Photo: Kia
The Siamese twin of the Hyundai Sonata prepares for the 2021 model year with new underpinnings from the ground up. A mid-sized sedan with a lot to prove in a segment that keeps contracting because of the increasing preference for crossovers, the Optima tries to stand out from the crowd with a sloping roofline and sharp-looking LED daytime running lights.
K5 is the name of the Optima in South Korea, and as you can tell from the teaser photos uploaded by Kia on social media, the tiger-nose grille is minimalist at best. The sides and rear end are surprisingly cool in their own right, and the interior design sketch isn’t too shabby either.
The fifth generation should also be available as a station wagon in markets where this body style still is popular, namely Europe and the United Kingdom. The outgoing model comes courtesy of Peter Schreyer, who used to design cars and crossovers for Volkswagen and Audi before he joined the South Koreans in 2006. He’s also the man responsible for the tiger nose, introduced in 2007 at the Frankfurt Motor Show by the Kee concept car.
“Driven to stand out” is how Kia describes the 2020 model year for the U.S. market, a value-oriented proposition that comes with auto emergency braking, blind-spot collision technology, and smartphone connectivity as standard for both iOS and Android devices. Pricing is competitive at $23,190 before destination charge, and as far as suck-squeeze-bang-blow is concerned, the LX trim comes with a 2.4-liter engine with 185 horsepower.
For the fifth gen, the Sonata is expected to borrow all three of its engine options and two automatic transmissions for the first model year of the all-new Optima. These are a 1.6-liter turbo, 2.0-liter four-cylinder, and a 2.5-liter that replaces the 2.4 mentioned in the previous paragraph. A six- and eight-speed automatic are the only gearboxes on offer, and styling for the 2020 Hyundai Sonata is attributed to ex-Volkswagen designer Luc Donckerwolke.
A hybrid with a solar roof is also expected to roll out, and those interested in saving as much fuel as possible will be treated to a plug-in hybrid.
The fifth generation should also be available as a station wagon in markets where this body style still is popular, namely Europe and the United Kingdom. The outgoing model comes courtesy of Peter Schreyer, who used to design cars and crossovers for Volkswagen and Audi before he joined the South Koreans in 2006. He’s also the man responsible for the tiger nose, introduced in 2007 at the Frankfurt Motor Show by the Kee concept car.
“Driven to stand out” is how Kia describes the 2020 model year for the U.S. market, a value-oriented proposition that comes with auto emergency braking, blind-spot collision technology, and smartphone connectivity as standard for both iOS and Android devices. Pricing is competitive at $23,190 before destination charge, and as far as suck-squeeze-bang-blow is concerned, the LX trim comes with a 2.4-liter engine with 185 horsepower.
For the fifth gen, the Sonata is expected to borrow all three of its engine options and two automatic transmissions for the first model year of the all-new Optima. These are a 1.6-liter turbo, 2.0-liter four-cylinder, and a 2.5-liter that replaces the 2.4 mentioned in the previous paragraph. A six- and eight-speed automatic are the only gearboxes on offer, and styling for the 2020 Hyundai Sonata is attributed to ex-Volkswagen designer Luc Donckerwolke.
A hybrid with a solar roof is also expected to roll out, and those interested in saving as much fuel as possible will be treated to a plug-in hybrid.
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