New Kia Optima And Its Solar Roof Extensively Detailed On Camera

The Kia Optima is all-new for the 2021 model year. We recently got our first glimpse of the car at a test drive in South Korea and learned North American media won't even test the sedan until June 2020, at the earliest. Regardless, the U.S.-spec should look pretty much identical to the Korean version.

Today we can share a lengthy video detailing the new Optima (sold in South Korea as the K5) both inside and out. The Asian Petrolhead channel on YouTube spends enough time with the vehicle to show you all the little details that make it look so imposing. One particular feature that looks quite interesting is the solar roof.

That's part of the equipment of the new K5 Hybrid, something we already saw in the overhauled Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. The sedan featured a system that charges the battery pack to offer an additional 808 miles (1,300 kilometers) of travel distance annually, provided it's charged for six hours a day.

Back to the new Optima/K5, the South Korean vehicle is longer by 50 millimeters (nearly two inches) and wider by 25 mm (nearly one inch) compared to the outgoing model, while the height has been lowered by 20 millimeters (0.8 inches) to 1,445 millimeters (57 inches).

For the North American market, the new 2021 Optima will be available with a choice of two gasoline engines. The base unit is a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 178 horsepower (132 kilowatts) and 195 pound-feet of torque (265 Newton-meters) of torque, while above it is a 2.5-liter turbocharged motor good for 286 hp (213 kW) and 311 pound-feet (422 Nm) of torque.

As a reminder, Kia currently has no plans to sell the 2021 Optima in Europe.