Near the end of October 2019, renderings of the K5 in South Korea started making rounds on the internet. One of the reasons why the new K5 garnered interest was because K5 is the name given to the Kia Optima in the South Korean market. Put two and two together, and word was that these new renderings were also concept renderings for the new 2021 Kia Optima. It may not look as futuristic as the rendering, but we’d be lying if we didn’t say the new 2021 Kia Optima is looking fresher than ever. There’s even some sports car appeal in there.
From Render to Reality
You know, it’s not often that a concept or render will keep the same looks and features once the vehicle goes into production. The 2020 Kia Telluride SUV is a prime example of an automaker beefing up a concept with a bunch of cool technology that gets left on the cutting room floor. We expected the same to happen to the 2021 Kia Optima, but so far, it’s looking a lot like the render Kia Motors promised. Starting with the front fascia, those lightning-bolt shaped headlights are still drawing attention to the new mean tiger-face grille that Kia Motors is using to replace their well-known tiger-nose grille. This vehicle is most likely not electric, so there are still two grilles integrated into the front, but with the Kia Futuron concept, an all-electric vehicle from Kia Motors may already be on the way.
The rear fascia also kept much of the look from the render. Making up the rear fascia is an LED strip of light that travels along the width of the trunk and curves a little into the sides of the vehicle. There wasn’t a whole to see of the rear in the above render, but we can see the window designs and placement also made it into the final product. Plus, the new trunk gives us the sense of the hatchback that came with the 2018 Kia Stinger but all signs point to the usual trunk lid.
Speaking of the Kia Stinger, the 2021 Kia Optima does, in fact, come with a longer nose in the front and sloping roofline for better aerodynamics and more a sports car appeal. You wouldn’t confuse the new 2021 Kia Optima compact sedan for the Kia Stinger sports car, but the Optima does come with enough style to earn a double-take. The windows aren’t frameless, and we couldn’t see much of the wheels, but it seems that the wheelbase has also been tweaked to match the longer frame.
Looking at the specs, the new 2021 Kia Optima is two-inches longer for a total of 16-feet long, an inch wider for a total width of 6.1 feet, and the height has been dropped by about an inch for a stance of just under five feet. The longer wheelbase stretched by about two inches, now measured at a little more than nine feet. Even with these minor changes, the 2021 Kia Optima gets even more of a fastback look to it. With consumers able to ride on 19-inch rims on the more expensive trims, this sedan is definitely competing when it comes to style.
We still have yet to see the cabin, but we’re thinking it might be roomier than before. Other than that, we’ll be waiting to hear more about the 2021 Kia Optima. Follow us on Miami Lakes Kia social media and find out more with us!