Just three years, give or take a few months after it unveiled the first generation of the Optima/Magentis lineup, Kia introduced a mid-life cycle refresh for its flagship model.
The Korean carmaker thought that if it would change the generations faster, will catch up with its main competitors on the market. Somehow, that system worked quite well for Kia, and its evolution was faster than anyone predicted. But not any facelift might be a good reason to buy the newest version.

Stylewise, Kia didn’t know exactly how to design its cars and make them appealing to the customers. It tried different lines and shapes. Some of them worked, some didn’t. While the 2001 model featured classic-looking horizontal headlights, the 2003 updated version came with individual round headlamps and additional ones on the front fascia’s outer side. They looked strange, to say at least.

Inside, the carmaker didn’t try too hard to hide its low-budget vehicle expertise. The car offered cloth seats for the base trim levels but installed standard air-conditioning, power windows and locks, power mirrors, and a sound system that worked well. Kia kept the split-folding rear seats. A leather-clad interior and a premium sound system were fitted as standard on the top trim level, while the sunroof was on the options list.

Under the hood, Kia installed a 2.0-liter engine for the entry-level version, while the top trim level received a V-6 unit. For the U.S. market, an inline-four 2.4-liter was available on the base model.