The all-new 2016 Kia Optima, revealed in March, will soon be joined by a wagon sibling.
The new sedan makes its European premiere this week, and it’s with that launch that Kia has confirmed plans for “a new body style inspired by the Sportspace concept” unveiled in February.
That can only mean a wagon, and it’s no surprise that Kia has chosen an event in Europe - a market as mad for ‘estate’ models as China is for sedans - to reveal the news.
Details on the new wagon, which could be called Optima Sportspace, are still to come - but, as the sedan model has shown, we can likely expect the production car to maintain much of the concept’s sleek styling.
That will mean a design that focuses as much on form as it does function, with a tightly tapered roofline and wide, low-slung proportions.
A sports focus would also help to set the Sportspace further apart from the practical new Sportage and Sorento SUVs.
Above: the new Optima in sedan form.
Wagons don’t make up much of any brand’s bottom line in today’s SUV-hungry market, but with variants of the Mazda6, Ford Mondeo and Hyundai i40 already playing in many midsized passenger markets, Kia could do worse than diving in with a stylish contender.
-CARADVICE.COM.AU