- a new version of the kia optima mid-size sedan is coming soon, and these teaser photos show its dramatic new design.
- it will be mechanically similar to the 2020 hyundai sonata, and is likely to offer a 2.5-liter inline-four and a turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-four.
- expect the new optima to arrive in the u.s. sometime next year as a 2021 model.
the new 2020 hyundai sonata debuted a fashion-forward design earlier this year, and now its corporate sibling the kia optima is hot on its heels. teaser photos of the new optima, known as the k5 in korea, show an equally transformative look with a fastback-like profile and interesting-looking lighting treatments in the front and the rear. an interior sketch also gives a glimpse of the high-tech new cabin with a massive display screen.
kia's traditional grille shape, which the company calls "tiger nose" is prominently visible up front, flanked by slim headlights with a swoopy led lighting signature. the taillights stretch across the full width of the rakish rear end with a short decklid and sharply raked rear window.
the new optima's interior also looks to move more upscale, as it appears to feature a digital gauge cluster, a widescreen center display, and carbon-fiber-look trim. there's a large knob visible on the center console, which could either be a controller for the infotainment system or a rotary shifter for the transmission. the sonata features a similarly large touchscreen display and a pushbutton transmission shifter, for what it's worth.
we expect the new optima to share its underpinnings and powertrains with the sonata, which offers either a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine or a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder. a more powerful turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder is rumored to appear in an n-line version of the sonata, and this punchier engine could be used in a sportier trim level for the optima as well, possibly called sx.
we should hear more about the new kia optima within the next few months as the car prepares to make its korea-market debut. the u.s.-market information will come sometime next year, and the optima is likely to go on sale on our shores as a 2021 model.