Mid-size Kia sedan could lose its 'Optima' name for 2021

While a few manufacturers are abandoning the mid-size sedan market, the Korean cousins of Hyundai and Kia are upping their ante in this segment. In particular, Kia may be bringing several new toys to the table.

According to a U.S. filing with the Environmental Protection Agency uncovered by an American magazine, the redesigned Optima might even get a new name when it debuts later this year. According to the filing, the badge “K5” may replace the “Optima” name, aligning it with the model’s naming scheme in its home country of Korea.

Also interesting is the classification of this K5 as an allwheel-drive car; the current Optima has front-wheel drive. If accurate, this would put the Optima/K5 in a burgeoning class of all-wheel-drive midsize cars, including the Nissan Altima and Subaru Legacy.

It should be noted the recently restyled Hyundai Sonata, a car with which the Kia Optima has historically shared a great deal, currently is not offered with power going to all four wheels.

The sole model listed in the EPA filing shows a power team of a 1.6-litre turbo four-cylinder sending power to pavement via an eightspeed automatic transmission.

We reached out to Kia’s communications team for comment but they could not speak to any specifications of future product. If all goes as planned — a tall order given the operational challenges of the global pandemic — we should see the 2021 Kia midsize sedan in the second half of this year.