The Kia Optima or K5 (as it is called in South Korea), is a mid-size sedan that shares its platform and powertrains with the Hyundai Sonata, and is currently sold in its fourth-gen avatar. However, Kia is all set to launch the fifth-gen version of the car, and the main highlight of the 2021 Optima / K5 sedan is its bold and quirky styling, including its aggressive design lines and unconventional design elements.
At the front, the 2021 Optima sports a rather small-ish ‘Tiger Nose’ grille, along with dual-tone treatment on the bumper and even a front splitter. However, the weird design of the LED DRLs integrated into the headlamps, take away the limelight up front. On the sides, the car features a sloping roof line along with chrome treatment on the roofline that extends through the rear and is connected.
The sloping roof makes it look like a liftback sedan, however, it gets a regular boot. The car gets slim wraparound LED tail lamps which are connected to each other via LED strips running across the boot, just under the Kia emblem. The new-gen Optima gets a rear skid plate with dual faux exhausts.
Inside the cabin, the upcoming car gets a 10.3-inch touchscreen integrated with smartphone connectivity and Kia’s UVO connected-car tech, which is placed above the climate controls and slightly tilted towards the driver; a 12.3-inch fully digital instrument cluster and an 8.0-inch heads-up display as well.
Other features include leather upholstery on the top-end trims, a voice recognition system, and premium sound system by Bose. On the safety front, the sedan will come equipped with features like an automatic emergency braking, active lane control, blind-spot monitors, adaptive cruise control, and a surround-view camera system as well.
Powering the next-gen Optima will be a turbocharged 1.6-litre inline-four cylinder engine that puts out 178 hp power and 264 Nm torque, just like the Hyundai Sonata. It will also get a naturally aspirated 2.5-litre inline-four with a power output of 191 hp and a peak torque output of 245 Nm torque.
It will also get a turbocharged 2.5-litre petrol engine making 286 hp power and 421 Nm torque, which will be available with the GT line trims, expected to be launched at a later date. As of now, Kia hasn’t announced the price of the upcoming 2021 Optima, but we expect it to be sold at a slightly premium price over the current-gen model.
Kia currently retails the fourth-gen Optima in the USA at a base price of $23,390 (Rs 17.77 lakh approx), and the car competes against the likes of its cousin i.e. the Hyundai Sonata, Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima, as well as the Mazda 6.