Kia wants to take the mid-size sedan segment by
storm with the new generation Optima (K5 in South Korea). Unveiled in its domestic market,
where it will go on sale next month, the sixth-gen Optima has adopted a sleeker
exterior styling, featuring a new interpretation of the Tiger Nose grille,
slender headlamps with integrated DRLs that run back between the hood and front
fenders and a muscular bonnet.
The car’s aggressive lines run across its entire
length and sides, while there’s also a new lighting signature at the back,
where the redesigned taillights are joined together by an LED light strip. The
boot lid, rear bumper and diffuser with incorporated exhaust tips are also new,
and the roofline is more arched towards the rear, giving it a sportier approach
compared to its predecessor. Customers will get to choose between a wide
selection of wheels, from 16- to 19-inch in size.
At 4,905 mm long and 1,860 mm wide, the new Optima is now 50 mm longer and 25 mm wider. The
height has been dropped by 20 mm to 1,445 mm to create the
low-slung profile, and the wheelbase has been extended from 2,805 mm to 2,850 mm.
The interior is still being kept under wraps, but as
we’ve seen in the official sketches, it sports big changes. The widescreen
display sits in the middle of the dashboard, next to the digital instrument
cluster. The center console has been fully redesigned and so has the
multi-function steering wheel.
The European and American versions of the 2021
Optima should look virtually the same and will launch probably next year. Kia
has one premiere for the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show, but we don’t know what
that is yet.
