By: IOL Motoring Staff
Assuming that it's not toned down too much on its journey to the assembly line, the new Kia Sportspace concept implies that the next Kia Optima will continue down the sporty path forged by the current model.
The other obvious thing it shows is that the Optima will be offered in wagon guise for the first time, in addition to the usual three-box sedan format.
This comes as no surprise considering how popular D-segment estate cars are in Europe and this is a market that Kia is clearly gunning for as the concept was conceived at Kia's German design studio in Frankfurt, after all.
The design team, led by Gregory Guillaume, sought to create a dynamic shape with real road presence, yet with simple and clean surfaces. Indeed it is refreshing to come across stylists that don't see the need for fussy all-over-the-place designs simply for the sake of attempting to be sporty.
Essentially, the Sportspace Concept aims to be a 'grand tourer' for weekend getaways, designed for "fast and efficient travel with maximum comfort and minimal stress."
As Guillaume puts it: "We set out to design a car that is a totally new breed of grand tourer - one for active people who need reasonable cargo space on the weekend, but don't want to compromise moving around in style, comfort and with an element of sportiness."
Just keep most this flavour alive in the production version, please Kia.
More technical details about the new Optima, due later this year, will be divulged in due course.