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Refreshed Kia Optima Hybrid continues to blend good looks and efficiency

With all the excitement at the Kia stand surrounding the new Soul EV, it's easy to forget that there were other cars on display at the Korean marque's Chicago Auto Show display. The Niro Concept from the Frankfurt Motor Show made an appearance, but the other production model on display was the refreshed Optima Hybrid (which was tucked away in a corner).
Like the standard Optima, which was refreshed at the 2013 New York Auto Show last year, the hybridized sedan gets a slightly restyled face and rear end. As we told you in our official post on the car yesterday, the gas-electric powertrain of the 2014 Optima Hybrid still deploys 199 total system horsepower and 235 pound-feet of torque. Buyers of the base LX car will net 36 miles per gallon in the city and 40 on the highway, while the upmarket EX loses a mile per gallon in both environments.
Have a look at our live gallery of the new Optima Hybrid, from the floor of the Chicago Auto Show.

2014 Cadenza is Kia's take on the Hyundai Azera

No, this is not the oh-so pleasantly named Quoris rear-wheel-drive flagship sedan - this is Kia's new front-drive entry into the North American market, the Cadenza. (If that sounds familiar, it's because Kia has long used the Cadenza name in other markets.) And while it's a sharp-looking thing, it's not exactly an original masterpiece. Peel away that slick exterior and you'll find a trusty Hyundai Azera doing the grunt work.
That's no bad thing, though; the Azera's a smooth-sailing sedan. Under the hood is a 3.3-liter direct-injection V6 putting out 293 horsepower and 255 pound-feet of torque, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with, oh yes, Sportmatic manual mode. That power hits the ground via a sport-tuned suspension with MacPherson struts up front and a multi-link rear configuration, matched with either 18- or 19-inch alloy wheels.
Inside, there's a whole host of nice leather surrounded by wood and chrome accents, with a driver-focused cockpit (sort of like the Optima) with a seven-inch TFT color touchscreen display. Premium options include things like Nappa leather seats, a panoramic sunroof, Kia's UVO infotainment system, HID headlamps with active lighting, heated seats and a heated steering wheel. Sounds comfy.

Kia Cadenza preparing new look for 2016

It may have only been on the North American market for a few short years, but the Kia Cadenza is a fairly old warhorse, having hit global markets back in 2010. Considering that, it seems aptly timed for Kia to be testing a redesign of its second largest sedan. Our spies expect the new Cadenza to arrive in 2016 pioneering a new design language for the South Korean brand, which will also be featured on the new Optima. Based on the Kia Sportspace that's making its auto show debut at tomorrow's 2015 Geneva Motor Show, we should expect something more aggressive than the relatively benign sheetmetal of the current Cadenza. That said, it's difficult to pick out the Sportspace-inspired details in the attached spy photos. Kia's designers look to have retained the basic greenhouse shape of the current car, although the styling from the firewall forward and from the C-pillar back is too heavily camouflaged to really pick out anything more than the new headlights, quad foglights, the un-Sportspace-like grille and taillights. Check out our gallery of spy photos, and let us know what you think. Related Video: