About the Show

It’s one of the most radical transformations in Automotive history – the complete makeover of the Kia Optima. Could a rather bland family sedan, not affectionately called a ‘grocery getter’, be remade and rebranded as a head-turning sports car? This is the story of how one automaker pulled out all the stops, recruited the world’s top designers and technicians, and transformed a perennial wallflower into the life of the party.

“Birth of a Kia Optima” is a story of risking it all for the ultimate prize: recognition as a leader in one of the most ruthlessly competitive segments of the auto industry. Under the direction of auto design superstar Peter Schreyer, the Optima transforms from a boring ‘grocery getter’ into an award-winning object of desire. Track the progression from the international design competition, to extreme testing at a top-secret facility, to the high tech assembly plant ruled by robots.

“Birth of a Kia Optima” is a story of risking it all for the ultimate prize: recognition as a leader in one of the most ruthlessly competitive segments of the auto industry.