Kia Optima / K5 History
Catalog record
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History
The Optima reached the US for the 2001 model year as Kia's mid-size sedan, initially a conservative alternative to the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. The dramatically redesigned 2011 third-generation Optima — with sharp, Audi-influenced lines by designer Peter Schreyer — was the car that repositioned Kia as a design brand.
The Optima name ran through the 2020 model year before Kia renamed the car the K5 for 2021 with a more powerful, platform-updated redesign. US production of the K5 at Kia's Georgia plant ended after the 2024 model year as the factory shifted focus to the Telluride and EVs.
Generations
Third generation (Optima TF) · TF
The breakthrough design by Peter Schreyer that repositioned Kia as a style leader (US 2011–2015).
Fifth generation (K5 DL3) · DL3
Renamed the K5 with AWD availability and a turbocharged GT version (US 2021–2024).
Body styles
- Sedan
Notable special editions & performance variants
Optima/K5 GT
The turbocharged performance variant of the mid-size sedan — 245 hp and sport-tuned suspension.
Optima Hybrid / Plug-In Hybrid
Hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions of the Optima, offered across the third and fourth generations.
Related models
Collect the nameplate
Find a scale model of the Kia Optima / K5
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