New Kia Optima Will Hopefully Look Better Than This

May. 20, 2019 3:50 PM ET by Jared Rosenholtz / 3 Comments

More more flare would help.

Hyundai recently pulled the wraps off its new 2020 Sonata and we were able to get a close look at it on stage at the 2019 New York Auto Show. Compared to the model it replaces, the new Sonata is visually spectacular and may be able to give the Honda Accord a run for its money in the mid-size segment.

But when it comes to mainstream Korean automakers, we've always felt Kia has held a slight advantage over Hyundai in terms of styling, with the exception of a few models. So when we asked Kia if its new Optima would be as visually appealing as the new Sonata, we were told the new Optima would make people say "wow."

Kia

The 2020 Optima is still under development and we don't know for sure when it will arrive, but this hasn't stopped rendering artist KooKiSung Studio from imagining what the car could look like. And while we wouldn't call it a poor rendering, it certainly doesn't make us say wow. Kia assured us the new Optima will be striking to look at, but this rendering simply looks like a safe, evolutionary step from the current car. We hope that when the 2020 Optima does arrive, it takes a bigger styling risk like the new Sonata did.

Hyundai

When the 2020 Optima does arrive, it will likely be powered by the same engines found in the Sonata, a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder producing 180 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque and a 2.5-liter four-cylinder producing 191 hp and 181 lb-ft of torque. There's also a chance the Optima could receive the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder from the upcoming Sonata N Line producing 245-275 hp. Perhaps Kia could call it the Optima GT.

Brian Harper / Driving

Hyundai

New Kia Optima Will Hopefully Look Better Than This

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New Kia Optima Will Hopefully Look Better Than This

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