For the 2021 model, Kia redesigned the Optima inside out and gave it a new moniker as well – K5. The South Korean automaker is marketing this revised package as a sporty sedan, and perhaps, that explains the reason behind this new video.
Kia released a short forty-second clip that shows the K5 doing a flat-spin. It looks like the automaker wants to break the association of the repackaged sedan as just an executive car used by owners to be chauffeured around and more like the car you can also have fun with over the weekends.
The K5 Takes A Leap Of Faith
Being a marketing video, it shows just one successful attempt shot from many angles. We’ve never really seen the company attempt such stunts, so it feels a little weird at the onset.
It is just a sedan with a sporty side to it and not a full-fledged budget sports car. Primarily, it still serves as an executive sedan. Also, I doubt any owner will attempt such stunts in their stock K5s. But, it’s at least good to see Kia make efforts to change the way this mid-size sedan is perceived.
If you check the K5’s official page on Kia’s website, you’ll see the performance specs being compared to the BMW 330i. This is in stark contrast to the image the humble Optima had created over the years of being a good city commuter that didn’t boast of a lot of power under the hood, but was spacious and practical for daily drives to the office, school, grocery shopping, etc.
What’s The K5 All About?
Power is sent to the wheels via an eight-speed DCT gearbox. It comes with some notable stuff like:
-* 19-inch wheels wrapped in Pirelli P-Zero tires
-* Sport-tuned suspension
-* 0-60 in 5.7 seconds
-* Quarter-mile in 14.2 seconds at 103.3 mph
-* Flat-bottom steering wheel with Paddle shifters
-* Panoramic Sunroof
-* Eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system
-* Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
-* Bose audio system
-* Wireless phone charger
-* Suite of Driver Assistance features
Final Thoughts
The Kia K5 is a welcome change at a time when sedans are being replaced by crossovers. It looks smart on the outside, filled to the brim with features, and is also being offered in an all-wheel-drive configuration to make it a better handler.
The sporty sedan’s performance specs are strong, too, on the GT trim at least, and it could go a long in differentiating it from its corporate cousin, the Hyundai Sonata. And, videos like this will further help the cause. To make it sound even sweeter, Kia has priced the base model of the K5 at $23,490, just $100 more than the outgoing Optima’s.
Do you think the Kia K5 can build its own credibility, or will it be known as a repackaged, renamed Optima all its life? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.