New Kia Optima Launched In The UK, Priced From £21,495

The fourth-gen Kia Optima was shown earlier this year, in New York, and it’s longer, wider and taller compared to the previous version, with a 25mm stretched wheelbase.

The car brings reduced levels of vibration and noise and Kia UK offers it in three initial trim levels, the 2, 3 and 4, as the 1 was dropped from the lineup. The automaker will also add the GT-Line and GT in 2016.

The entry-level model brings standard features such as the 17-inch alloy wheels, ESC, Vehicle Stability Management, Tire Pressure Monitoring, Hill-Start Assist, electronic parking brake and dual projection headlights with LED DRLs.

The electrically heated folding mirrors, dual-automatic air-con, cruise control with speed limiter, six-speaker DAB radio with MP3 and Bluetooth compatibility and the power two-way driver’s seat lumbar adjustment are also added, along with a 7.0-inch sat-nav with European mapping and rearview camera.

Customers interested in grade “3” should know that it comes with the 8.0-inch navigation screen, four-way electronic lumbar adjustment for the 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats with faux leather trim, premium vision instrument cluster, gloss black window switch controls, Harman Kardon sound system, and more. It also adds the 18-inch wheels, LED front fog lights and, in the 7DCT version, it comes with paddle shifters.

The range-topping “4” comes with the 360-degree Around View Monitor, Blind Spot Detection with Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Keep Assist, Smart Park Assist, High Beam Assist, Speed Limit Information and Autonomous Emergency Braking. This trim also gets bi-xenon headlights with automatic leveling and washers, tilt and slide panoramic sunroof, black leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, heated outer rear seats, alloy pedals, rear window blinds, Adaptive Smart Cruise Control, smart key, ambient lighting and others.

The 2 grade has a 6-speed manual only, while the 3 adds a new 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The range-topping 4 is available exclusively with the 7DCT. These are connected to a single 1.7-liter CRDi engine, with power increased to 139PS (137hp) and 340Nm (251lb-ft) of torque. Fuel consumption rises to 67.3mpg UK (56mpg US), in the manual, while in the automatic, it stands at 64.2mpg UK (53.4mpg US).

The 2016 Kia Optima will be built in South Korea, for the UK market, while the variants aimed towards the United States will be produced in Georgia, US.

Full pricing info on the new UK market Optima is available below.