![]() Then they turned it into an unsuccessful wagon and updated it further to look more like a Ford Mondeo. To create the Credos, Kia took the 626 and replaced the front and rear clips, as well as the interior. Optima was a replacement for the uninspired Credos, an old Mazda 626. The Optima was Kia’s first midsize post merger with Hyundai, and it was developed on a fairly short timeline. But by the time the Amanti arrived, Kia was already selling a new midsize that North Americans did want. It turned out the Amanti was the derivative and rather ugly sedan few in North America desired, though it fared a bit better elsewhere. The union led to the first full-size luxury sedan Kia developed from the ground up, the Opirus (Amanti to you). The larger South Korean company purchased a controlling stake in its competition in 1998, which meant big changes to Kia’s product almost immediately after. ![]() We return to the story of Kia’s midsize and larger sedans today, around the point when Kia found itself under the watchful eye of Hyundai.
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