Jared Rozenholtz of Carbuzz.com was
hard at work on assignment this week for their blog and when he was asked about
the arrival of the Kia K5 he responded: “It's coming very soon”. Kia first showed
off the next-generation Optima towards the end of 2019 via the reveal of the K5
in the Korean market. Based on spy shots from various internet sites, the
US-spec model has been expected to shed the Optima name in favor of the K5 in
the United States market. Promising a sleek and slightly lower-budget option
for those who are in love with the Stinger, we expect the sedan to breathe an
abundance of life and fire into a market still desperate for just this, “a
killer car”.
It was several months ago that the K5 was shown in
Korea, and everyone here at Jim Butler Kia of St Louis has been eagerly
awaiting the announcement about a specific release date. Now it seems the wait
is over, and the official debut date has been released as June 30, 2020. This
news was via an official email from Kia that began with the statement “It's
been a while and we have news to share.” This particular email does not
reference the car by its exact name, attempting one last go at keeping things a
mystery, but it does include a small teaser that clearly shows a sedan with all
the features of the already-seen Korean specific model.
We expect the North American debut to take place
at 2:00 PM Eastern time. Engine options will be the 2.5-liter 4-cylinder that
cranks out 191 horsepower and 181 lb-ft of torque or the 1.6-liter turbo-four
that cranks out 180 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque, both shared with the
mechanically similar Hyundai Sonata. This year for the first time ever the new
car is expected to brandish the all-wheel-drive option with the 1.6-liter
engine. We still aren't sure if the GT will just see the unveiling of the
standard model, or if the GT variant will accompany it right out of the gate.
The GT is expected to use the identical 2.5-liter
turbo-four as the upcoming Hyundai Sonata N-line, which cranks out around 290
hp and 311 lb-ft of torque. The GT will most likely have AWD, and the fine
details on pricing could be revealed on the 30th as well. Cloth,
simulated leather, and genuine leather are available in single and two-tone
cabin color schemes, and the rendering of trim and accents is finished with
polished metallic simulated wood and gloss black depending on the model. New
voice recognition technology onboard allows the driver to control the stereo,
climate system, power windows, and heated/ventilated seats, and there is also
the available option of the 12-speaker Bose premium surround sound system.
Drive Mode Select offers five driving modes: Eco,
Comfort, Sport, Smart, and Custom. Highlights regarding advanced driving assist
systems include adaptive cruise control, front and rear collision warning,
automatic front and rear emergency braking, blind-spot warning with active
intervention, lane departure warning with lane-keeping assistance, and rear
cross-traffic warning. Longer, wider, and a bit lower than the Optima it is
replacing, the Kia K5 also has new LED “heartbeat” daytime running lights in
the front and rear, and is bound to win over anyone who still has an intense
love for a connection to the road that does not have to be quenched by means of
the ever-popular crossover SUV!
