The teaser image shows nothing from the B-pillar backwards and, with Kia claiming space and versatility for customers with active lifestyles, this could be hiding a sports tourer version of the previously saloon-only family car, ideal for broadening its appeal in Europe.

Expect a much broader range of engines, including petrol, diesel and petrol-hybrid drivetrains as in the current Optima and possibly a plug-in hybrid utilising technology derived from the Hyundai Sonata which launched recently in the United States.

The European range is also likely to feature Kia’s T-Hybrid system, as previewed at last year’s Geneva and Paris Motor Shows. This uses a high-powered battery and a motor-generator which either functions as a power-boosting electric supercharger for the 1.7-litre diesel engine, or can recapture wasted energy as electrical charge. Kia said last year that this could bring CO2 emissions under 100g/km.