Next-gen Kia Optima sketches revealed ahead of December launch

KUALA LUMPUR: South Korean automaker Kia has revealed sketches of its upcoming fifth-gen Optima (K5). The car is about to launch in December in its home market. It will replace the facelifted Kia Optima GT, which was launched in the Malaysian market just one year ago. The fourth-gen outgoing model is priced at RM169,888 sans insurance, but as for now, the price tag of the next-gen Kia K5 is not disclosed.

Design-wise, the latest K5 is drastically changed compared to the outgoing fourth-gen model. The front-end of the car features a “tiger-nose” grille, which is considered as Kia’s signature. Moreover, the grille is also significantly widened. The middle section of the grille is pinched, and it joins the two creases of the bonnet. The bonnet is framed with a Kia badge. The headlamps sport a noticeable “extended V” light shape and combine with the front grille neatly.

At the rear, there is a Sportback-like shape, which comes with a swooping roofline. The roofline circles around the lip spoiler, placed on the tailgate. The sketches also reveal a unique window design along with prominent shoulders.

Inside the car, there is an all-new dashboard layout that comes with two displays. While one display acts as a digital instrument cluster, another serves as the infotainment and climate system. Apart from these, some other changes include piano key-style switchgear, a new steering wheel, a rotary gear selector, and additional controls that are found in front of the armrest.

As for now, Kia has revealed nothing but the design approach, and we hope the engine-specifications will be out very soon. Speaking of the engine, the outgoing model is equipped with a powerful T-GDI petrol 2.0-litre turbocharged engine that churns out 245 PS of maximum power and 353 Nm of peak torque. However, there is no information on whether the latest model will retain this or it will get a more powerful motor under the hood.

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