like an executive’s office with the sumptuous cross-stitched leather, soft-touch materials, and an elegant dash layout.

Under the hood, the Optima will get a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (a first for the brand), paired with an all-new 1.6-liter, 178-horsepower turbo. Oddly, the two other carryover engine choices—a 2.4-liter, 184-horsepower four-cylinder and the peppy 2.0-liter, 247-horsepower turbo—will only use the six-speed automatic.