Kia unveiled the Optima at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, and it was the last piece o the puzzle in its lineup.
With the Optima, the Korean carmaker completed the three-year regeneration process of its lineup. It was a mid-size sedan built on the same base as the Hyundai Sonata. It was built to offer good comfort and decent performance at an affordable price. The result matched the promise, and the Optima was sold well around the world, bearing different names such as the Magentis in Europe or Lotze in South Korea.

Peter Schreyer signed the design, and its influence was obvious. It was starting with the big headlights swept-back on the sides and top of the fenders. The grille was wide with horizontal slats and featured the Kia oval logo in the middle. From its sides, the Optima offered a simple sedan look with a sloped rear window.

Inside, a big sound system occupied the center stack’s upper side and, underneath it, the designer placed the climate control buttons. In the instrument cluster, the manufacturer decided to offer a four dial panel with the coolant temperature and the fuel level placed in the middle, on the upper side. It was the same idea used by Audi, and that was not a big surprise since Schreyer was an important designer for the German brand.

Under the hood, Kia offered a wide choice of diesel and gasoline engines. For the U.S. market, the Korean carmaker installed only gasoline versions.