Currently reading: Topless Kia Optima A1A concept shown at SEMA
Kia Optima saloon has its roof removed to create Florida-inspired concept, one of several Kia specials at SEMA

A topless Kia Optima is one of four new Kia concepts created for the SEMA show in Las Vegas.

The A1A Optima has been inspired by the state of Florida and is named after the 300-mile highway than runs past the ocean, ending at Key West.

It has a sliced top and a shortened windscreen, with steel reinforcements added into the body so as not to compromise too much structural rigidity. The concept’s most striking feature are the rear-hinged suicide doors.

A turquoise paint finish and 20in alloys complete the exterior look of the A1A Optima, which is powered by a 245bhp turbocharged four-cylinder engine. The A1A Optima also rides lower than the standard Optima saloon on which it is based, thanks to its Ksport-supplied coilover sports suspension system.

Inside, there are cream leather seats and plenty of titanium trim.

Elsewhere on Kia’s SEMA stand is the PacWest Adventure Sorento, which is said to be inspired by the forests of the Pacific Northwest. It gets a special camouflage paintjob and a rugged exterior look, including large all-road tyres and a raised suspension system.

The Sedona MPV is converted into a pick-up truck in the Photo Safari Sedona. It does away with the standard model’s eight seats and instead has just two, the remaining space being converted into a mobile photo-editing studio. The model is inspired by the autumnal photographers in the US’s north east.

Kia’s final new SEMA model is the Forte Koup Mud Bogger, an exclusive off-road version of the Forte Koup, complete with a Dakar Rally car-style look.

The four new models are joined on Kia’s SEMA stand by two previous concepts, the Soul EV-based Trail’ster and the beer-serving Ballast Point Sedona.

Read all the latest news from the SEMA show

Advertisement

Read our review

Car review

The Kia Optima has looks, practicality and value on its side. But in a class of talented models, it is an also-ran.

Mark Tisshaw

mark-tisshaw-autocar
Title: Editor

Mark is a journalist with more than a decade of top-level experience in the automotive industry. He first joined Autocar in 2009, having previously worked in local newspapers. He has held several roles at Autocar, including news editor, deputy editor, digital editor and his current position of editor, one he has held since 2017.

From this position he oversees all of Autocar’s content across the print magazine, autocar.co.uk website, social media, video, and podcast channels, as well as our recent launch, Autocar Business. Mark regularly interviews the very top global executives in the automotive industry, telling their stories and holding them to account, meeting them at shows and events around the world.

Mark is a Car of the Year juror, a prestigious annual award that Autocar is one of the main sponsors of. He has made media appearances on the likes of the BBC, and contributed to titles including What Car?Move Electric and Pistonheads, and has written a column for The Sun.

Add a comment…