Kia Australia wants Optima wagon

Kia's stunning new SPORTSPACE concept is odds-on to become a reality as the Korean brand's first wagon version of its flagship Optima sedan.

And Kia Australia wants it.

Revealed recently ahead of its 2015 Geneva motor show debut, where it will be the headline act at the Kia exhibit, the SPORTSPACE concept shows off a sharp new look that previews the new fourth-generation Optima medium car, the sedan version of which will premiere at the 2015 New York motor show a month later in April.

Despite the relatively low uptake of wagons in Australia – where SUVs currently reign supreme – Kia Motors Australia CEO Damien Meredith says the idea of an Optima wagon is an appealing proposition.

"If that car became a reality, and it looks like it will, from a brand point of view and an image point of view we'd be crazy not to look at it seriously," he said.

The Kia Australia boss says that although such a vehicle wouldn't sell in huge numbers in this country – unless it had a stupendous sticker price – the Mazda6 wagon rival would be a useful addition to the growing Kia range, as a way to show off the brand's increasingly sophisticated offerings and appeal to a new demographic of customers.

"We all know the medium segment is declining and they are moving into small and medium SUVs," he said. "But if you can get the right car, the right specification, the right look, you can be successful there.

"With the demise of local manufacturing, it opens up an opportunity," he also noted, hinting that a decent-sized wagon with a locally-tuned chassis would have appeal beyond the private market – namely with fleets.

It's not clear what the timeline of the new Optima wagon will be, but if the SPORTSPACE concept gets a positive reception at the Geneva motor show, it could be fast-tracked to production within a couple of years. 

Stay tuned for more news on that front from our team on the ground in Geneva.