Currently reading: Kia K5 reveal hints at upcoming Optima
Next-gen Optima likely to follow Korean-market saloon, growing in size and gaining a new design

Kia has previewed the new Korean-market Kia K5 fastback saloon, which hints at the design of the upcoming fifth-generation Kia Optima, ahead of its release in December.

The pictures show several stylistic changes for the new car, which are likely to be adopted by the next generation of its European sister model. The Optima is expected to be unveiled within the next year.

The new car’s profile is now more muscular, due in part to the body being narrowed between its wheel arches and the greater swage lines adding heavier creases along its side panels. The windows receive chrome detailing and are frameless for the first time, with chrome touches extending to the rear bumper.

At 4905mm, the new K5 is 50mm longer than the outgoing model and 25mm wider at 1860mm, making it similar in size to the Vauxhall Insignia Grand Sport. The wheelbase has grown to 2850mm, but the height has been lowered by 20mm for a sportier look.

Kia has yet to release any performance figures, only confirming that the car would benefit from a range of new alloy wheels, available in 16, 17, 18 and 19in, with gloss black, dark grey and light grey colour options.

The K5 will not be released in the UK, and it is unclear whether the next-generation Optima will make it here either: Kia recently pulled the model from sale, at the time telling Autocar that it had no plans to launch a replacement.

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Peter Cavellini 12 November 2019

It’s just.......

 It's just the front valance, it's a little over styled......

M3NVM 12 November 2019

Mitsubishi called

it wants the front of its 90s galant back

m2srt 12 November 2019

The rest of the world gets an

The rest of the world gets an extensive rage of engine choices whereas we Europeans are beìng forced down the downsizing route. I'm constantly amazed how real world fuel economy has suffered in recent years. These new eco engines, Ford's 1.0 EcoBoost for example, offer excellent fuel economy on paper at least but devour fuel at quite a rate in the real world. I think that if manufacturers weren't forced to produce engines to meet unrealistic targets then real world economy would improve. Larger engines tend to do better in WLTP tests then they did before largely because it is a closer representation of real world conditions.
FM8 12 November 2019

m2srt wrote:

m2srt wrote:

The rest of the world gets an extensive rage of engine choices whereas we Europeans are beìng forced down the downsizing route. I'm constantly amazed how real world fuel economy has suffered in recent years. These new eco engines, Ford's 1.0 EcoBoost for example, offer excellent fuel economy on paper at least but devour fuel at quite a rate in the real world. I think that if manufacturers weren't forced to produce engines to meet unrealistic targets then real world economy would improve. Larger engines tend to do better in WLTP tests then they did before largely because it is a closer representation of real world conditions.

What down sized engines were available in the Optima? It's been available with 1.7 & 1.6 diesels and 2.0 petrols, hybrid & turbo's.