THE NEW KIA K5 IS BOLD
The popular Optima sedan in the new generation will change the body type, design, equipment and even the name. The K5 model, which is already on sale in South Korea, is being prepared for entering the current market. This car demonstrates the ambitions of the KIA brand and can become one of the bestsellers in our country.
History is valued in the automotive world. Many models keep their names for decades: 911, Golf, Corolla. The KIA brand, on the contrary, does not cling to the past. This is expressed in a bold change in both names and design. A couple of years ago, the Korean manufacturer introduced the second generation of the executive class sedan, which quite successfully began to conquer the market under the name Quoris, but is now called the K900. A non-trivial solution for a model that has yet to create its own history. A similar fate awaits the popular business sedan Optima – soon it will be sold recently under the name K5, as in South Korea. Not only the name of the model will change, we are waiting for large-scale changes in design and equipment.
Recently, the Optima became the first model in many years to challenge the D-Class hegemon, the Toyota Camry. The Japanese sedan retains its leadership with over 34,000 units sold in 2019. The Optima model was sold in our country with a circulation of 25,707 pieces. The Korean sedan is widely used in fleets and taxi services. It is spacious, reliable, has a concise and solid appearance. Usually such successful models from generation to generation change only slightly. But revolutions also happen, as happened with the same Toyota Camry, which changed its conservative image to an expressive one. Now KIA went in the same direction, but the Koreans were even bolder.
Breaking news: The business sedan isn't really a sedan anymore. In professional language, this type of body is called fastback. Unlike the five-door liftback KIA Stinger, the K5 has four doors, but the rear window and roof pillars stretch aft, and the trunk lid is greatly shortened. It turned out spectacularly and sportily: the hood is tilted towards the road, the corners of the headlights cut through the front fenders like a boomerang, and their main unit is integrated into the radiator grille.
This design of the front evokes associations with the American sports cars Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang. In profile, the car resembles a coupe, which is emphasized by a chrome insert from the A-pillar to the stern. A long LED strip appeared at the back connecting the lights. A few years ago, this stoplight line was unmistakably recognizable as a Bentley GT coupe, but now this technique is increasingly being used by automakers. They began to decorate some models of Audi and Porsche, he appeared on the new KIA models, and on the latest generation Hyundai Sonata, with which the K5 shares the same platform.
Compared to the current Optima, the new K5 is 5 cm longer and 2 cm lower. The wheelbase increased by 4.5 cm will give additional comfort to passengers of the second row. The front part of the cabin has also been radically redrawn. Instead of a traditional gear knob, a washer is installed, as is the case, for example, in Jaguar models. The screen of the multimedia system is placed end-to-end with the dashboard, which can also be electronic. Some of the functions are duplicated by buttons on the branded three-spoke steering wheel. In the photographs, the interior looks stylish and without visual noise.
The top equipment of cars for the South Korean market offers leather and wood trim, a climate system with an advanced air filter, interior and area lighting around the car, and numerous electric drives. Using the application, you can pre-heat or cool the interior, and the car can also drive a few meters forward or backward without a driver behind the wheel. This feature is useful when the car is parked in a tight space or needs to be driven out of the garage. The choice of electronic assistants is also wide, including adaptive cruise control with a lane steering system. With the help of voice commands, you can control the climate system, turn on the heating and ventilation of the seats. However, all this is offered in Korea, and what will be the equipment of the machines for the current market will be known later.
The engine line will change. For the K5, they will offer a new 2.5 GDI engine with direct fuel injection, which is not available to Hyundai Sonata buyers. It develops 194 hp. with. and 246 Nm of torque, and will be paired with a new 8-speed automatic transmission. The base power unit will remain the same – a 2-liter engine with distributed injection and a 6-speed automatic. It puts out 150 hp. with. and 192 Nm of torque. This tandem is known for Optima, Sonata and a number of other models of the concern. Later, a top-end turbo engine like the 245-horsepower Optima GT may appear, and there are no initial versions with a manual gearbox for the K5.
According to dealers, the cars will arrive in showrooms in early autumn. Prices can be judged by the Hyundai Sonata price list. The basic version with a 150-horsepower engine costs from 1,549,000 rubles. The top car with a 2.5-liter engine and all options is estimated at 2,164,000 rubles.
