Kia's Optima has undergone a facelift, debuted at the New York motor show, which pushes it into the ring with well-seasoned campaigners like Toyota's arguably quite bland but undeniably successful Camry repmobile/family four-door combo.
The next-gen Optima's front end has morphed into an even more purposeful stance, and its rear has been given a stretch and a new decklid line that gives it the appearance of being longer than it is.
Optima, the first Kia to sell 150,000 in a calendar year (that's half as many again as New Zealand's entire new car segment did in 2012) has been treated to a significant interior and technology overhaul.
A new 4.3-inch LED screen is at the centre in the instrument cluster, and there's an 8-inch screen in the middle of the dashboard that's powered by Android. Blind spot monitoring and rear parking sensors will be an option on the US model.
As we went to press within a few hours of Kia's press conference, which features will be available to Kiwi shoppers had not been confirmed.
It is likely the new three-stage selection of driving dynamics - sport, normal and eco - will be available across the range.