Peter Schreyer has been Kia's design chief since September 2006, and his work is starting to make its way into the brand's oeuvre. And the first full example of his work for the South Korean automaker is stunning - the 2011 Optima. Sharing its platform with the rather sensational Hyundai Sonata, the Optima will get the Sonata's new, 2.4-liter, gas direct-injection Theta II four, rated "about 200 horsepower," Kia says, and an estimated 24/35 mpg.

And like the Sonata, there will be no V-6 for the new Optima. Instead, it will get Kia's first turbo, the same 2.0-liter GDI turbo that's just been added to the Sonata. A hybrid Optima is due next year.

Successful as the new Sonata is, the Kia midsize sedan could well put it on the trailer. Schreyer's staff went for a clean, classic design that will wear well. The new signature Kia grille shape is repeated in the header, just ahead of the top-of-the-range trim level's standard panoramic sunroof. The hood has a sculptured bulge that's designed to meet European pedestrian standards. Unlike many European cars, that safety standard has become a design quality in the Optima, rather than an ungainly, but necessary design element.

No surprise that ex-Audi designer Schreyer has brought a good dose of European design to the Kia Optima, which looks Jaguar-esque without being a blatant copy. If the Optima's dynamics and refinement are anywhere close to matching its design, Kia's transformation is just beginning.

This article originally appeared on Car News Gossip.