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2016 Kia Optima SX Limited Quick Spin

There are some questions that aren't easily answered. Is it possible to only eat one Pringle potato chip? Who decided the band Creed was a good idea? And why the heck isn't the Kia Optima more popular? That last one that floated through our heads as we tested the refreshed 2016 Optima. Kia sold just under 160,000 Optimas in 2015, while Ford sold 300,000 Fusions, Honda shipped 355,000 Accords, and Toyota moved 429,000 Camrys. The Optima's low numbers didn't make sense then, and they certainly won't make sense when sales figures for the refreshed 2016 model roll in. For the third-generation Optima, Kia applied its trademark exterior design to a segment-leading interior and one of the most comfortable driving experiences in the segment. The result is a damn fine family sedan that really ought to help Kia find its way into a lot more driveways. Driving Notes We can debate the value of top-trim family sedans until we're blue in the face, but in the case of the Optima, you want the SX Limited that we tested. It's one of the only ways to score Hyundai/Kia's stout 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine (the other is the $30,515 SX). At 245 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, it's down on output for model year 2016 – the 2015 model had an extra 27 hp and 9 lb-ft of torque – but gains two miles per gallon in the city and one on the highway, for a total of 22 and 32 mpg, respectively. Should we lament the loss of power? That's what we did when Kia first showed the 2016 Optima at the 2015 New York Auto Show. On the road, though, it's tough to pick out the drop in output. Nine pound-feet is negligible, and unless you're regularly playing in the high part of the rev range, you won't miss the extra power. The Optima pulls hard from a standstill, developing peak torque between 1,350 and 4,000 rpm. It'll get to 60 in what we guesstimate is the high six-second range. Yes, that is slower than both the six-cylinder Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, two sedans that are also lighter than the 3,600-pound Kia. Let's remember that these are family sedans, though, and the broad torque peak (and improved fuel economy) will be more important to your average consumer than the stopwatch figures. The Optima is more fuel efficient than the Japanese V6-powered competitors. Barely. And only in the city. That means the 2.0-liter's fuel economy has improved incrementally, not massively.

Kia decides on Mexico plant location for small car assembly

Mexico has long been a hot spot for auto manufacturing, but the country's fortunes have been boosted lately, with Honda, Mazda and Nissan recently adding factories there, and BMW is said to be poised to join them soon. Now, new reports indicate that Kia might start building south of the border to keep up with demand.
Insiders speaking to Reuters claim that the Korean automaker is very close to striking a deal to build a factory for two small models in Monterrey, Mexico, with a 300,000-vehicle annual capacity. Assembly could reportedly begin as soon as 21 months after ground is broken.
If true, Kia has done a fantastic job of keeping the deal under wraps. The only hint at anything like this brewing was a rumor last year that Hyundai may have investigation building a factory in Mexico. The company currently operates a factory in Georgia that builds the Optima and Sorento.

Kia is bringing a fullsize SUV concept to Detroit

Hey, remember the Borrego? Kia took a stab at the fullsize SUV market in 2009 with a body-on-frame SUV, and after only one year of production, the Borrego was discontinued. Bummer. But Kia's apparently interested in rejoining the fullsize SUV segment, and will show the big concept you see here at the Detroit Auto Show next week. That's really all we know right now. Kia only offers a super short statement (that you can read below) confirming its SUV concept was designed in California and features "an abundance of advanced technology," including "state-of-the-art health-and-wellness technology" – whatever that means. It's simply meant to "[suggest] styling of a possible future premium large SUV in the brand's lineup." From this one image, the most noticeable design elements are a rear end that looks surprisingly similar to the Volvo XC90 in profile, and front and rear door handles that flank the B pillar, sort of like a minivan. Should this SUV come to production, we doubt it'll use body-on-frame architecture, since Kia doesn't have anything like that in its current portfolio. Maybe it'll ride on a version of the rear-wheel-drive platform that underpins the fullsize K900 sedan (or the upcoming Genesis G90). At this point, your guess is as good as ours. We'll know more next week. Detroit Concept Teaser #1 Kia Motors America will reveal a new concept car January 11 at the 2016 North American International Auto Show. Conceived at the automaker's California design studio, the concept offers an abundance of advanced technology – including state-of-the-art health-and-wellness technology – and takes Kia's design language in a bold new direction, suggesting styling of a possible future premium large SUV in the brand's lineup.