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You know the Kia Optima? Not really, no? The Optima is what you would buy because you just didn't like the Suzuki Forenza. Though a mid-cycle refreshment, it's a definite improvement over the "only as a rental car" original design. There's also more power for the four-cylinder engine, which is now nearly as powerful as the V6. Features such as leather sports seats and turn signal lights integrated into the mirrors raise the vehicle's profile to nearly 1998 Honda Accord levels. At a wooden, scripted Q&A session, the Kia execs made reference to Miles Davis' "exquisite simplicity" as a way of explaining the new design direction. We're thinking more Kenny G covering Miles Davis: a familiar melody without the familiar passion. Speaking of music, props to the production crew for the best pre-reveal mixtape: Belle & Sebastian, Joe Jackson and Simon & Garfunkle, to name just a few. galleryPost('09kiaoptimapr ', 6, 'Not Too Optimamistic'...
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Part coupe and part notchback, the new Kia Koup concept car hints at a design language to come. This new direction includes ditching the friendly, rounded edges of the old Kia and replacing them with a crisper and more angular look that borrows heavily from Acura. The Koup also points towards performance aspirations with its tweaked version of the company's 2.0-Liter Theta II four-cylinder engine, which produces 289 lb.-ft. of torque and 290 HP thanks to twin-scroll turbochargers and a new direct injection system. Though none of this changes the fact that it's a Kia concept, we hope it means a change in what it is to be a Kia. The company claims the Koup is a production-ready vehicle that we could see sooner than later. Press release below the jump. galleryPost('kiakoupnyc', 6, 'The Kia Koup Will Save Your Seoul'); KIA DEBUTS KOUP CONCEPT AT 2008 NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW NEW YORK, March 20, 2008 - Combining youthful exuberance with a sporty and sleek design...
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A certain South Korean carmaker was keeping busy after hours in the City That Does Not Know Sleep: Kia brough us this striptease of the Kia Koup concept vehicle as the sun set on Day One of the New York Auto Show. From what we can tell, the new design is all slim, sleek and back-swept--horizontal curves and narrow, blade-like shapes creating the impression of velocity. Of course, we'll know more later today, when the curtain comes off. Given the name, we're assuming two doors. [via World Car Fans ]
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