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2016 Kia Optima builds on third-gen car's sense of style, efficiency

When Hyundai launched the sixth-generation Sonata in 2009, it gave the world its first real taste of how good a Korean car could be. When Kia launched the redesigned Optima a year later, though, it showed the world just how good a Korean car could look. The handsome design of third-generation car has translated wonderfully to its fourth generation. The attractive sheet metal is evolutionary, rather than revolutionary, building on the looks of the previous car, with Kia's trademark grille treatment stretched wide, and better integrated with the headlights. Vertical foglight surrounds and an independent lower grille, meanwhile, make for a more aggressive fascia. LED taillights, an integrated diffuser and a pair of meaty oval exhausts are the highlights in back. Once again, the links to the current car are quite clear. The new Optima should boast some improvements to the current car's technology, as well. A six-speaker stereo is standard, although audiophiles will flock to the optional 14-speaker Infinity unit. Connectivity, being what it is, was also addressed, with Kia offering a new version of the company's UVO infotainment system. Running on an eight-inch touchscreen, the Optima's latest infotainment system integrates neatly with both Android Lollipop and iOS 8. Under hood, Kia will continue to offer a standard, naturally aspirated 2.4-liter four-cylinder, as well as an optional 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder. Power for both engines is estimated to be down compared to the current car, with the 2.4 dropping from 192 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque to 185 hp and 178 lb-ft, and the 2.0T losing 27 of its 274 hp and nine of its 269 lb-ft. Kia is claiming that both engines have been retuned for fuel economy, although it wasn't able to provide any figures to back up that argument. On top of the 2.4 and 2.0T, Kia will also offer a 1.6-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder, complete with the company's first seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (the previous two engines are mated to six-speed autoboxes). The 1.6, which Hyundai/Kia fans will know from the Veloster Turbo and Forte range, produces 178 hp in the Optima, which is paired with 195 lb-ft of torque. Have a look at the images of the all-new Optima, and then scroll below for the official press release.

Kia Proceed Concept is like a tiny Stinger GT

Related: We obsessively covered the Frankfurt Motor Show — here's our complete coverage After releasing a teaser recently, Kia has dropped a couple of official photos of its mysterious wagon concept, as well as its official name. It's called the Proceed Concept, and it will set the stage for the next generation of Kia C'eed compact cars, which compete with the Honda Civic, Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf, among others. What's somewhat unusual about this Proceed Concept is that its name is akin to the current Kia Pro_cee'd (a name that's sure to have every editor pull out a few hairs), which is the two-door hatchback version of the normal Cee'd. This Proceed Concept is very clearly a four-door hatchback, bordering on traditional wagon. Based on what Kia says about the car, they've seen people are more open to alternatives to typical two-door hatches, and thus are considering something different for the future model. We certainly have no qualms with the body style since not only is it a wagon, which as journalists we're practically required to like, but it's a darn good-looking one, too. The whole car sits extremely low over the wheels, and all of the car's lines appear to be drawn back to a taper, evoking a sense of speed and sleekness at rest. It looks sleeker than the already sharp Stinger GT. Aside from the classically pretty lines, it has another very unusual styling feature. The bright outline of the car's greenhouse is not chrome, nor is it white painted trim. It's actually illuminated with something called Luminline. So even at night, the car's rakish roofline will be visible. Of course, since this is the concept for a European-only car, we likely won't see the production model in the States. But just in case someone from Kia is reading, we have a suggestion: Just put a Forte badge on it and sell it here. The average person won't know or care, and it saves you from having to develop a separate model for one market. Think about it. Related Video:

Hyundai will launch 26 green models through 2020

Hyundai Motor Group, which comprises both Hyundai and Kia, believes that launching a blitz of 26 green models through 2020 could place the Korean automaker among the leaders in the segment. Only Toyota would be larger in the electrified vehicle market, if Hyundai Motor's plan works, Automotive News reports. The 26 models run the gamut of the green car field, and they include at least 12 hybrids, six PHEVs, two EVs, and two hydrogen fuel cells, according to Automotive News. If customers latch onto them, Hyundai and Kia could move as many as 300,000 electrified vehicles a year by 2020 versus about 43,000 in 2015. Kia is responsible for at least 11 of these vehicles like the upcoming Niro crossover. Meanwhile, Hyundai wants the upcoming Ioniq (above) to challenge the Toyota Prius, and the Korean company has hybrid, PHEV, and EV versions on the way. To save money on the development of so many electrified vehicles, Hyundai Motor uses shared components. "For example, all our electric motors have the same diameter," Lee Ki-Sang, Hyundai's green powertrain boss, told Automotive News. "The power output is different, but we can just adjust the width of the core winding. Or for the motor controller, we standardized to use the same printed circuit boards." Trying to go from a relatively small player to a market leader is an audacious move, but it's especially risky right now. Gas prices are the cheapest in 12 years in the US, and green car sales are down in the US and in Europe. Toyota even predicts the inexpensive fuel could cut into Prius sales, and it's far more established than Hyundai's models. The South Korean company could have an even tougher time because these efficient vehicles still lose money for now. "Our target is before 2020, we would like to make profits on these eco-friendly vehicles," Lee told Automotive News. Related Video: