Kia Optima Officially Renamed the K5
By the end of 2019, Kia Motors was already announcing upcoming changes to its lineup for the upcoming years. The COVID-19 pandemic may have sent many industries into a frenzy, but as auto manufacturers start re-opening plants and getting back to work, plans for 2020 need to get picked back up where they were left off. That means big things like Kia Motors investing in a new 800-volt battery system pack for electric vehicles, or small things like the new Kia Optima getting a name change. Well, that’s not all that’s new about the 2021 Kia Optima, or it seems like we should start saying “2021 Kia K5”.
It’s official, the Kia Optima will henceforth become known as the Kia K5, and not just overseas but in the U.S. too. Yes, the Kia K5 has been the moniker for the Optima in South Korea, homeland of the large sedan, but will now be adopting the same name for the next generation of the model in 2021. Aside from this tidbit of knowledge, there hasn’t been much else information shared about the new Kia K5 except an all-wheel drivetrain (AWD) has been confirmed along with the new name change.
When reviewing the New Kia Optima, now Kia K5, earlier this year, we learned about two powertrains that will most likely be available for the sedan. The first is a new ‘Smartstream’ 177hp 1.6-liter T-GDi engine, optimized with Kia’s new Continuously Variable Valve Duration (CVVD) technology, gasoline direct engine, and a turbocharger. It sounds fancy, but this engine can only generate 180 horsepower and 191 lb-ft of torque in the Optima’s sibling model, the Hyundai Sonata. This model, however, doesn’t come with AWD. A second powertrain, a high-performance 286hp 2.5-liter T-GDi turbocharged gasoline engine, will also be available. Able to accelerate from 0-to-100 kph in around 6.6 seconds, this engine will be available solely on the Kia K5 GT trim.
All-wheel drive definitely ups the appeal of a sedan, giving it the feel of a sports car, able to take tight turns without losing traction due to its enhanced dynamic capability in various driving conditions. Plus, the new Kia K5 will offer drivers several driving modes to choose from to choose a driving style much like their own. Each mode changes how well the vehicle maxims fuel efficiency, improves handling experience, or enhances its responsiveness. The driving modes are Smart, Comfort, Eco, Sport, and Custom, with Custom allowing the driver to fully customize how the vehicle performs.
Kia Motors has been playing with a new front fascia for its vehicle lineup, with talk of the tiger-nose grille soon disappearing, although many vehicles are still rolling out. Not the next generation Kia K5. This model will be wearing a new tiger-face fascia equipped with a new lighting signature and a new LED daytime running light. With a muscular and wide stance makes the vehicle look as if it’s leaning forward, ready to pounce onto its prey. Drivers can really personalize the interior of the vehicle with an available Mood Lighting system that emits soft ambient light from panels in the doors and crash pad and available two-tone leather upholstery.
The new 2021 Kia K5 will come with all of this and more. Want to know when the Kia K5 will be available? Check back with Miami Lakes Automall for new Kia models or follow us on Miami Lakes Kia social media.
