It looks like the Kia Optima’s days are numbered, since Kia has just announced that it will reveal its successor on June 30. Kia hasn’t officially announced that its new midsize sedan will be called the K5 in the US, but the EPA recently released its stats for the new sedan, which revealed that it will now be called the Kia K5.
The K5 name is already used outside the US, so it’s not a big surprise that Kia decided to ditched the Optima name, but it now means that Kia’s sedan lineup has two different naming conventions. The midsize K5 and K900 have alphanumeric names, while the Forte, Rio and Cadenza get more traditional and more memorable names. We’ll have to wait and see if Kia plans to ditch all of its traditional names for its sedans down the line.
Kia unveiled the 2021 K5 late last year, so we already know a lot about the new sedan. For starters it features a more coupe-like exterior with a longer wheelbase to give it a bit more interior space. Kia actually refers to the K5 as a fastback sedan, but it has a traditional trunk, instead of the liftback like the Stinger.
Under the hood, the 2021 K5 will likely be powered by the same engines as the Hyundai Sonata. Right now, the EPA has only released its MPG specs for the turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine. But it looks like there are two stats for the engine, which means that the K5 will probably also offer all-wheel drive. The 1.6-liter engine generates 178 horsepower and 195 lb-ft. of torque in the Sonata. A K5 GT is also planned with a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that will generate 286 hp and 311 pound-feet.
A hybrid version is also expected.
Stay tuned when we get all the details on Tuesday, June 30 at 11am PST.
