zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Culture
/
Kia Decides Optima Name Not Optimal
Kia Decides Optima Name Not Optimal-April 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:12:41

Image for article titled Kia Decides Optima Name Not Optimal

Car names can give a sense of context to history, like that time the best-selling car in America was an Oldsmobile and we’re all left wondering why that was OK now. But there’s one current car with a real name that’s about to be history: the .

The Optima is Kia’s mid-size sedan, like the Toyota Camry or Honda Accord. It’s gone by quite a number of different names around the globe since its introduction back in 2000, including the Kia Magentis, Kia Lotze, and in South Korea and China the model is sold as the K5. But it’s always been Optima in the U.S., but not anymore.

reports are published for the Kia “K5,” not the Kia Optima like on older EPA reports.

Motor Trend points out that the EPA could have released these figures for an as-of-yet unannounced 2021 Kia model that isn’t some version of the Optima, but there are no other records yet if you search the EPA’s site for “2021 Kia Optima,” while other 2021 Kia models, like the Seltos, already have their figures posted.

So basically it seems very likely the Optima will become the K5 for the 2021 model year, and that should all be confirmed very soon. , and we didn’t like it back then, either.

I kind of like the Optima name, but I understand why Kia may be moving away from it. But it is a little too familiar with Nissan’s Altima and Maxima naming structure (you have to wonder why!).

It’s a very soft, optimistic-sounding car name, which is perfect, but it no longer really fits with the brand’s image nor the rest of its more modern nomenclature for the rest of the lineup.

Its new cars are called cool, hard names like Stinger, and Seltos, as the brand has slowly moved away from ending names with the softer, lifting “a,” at the end, like Sedona or Cadenza, to stuff like Niro and Telluride. It signals the brand position Kia is likely trying to position itself in.

The Optima never made a huge dent on the Camry, so all of those years chasing the soft, comfortable image of that car didn’t do a lot for the Optima. Perhaps a change is good. But a change to something cooler, like the “Kia Omega” or “Kia Calypso,” could be cool.

Or make it sound more important—call it the Kia Special. And give us the wagon!

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Culture
Where Exactly Does Joe Biden Plan To Put 550,000 EV Charging Stations?
Where Exactly Does Joe Biden Plan To Put 550,000 EV Charging Stations?
There has been a lot of talk today about President Joe Biden’s first day executive orders. One EO that has long been promised paves the way forward for mass electric vehicle adoption. Joe has campaigned on a $5 billion plan to install half a million new EV charging stations...
Apr 5, 2026
What's A Good Car For Smuggling?
What's A Good Car For Smuggling?
Using a car for smuggling goods is a concept almost as old as the car itself. Here in America, the NASCAR series has its roots in bootleggers running from the police with their illicit products. Bootleggers drove small street vehicles that were souped up to outrun the cops. That...
Apr 5, 2026
Ford Will Recall Another 3 Million Cars With Takata Airbags After NHTSA Appeal Fails
Ford Will Recall Another 3 Million Cars With Takata Airbags After NHTSA Appeal Fails
Much like General Motors, Ford has for years been fighting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s order to recall several million cars carrying potentially defective Takata airbag inflators. And, the Blue Oval’s appeals have been unsuccessful, as reported Tuesday that Ford must repair the affected cars after all. The...
Apr 5, 2026
Blip: In The Bag? Oh, Nothing Important
Blip: In The Bag? Oh, Nothing Important
“Hello, friends! Thanks for stopping! Say, are you fellows and ladies headed by that book depository? Could you drop me by that grassy knoll nearby? No reason. In the bag? Uh, just, um, a baguette. Why?” ...
Apr 5, 2026
In Case You Needed A Reminder Tesla Fans Are Creepily Culty, Here You Go
In Case You Needed A Reminder Tesla Fans Are Creepily Culty, Here You Go
I know that we often get accused of having a strong anti-Tesla bias on our site, but that mostly comes from hardcore Tesla fans. , , but I admit, it is a bit complicated. I think most of us here respect the engineering and design of Tesla’s cars, but...
Apr 5, 2026
The Volkswagen Golf: Dead In The US
The Volkswagen Golf: Dead In The US
The Golf R and the Golf GTI will still be around after this year but you can say goodbye to the base Golf, which is leaving the American market for good. Or at least until gas prices soar and Americans want good, small, fuel-efficient cars again. We saw this...
Apr 5, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved