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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.

Autoblog's Editors' Picks: Our complete list of the best new vehicles

It's not easy to earn an “EditorsÂ’ Picks” at Autoblog as part of the rating and review process that every new vehicle goes through. Our editors have been at it a long time, which means weÂ’ve driven and reviewed virtually every new car you can go buy on the dealer lot. There are disagreements, of course, and all vehicles have their strengths and weaknesses, but this list features what we think are the best new vehicles chosen by Autoblog editors. We started this formal review process back in 2018, so there's quite of few of them now. So what does it mean to be an EditorsÂ’ Pick? In short, it means itÂ’s a car that we can highly recommend purchasing. There may be one, multiple, or even zero vehicles in any given segment that we give the green light to. What really matters is that itÂ’s a vehicle that weÂ’d tell a friend or family member to go buy if theyÂ’re considering it, because itÂ’s a very good car. The best way to use this list is is with the navigation links below. Click on a segment, and you'll quickly arrive at the top rated pickup truck or SUV, for example. Use the back button to return to these links and search in another segment, like sedans. If youÂ’ve been keeping up with our monthly series of the latest vehicles to earn EditorsÂ’ Pick status, youÂ’re likely going to be familiar with this list already. If not, welcome to the complete list that weÂ’ll be keeping updated as vehicles enter (and others perhaps exit) the good graces of our editorial team. We rate a new car — giving it a numerical score out of 10 — every time thereÂ’s a significant refresh or if it happens to be an all-new model. Any given vehicle may be impressive on a first drive, but we wait until itÂ’s in the hands of our editors to put it through the same type of testing as every other vehicle that rolls through our test fleet before giving it the EditorsÂ’ Pick badge. This ensures consistency and allows more voices to be heard on each individual model. And just so you donÂ’t think weÂ’ve skipped trims or variants of a model, we hand out the EditorsÂ’ Pick based on the overarching model to keep things consistent. So, when you read that the 3 Series is an EditorsÂ’ Pick, yes, that includes the 330i to the M3 and all the variants in between. If thereÂ’s a particular version of that car we vehemently disagree with, we make sure to call that out.

Kia teases Geneva concept, is a Nissan Juke rival in the cards?

These four photos tell us most about the pomegranate-red concept Kia will be bringing to this year's 2013 Geneva Motor Show. An accompanying 66-word press release gives away nothing, so we're left to wonder if this is some kind of Nissan Juke rival that the South Korean company is toying with.
Even with the exaggerated dimensions of concept cars, this unnamed "urban concept car" looks somewhat larger than the average subcompact hatch, and there are some seriously Juke-ish lines around the rear three-quarter. This concept, however, appears to be a two-door model, unlike the Juke with its hidden rear handles, but that doesn't mean a production model couldn't add a couple of entry points.
We'll know for sure in March. You'll have to make the four high-res photos and those 66 words in the release below last until then.