New Model News

Redesigned 2021 Kia Optima teased showing Kia Stinger and Hyundai Sonata-ish looks

Eileen Falkenberg-Hull
Nov 4, 2019, 2:10 pm

The redesigned 2021 Kia Optima has been shown off via Kia Motors Group's Facebook page.

Photo courtesy of Kia Motors Group

The next-generation of the Kia K5 (what the Optima is sold as in some overseas markets) has been shown off on the Kia Motors Group Facebook page, giving a good hint at what Americans will see when the next-gen 2021 Kia Optima reaches U.S. shores.

From the pictures, it is easy to see Sonata-like similarities with the new Optima. A similar pinched nose ends with the distinctly Tiger Nose grille and its C-Pillar and nearby glass rakes like a fastback. LED light signatures rise high up onto the hood and along the sides showing Stinger-like athletic proportions and styling.

The car showcases a two-tone body design, something the Optima used to gain attention just one generation ago.

2021 Kia Optima exterior render new The 2021 Kia Optima features looks that are reminiscent of the Hyundai Sonata, Dodge Challenger, and Kia Stinger.Photo courtesy of Kia Motors Group

The fastback design includes a spoiler at the rear that has badging at the center. A new horizontal light signature dominates the back end, which appears a bit on the square side, like a Dodge Challenger.

The released rendering of the Optima's cabin shows a spacious model with horizontal design lines. Those are things that the Kia team already executes in other vehicles. Its wheel isn't markedly different than what is already on the market. Vent design and the appearance of the car's infotainment touch screen appear to be evolutions of current Kia design.

2021 Kia Optima redesign interior cabin This rendering of the Kia K5 shows a futuristic design motif that plays on current Kia themes.Photo courtesy of Kia Motors Group

The cabin rendering does not explicitly show a shifter, though the dial in the center near the driver may be it. There also appears to be a touch pad (say it aint' so, Kia, please) while most buttons, levers, and knobs are kept to a minimum. That may, however, be an illusion as the final design process often requires practicality to take precedence over forward-looking design.

Current Hyundai Sonata and Kia Telluride technology tells us what to expect in the forthcoming Optima. There will likely be a good list of standard and available safety and driver assistance technologies as well as convenience tech like a head up display driver information display camera screens.

The 2021 Kia Optima is expected to go on sale in the U.S. in late 2020. The 2019 model starts at $23,190 and it is likely that Kia will want to keep the price similar when it arrives on dealer lots.

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Concept Cars

Hyundai to unveil a look possible next-gen Tucson with a plug-in hybrid powertrain

The Vision T is likely a look at the design language of the new Hyundai Tucson.

Image courtesy of Hyundai

Next week, Hyundai will unveil a new plug-in hybrid SUV concept car. The model is the seventh in the automaker's series of Hyundai Design Center concepts that combines "emotional value" with "sensuous sportiness" in an application of the company's new design language.

"We pursue innovative solutions in design and add emotional value to our product experience through sensuous sportiness design language," said SangYup Lee, Senior Vice President and Head of Hyundai Global Design Center. The SUV concept is powered by a plug-in hybrid powertrain indicating its eco-lifestyle focus and its inherent balance with the environment in which it is driven.

Hyundai Vision T concept SUV car front PHEV The side profile of the design shows off a new vision for Hyundai's compact SUV.Image courtesy of Hyundai

The SUV has a theme of parametric fantasy and transcendent connectivity. All of the concept SUV's body structures are connected from the body to light or trim features. The overall look is a seamless take on design boundaries, perhaps signifying the future seamlessness of home, vehicle, entertainment, and transportation spaces.

Ambient light reflects off concave and convex surfaces to create a sense of tension, according to Hyundai.

The vehicle features an evolution of the Hidden Signature Lamp (as seen on the new Sonata) and features a parametric air shutter that deploys to help adjust aerodynamics and design. The shutter is closed when the vehicle is stationary then moves to effect airflow, aerodynamics, and fuel efficiency.

Why might it be the next Tucson? Hyundai has already disclosed that this concept has the dimensions of a compact SUV. That ticks the Tucson box. There's also the name of the vehicle "Vision T" and the fact that nearly every SUV in the Hyundai lineup has either debuted or undergone a significant redesign in the last 18 months except Tucson. It's logical that Tucson would be up next and that it would evolve Hyundai's powertrain offerings given the success of the Kona EV.

Earlier, Hyundai announced that 13 new products would be making their way into the company's portfolio in the coming years including the Hyundai Santa Cruz truck.

No details about the car's plug-in hybrid powertrain are yet available. The full concept car will be revealed during AutoMobility LA.

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Concept Cars

New Kia Futuron Concept has a 360-degree core

Kia has introduced a concept car that gives a hint at what future SUV design will look like.

Photo courtesy of Kia Motors

Kia Motors is giving a hint of its future electric vehicle design with the debut of the Kia Futuron Concept, an all-wheel drive high-riding hatchback that they're calling a "sports car on an SUV platform."

The automaker choose the name of the vehicle because it's a portmanteau of the words future and on. They say that it will help give consumers an idea of what to expect from Kia in the future. Looking closely, it's likely that many hallmarks of this concept car will play out in future Niro designs and in a forthcoming subcompact SUV that is related to the Hyundai Venue.

Kia Futuron Concept side The high-riding coupe has sleek lines and a sophisticated overall aesthetic.Photo courtesy of Kia Motors

With the design, Kia is emphasizing elegant proportions rather than funky characteristics like what you'll find in their Soul. Sweeping lines that flow from front to rear are common in modern concept vehicles and this is no exception. Kia's designers were drawn to the 360-degree styling because of its flowing shapes that easily move from the exterior to the interior, expanding and contracting.

The face of the car has a new interpretation of Kia's tiger nose grille, with a wide opening across the front of the car. That grille incorporates LED headlamps with a distinct light signature.

Kia has given the Futuron Concept an all-electric powertrain with all-wheel drive. It has a high-capacity battery (no exact numbers are available) and in-wheel electric motors.

Kia Futuron Concept top roof It features a panoramic glass roof.Photo courtesy of Kia Motors

The interior of the model features leaned back seats that allows for an "interactive driving experience suitable for urban city environments." The two front seats are made out of flexible materials that offer seating flexibility in the vein fo what first-class passengers would find on an airliner.

Its roof has diamond-shaped panoramic glass. Inside the greenhouse is a network of LiDAR sensors capable of Level 4 autonomous driving features.

Kia Futuron Concept seats Kia has given the SUV unique seating that is meant to provide first-class comfortability.Photo courtesy of Kia Motors

Kia touts the car's seamless cockpit area that features the instrument cluster wrapped in harmony with the rest of the car's audio and visual displays and through the steering wheel.

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