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2016 Kia Optima promises budget family saloon action

Kia has revealed the price, release date and specs for the latest Optima family saloon, which packs a greater punch when it comes to technology and a slightly higher price tag.

Four versions will be available when the car goes on sale in the UK on the 5th of January, 2016, all of which will be powered by a 1.7-litre CRDi turbodiesel mated to either a six-speed manual gearbox or a seven-speed DCT automatic.

Output is up for the new Optima, with 139bhp and 340Nm of torque available from 1,750rpm, an increase on the old car of 5bhp and 15Nm, respectively. Meanwhile the addition of Start & Go helps reduce CO2 emissions by 14 per cent, to 110g/km, for the manual. Fuel economy is 67.3mpg.

0-62mph takes the manual 9.7 seconds, while the top speed is 121mph. Spec the automatic and you can expect a slower 0-62mph of 10.6 seconds, but a 5mph higher top speed.

Aesthetic revisions include a 25mm wider body, 10mm increase in wheelbase and overall length, sharper body lines and adjustments to the aerodynamics, which brings the drag co-efficient down from 0.3 to 0.29 so it’s better at cutting through the air. Boot space is up by 5 litres to 510.

Elsewhere the engineers have managed to make the Optima’s body shell 50 per cent stiffer yet 8.6kg lighter, thanks to the use of high-strength steel.

The new Kia Optima starts from £21,495, which is £1,500 more than its predecessor. That price hike is being justified by a higher standard level of equipment, which is down to the removal of the entry-level ‘1’ trim.

Instead, buyers will have a choice of either ‘2’, ‘3’ or ‘4’, with even plusher GT-Line and GT versions to be added later in 2016.

Standard equipment on the entry-level ‘2’ trim level includes dual-zone air conditioning, cruise control, electric mirrors, LED daytime running lights, DAB digital radio, 7.0-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system and navigation.

Step up to ‘3’ and you can expect an eight-inch display, electrically adjustable driver’s seat, 18-inch alloy wheels, LED front fog lights, chrome and body colour exterior door handles, black cloth seats with faux leather sections, Harmon Kardon sound system and paddle shifters for the DCT automatic.

‘4’ adds a wireless mobile phone charger and a number of safety systems including a 360-degree Around View Monitor for making parking easier, Smart Park Assist System for parking in a parallel or perpendicular space for you, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Bi-Xenon headlights, Lane Keep Assist, Blind Spot Detection and Rear Cross Traffic Alert.

A 1.7 CRDi six-speed manual with the ‘3’ trim starts from £23,495, rising to the top-of-the-range seven-speed DCT ISG ‘4’. All models come with Kia’s seven-year or 100,000-mile warranty.

All-new Kia Optima pictures

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