Besides the Kia Rio GT-Line, Kia Motors has also unveiled the Kia Optima (also known as K5 in Korea) facelift for their home country. The refreshed D-segment sedan gets refreshed styling and improved tech inside and out.
The facelift exercise brings about a new front fascia with a new tiger nose front grille (now with vertical slats), more angular bumper design with new LED fog lamp housings and restyled projector headlamps (LED headlamps are carried over units). The rear features new LED taillamp graphics and new bumpers with integrated diffusers and dual exhaust outlets.
As for wheel options, the Optima facelift gets two new 18-inch alloy wheel designs either in multi-spoke gunmetal grey or aggressive dual-tone finish. Kia has also introduced a new Black Package option for the Optima that throws in a K5 emblem puddle lamp, black rear spoiler, black wing mirror caps, high-flow air filter and 18-inch five twin-spoke OZ alloy wheels.
The cabin benefits from the new 8.0-inch Smart Navigation UVO 3.0 with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. The infotainment system also features an AI server-based speech recognition system powered by Kakao i for the driver’s added convenience. Other new items include the 6-colour mood lighting, brown quilted leather upholstery (black as standard), surround view camera and an 11-speaker Krell premium sound system.
A total of four engine options are available for the refreshed Optima – three petrol and one diesel. The petrol range consists of the base 2.0-litre four-cylinder LPI (148 hp/194 Nm), 2.0-litre four-cylinder CVVL (160 hp/196 Nm) and the 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder T-GDI (177 hp/264 Nm). The sole 1.7-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel makes 139 hp and 340 Nm of torque.
The facelifted Optima range will come equipped with Highway Driving Assist (HDA) technology that bundles Advance Smart Cruise Control (ASCC), Lane Keeping Assist (LCC), Lane Departure Assist (LKA), Front Collision Warning (FCW) and Driver Attention Warning (DAW).
Closer to home, Naza Kia Malaysia (NKM) has a single variant of the Kia Optima GT on sale; powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder T-GDI (242 hp & 350 Nm) priced at RM180k.
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