2020 Kia K5- A sleeker, sportier Optima successor.

3,712
United States
Elizabeth, New Jersey, USA
The sixth-generation Kia Optima was officially unveiled today in Korea as the Kia K5. It is longer, wider, and lower than its predecessor. The US version of this car will likely look exactly the same and be unveiled at the LA auto show later this year:

upload_2019-11-12_17-55-41.png


upload_2019-11-12_17-55-46.png


upload_2019-11-12_17-55-57.png


upload_2019-11-12_17-56-7.png


Here's my take. It would look much better with a typical sedan roofline. The whole coupe-like roofline trend plaguing the non-luxury sedan market needs to go. A 5-door liftback, as un-American as it sounds, would make much more sense. It's obvious the new Optima took lots of styling cues from the Audi A5 Sportback and VW Arteon. I also see some Chevy Malibu in its design, which is not exactly flattering. The front lights are also a bit weird and out-of-place looking. But overall, it's not bad and certainly an improvement over the outgoing Optima. I bet it'll sell pretty well.

https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1125974_2021-kia-optima-previewed-by-wild-new-kia-k5
 
Not bad. Kia & Hyundai (and Genesis) continue to carve out their own identity. For a long time I didn't think they would ever be anything other than cheap Japanese clones. But these latest cars have unique, Korean DNA - to me they are verging on French levels of flourish. It's good to see. I don't quite like this one as much as the Sonata, but it's pretty interesting.
 
The sixth-generation Kia Optima was officially unveiled today in Korea as the Kia K5. It is longer, wider, and lower than its predecessor. The US version of this car will likely look exactly the same and be unveiled at the LA auto show later this year:

View attachment 865186

View attachment 865187

View attachment 865188

View attachment 865189

Here's my take. It would look much better with a typical sedan roofline. The whole coupe-like roofline trend plaguing the non-luxury sedan market needs to go. A 5-door liftback, as un-American as it sounds, would make much more sense. It's obvious the new Optima took lots of styling cues from the Audi A5 Sportback and VW Arteon. I also see some Chevy Malibu in its design, which is not exactly flattering. The front lights are also a bit weird and out-of-place looking. But overall, it's not bad and certainly an improvement over the outgoing Optima. I bet it'll sell pretty well.

https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1125974_2021-kia-optima-previewed-by-wild-new-kia-k5
Of course, ever since Peter Schreyer became Kia's chief designer of its automobiles, the designs of their models started to appear more similar to European cars. So it's not really surprising anymore. I'm not just sure if most folks here already knew about that.
 
A little off style-wise with the front lights, but I otherwise like it. The side profile is quite nice. I never really considered any Kia to be immensely handsome. That won't change much with this Optima. It does look very nice; just not ready to consider its looks beautiful or gorgeous.
 
There was talk of the Stinger a couple years back.
Kia1-640x400.png


At least now, there are a couple choices. ;)
The twin-turbo V6 variant of this one somewhat reminds of the Explorer's turbo V6 Ecoboost which also pump out a similar output.

Well, I guess a turbo V6 are the ongoing trend for cars with this size these days. :lol:
 
The design looks good, thanks to Peter Schreyer who worked for Audi as Chief Designer before. :lol:
 
Kia is Killing it ! ... as in: they did a fantastic job with this Optima...
I refuse to call it the K5. This car is soo good looking compared to the competition... I love it.

It fully deserve the Optima name, redeeming itself over all previous generations!

I thought (and i still do think) the Mazda 6 is a beautiful car, but this Optima (although not beautiful) but strinkingly different from the norm and yet refreshingly handsome without being weird... this car does NOT seem like it is trying hard... it just works!

The new Mazda 3 (hatch and sedan/berline) is much more handsome/beautiful and a real piece of art, but this Optima really comes in second.
Both of these "regular" cars (without being in the luxury segment) are what i consider to be beautiful design IMHO, and both makes me want to own them solely based on their design.

I would be so proud to own and drive this new Optima... that's a compliment to the designers of this car.


Edit:
https://www.motor1.com/reviews/432944/2021-kia-k5-first-drive-review/
 
Last edited:
Facelift K5 spotted in Korea, taillights are almost straight from the Mercedes-Benz EQS.

View attachment 1224611
How are they from the Mercedes? Those are the same basic tail lights the K5 has had since it debuted in 2019 except they've added fangs to it. A post of the 2021 facelift is literally two posts above yours.
 
Last edited:
How are they from the Mercedes? Those are the same basic tail lights the K5 has had since it debuted in 2019 except they've added fangs to it. A post of the 2021 facelift is literally two posts above yours.
The post you're referencing is of the US-spec K5 which was released months after the Korean spec, which debuted as a 2021 model, not 2019. All that is known about a K5 facelift was the image that was spotted in Korea literally yesterday, the car hasn't been officially facelifted just yet.

Maybe it's just me, but I see a close resemblance to the EQS:

1674406425642.png
 
Last edited:
The post you're referencing is of the US-spec K5 which was released months after the Korean spec, which debuted as a 2021 model, not 2019. All that is known about a K5 facelift was the image that was spotted in Korea literally yesterday, the car hasn't been officially facelifted just yet.

Maybe it's just me, but I see a close resemblance to the EQS:

View attachment 1224798
No, you see the EQS resembling the K5. You're right that I was wrong about the K5's first year in the US but it was unveiled in SK in 2019 as a 2020 model, a year before we got it, and a full two years before the EQS hit the market. You seem insistent that Kia poached a design that debuted after their own which simply isn't the case.
 
Last edited:
No, you see the EQS resembling the K5. You're right that I was wrong about the K5's first year in the US but it was unveiled in SK in 2019 as a 2020 model, a year before we got it, and a full two years before the EQS hit the market. You seem insistent that Kia poached a design that debuted after their own which simply isn't the case.
Eh, maybe that's a little harsher than what I intended, I don't necessarily think that Kia tried to copy Mercedes- in fact I have commended Kia/Hyundai/Genesis for having their own original style before- the point I was trying to make was that the new taillights just look a lot like those of the EQS. But I can clearly see how "taillights straight from the EQS" can have the connotation of Kia "stealing/copying the design".
 
Back