This is the new Kia Optima – but don’t hold your breath waiting for it to arrive in the UK

The next generation Kia Optima is teased as the Kia K5 for South Korea, but don’t expect it to come to the UK as Kia drop the Optima.

Saloon cars are not exactly in vogue at the moment, and the dominance cars like the Ford Mondeo once had are long gone as buyers move in to high-riding models in droves.

That’s already led to a situation where it looks like Ford will give up on the Mondeo altogether, and although premium saloons like the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class still sell well, saloon cars from mainstream makers just don’t do anything like the business they need to survive in the UK and Europe anymore.

Ford’s likely decision to end the Mondeo is set to be echoed by Kia with the Optima (which sold just over 400 saloons in the UK last year), although in other markets it’s set to survive with a new Optima for 2020, teased ahead of a reveal of the Optima in South Korea, where it’s know as the Kia K5.

As always, you need to take the design sketch Kia has used to tease the K5 (above) with a big pinch of salt, but it does look to be a more dynamic design with coupe roof, frameless windows, slick lighting and a new take on the ‘Tiger Grille’.

Perhaps the tide will turn if mainstream makers can manage to imbue their saloons with real style and appeal, but for now the new Kia Optima is going to be forbidden fruit in the UK.