Photo: EPA/Kia
If we’re talking about mid-size sedan in the United States, the first nameplate that springs to mind is the Camry. Toyota sells a lot of them every year despite the growing demand for SUVs and trucks, and the Honda Accord is pretty popular as well.
As far as the South Koreans are concerned, the Hyundai Sonata is better known than the Kia Optima yet not as popular as the Japanese yardsticks. The Optima, however, is set to get a whole lot better for the 2021 model year. Kia is so confident the car is better than ever before that they’ve even changed the nameplate to K5.
K5 is how the Optima is called in South Korea, but starting with the 2021 model year, the K5 will replace the Optima in the United States according to the EPA listing on the Environmental Protection Agency’s website. Confirmed with all-wheel drive and a 1.6-liter turbo connected to an eight-speed automatic transmission, the mid-sized sedan promises to be a frugal car as well.
29 miles per gallon (8.1 liters per kilometers) is the combined rating, matching the Toyota Camry AWD. The highway and city economy figures are pretty good as well although the Nissan Altima with all-wheel drive is the MPG king at 30 miles to the gallon (7.8 liters per 100 kilometers) on the EPA’s combined driving cycle.
More or less a Sonata with a different badge, exterior styling, and dashboard design, the K5 could mark Kia’s departure from the U.S. nomenclature we have today. In this regard, the Forte could be renamed K3 while the Cadenza and K900 may switch to K7 and K9. Only time will tell, however, if that will actually happen.
For the 2020 model year, the Optima starts at $23,390 excluding destination charge. The 2021 Kia K5, meanwhile, should be closer in pricing to the all-new Sonata at $23,600. The Hyundai isn’t available with all-wheel drive at the time of writing. As for the 1.6-liter turbo Smartstream, the four-cylinder engine is good for 180 horsepower (182 PS) and 195 pound-feet (264 Nm) of torque.
K5 is how the Optima is called in South Korea, but starting with the 2021 model year, the K5 will replace the Optima in the United States according to the EPA listing on the Environmental Protection Agency’s website. Confirmed with all-wheel drive and a 1.6-liter turbo connected to an eight-speed automatic transmission, the mid-sized sedan promises to be a frugal car as well.
29 miles per gallon (8.1 liters per kilometers) is the combined rating, matching the Toyota Camry AWD. The highway and city economy figures are pretty good as well although the Nissan Altima with all-wheel drive is the MPG king at 30 miles to the gallon (7.8 liters per 100 kilometers) on the EPA’s combined driving cycle.
More or less a Sonata with a different badge, exterior styling, and dashboard design, the K5 could mark Kia’s departure from the U.S. nomenclature we have today. In this regard, the Forte could be renamed K3 while the Cadenza and K900 may switch to K7 and K9. Only time will tell, however, if that will actually happen.
For the 2020 model year, the Optima starts at $23,390 excluding destination charge. The 2021 Kia K5, meanwhile, should be closer in pricing to the all-new Sonata at $23,600. The Hyundai isn’t available with all-wheel drive at the time of writing. As for the 1.6-liter turbo Smartstream, the four-cylinder engine is good for 180 horsepower (182 PS) and 195 pound-feet (264 Nm) of torque.
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