Autoblog.com Highlights The Kinetic Energy and Performance of the Kia K5

We saw some unbelievable fireworks over the 4^th this year at Jim Butler Kia of St Louis, and were able to squeeze in a few safe and distanced backyard events with our family and friends. It was fantastic to enjoy the rays and heat, think about the laurels our nation was built on, and also talk about what we love to talk about all day: incoming car models! This week the staff on duty at Autoblog.com cranked out a feature about the coming K5 and immediately began by saying it was poised to be the next-best thing.

Delivering the practicality and comfort expected of a modern midsize sedan, the “K5” has been the name of the Korean-market Optima since its major redesign ten years ago, and with the coming of the 2021 model, it's will see presence in the States. Along with the re-branding comes an entire overhaul to the four-door family car, including available all-wheel drive and a new performance GT model that everyone who already has great love for the Stinger should well appreciate. On the outside, you still are greeted by the “tiger face” design Kia is known for, but there is also plenty more to see underneath the sheet metal.

The incoming sedan will be offered with two turbocharged engines and for the first time in a front-wheel-drive Kia, an all-wheel-drive option will be on deck for those who are looking for more all-weather capability. The base engine will be a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder that produces 180 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. The base model LX will see that engine paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive. On the LXS and GT line, there will be the availability of all-wheel drive.

If raw and heart-pumping performance is what you are after, the GT model is the way you want to go. It is powered by Kia's new 2.5-liter turbo-4, cranking out 290 hp and a class-leading 311 lb-ft of torque powered with an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. This combo boasts a 0-60 time of just 5.8 seconds, enough to assure that you have about the furthest thing from a snail's presence in automotive existence.

 

Inside, the K5 sees several different upgrades over the outgoing Optima. Shown here in the GT-Line and GT guise, the interior is now going to be available with perforated leather seating options with contrast stitching for a little added flavor in the style department. The flat-bottom steering wheel pictured is also exclusive to the GT and GT-line trims. We definitely think that the sporty GT trim is the most exciting: borrowing elements from the thrilling and track-ready Stinger, it will inspire you to embrace every inch of asphalt with the raw enjoyment that only a sedan can convey!

2021 Kia Optima Renamed K5 for the States, AWD is a Definite

When all of us on staff here at Jim Butler Kia of St Louis receive inquiries from customers and cohorts about what's happening and what's around the corner in the auto realm, we've found that Car and Driver is a great source for details. They ran a feature on their blog this week describing the future of the Kia Optima and reported that they are now certain it will be renamed the K5. This Is due to the finding of an official document from the EPA that claims the Kia K5 could be used to match the name currently used by the model in Korea.

When the Car and Driver testing staff was giving the model a spin last year, the Kia rep that met up with them had hinted that this name change could occur down the road. Here in the states, the Optima has been available for four generations over two decades. The official EPA fuel-economy ratings first spotted by Motor Trend also definitely confirm the K5 will offer an all-wheel-drive option in the States. The single model officially listed has a turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-four, an 8-speed automatic transmission, and all-wheel drive.

This same engine cranks out 180 horsepower, and 191 lb-ft of torque, as it also does situate in the Hyundai Sonata Sedan, which does not yet offer AWD. We expect to hear some more solid details soon, and during our web search this week found Motor Trend claiming that the new model is definitely a “big leap forward in looks and tech”. We do at least know now that a performance GT will follow later in the year, and we have been very happy about just how much the Optima was a game-changer, helping put the brand we love to represent so much on many new buyers' radar.

The K5 also introduces “heartbeat lighting” at both ends of the car, squiggles of LED lights that resemble the readout on an EKG heart rate monitoring device. The rear LEDs provide an even more accurate replica of an actual heartbeat with spikes at each end, and a flat line in the middle that is a series of dashes that eventually shrink when they join in the center.

Designed with a very aggressive variant in mind, the K5 will boast new architecture developed under Albert Biermann, head of R and D and testing for the Hyundai Motor Group. As we have seen the overall popularity of trucks and SUVs rise drastically over the last decade, it is always exhilarating to witness the release of a new sedan. The K5 promises a solid connection to the road, top-notch handling and engineering, and the standard excellent warranty selection that we are known for being the best-in-show of worldwide!