The KIA Stinger Was A FLOP. SO WHY Are They Confident The 2021 K5 Will Fare ANY Better Fate?

The KIA Stinger Was A FLOP. SO WHY Are They Confident The 2021 K5 Will Fare ANY Better Fate?
Kia showed an all new 2021 K5 model today. And although it has a dumb model name, it's pretty good looking with nice specs.

But here's the problem. The Stinger was good looking and had nice specs. And it had a MUCH cooler and better name.

It was the talk of all the auto shows and I can't think of even one outlet including Auto Spies that didn't like the design.

But even with all that it FLOPPED.

2021 Kia K5 GT Sedan Photo Gallery

So now, we're in a pandemic and the car will have virtually ZERO real exposure other than a few launch articles. So we ask, WHY are they so confident this K5 won't face the SAME fate.

Are they seeing something that we aren't?

Spies discuss.



2021 Kia K5 GT Sedan Photo Gallery




























MDarringerMDarringer - 6/30/2020 9:24:21 PM
0 Boost
It will be lucky to achieve parity with the Optima. Throwing away a name that is well-known and respected by consumers in a shrinking market is dumb as bricks. It's probably a very good car and yes they may have wanted to acknowledge their stride forward with a new name. But, while K5 may be KDM, the rest of their line has alphanumeric names, so it does not fit in. This will confuse customers especially since it looks like an Optima. The better question is whether Kia has learned anything from their inept marketing of the Stinger, Credenza, and Caninehundred. "K5" would argue "no".


Car4life1Car4life1 - 7/1/2020 11:50:11 AM
+3 Boost
Hyundai has more money than sense but I enjoy it. They make great certified pre owned cars. This thing will be a steal 2-3 years later for less than $15k LOL


dumpstydumpsty - 7/1/2020 3:36:35 PM
+1 Boost
right, will be an excellent CPO vehicle in a few years. you just gotta get some kinda fanatic (or sucker) to buy the new ones.

its a shame though...the Stinger & new K900 are really nice.


jtz7jtz7 - 6/30/2020 9:46:11 PM
+3 Boost
The Kia Optima been the nameplate in America since 2002. It would had been its 5th generation. As for Stinter being a flop, the real flop are the Cadenza the K900. Yet for some dumb reason Kia granted a 2nd generation K900 which is selling worse than the 1st gen.


Carmaker1Carmaker1 - 7/1/2020 12:41:52 PM
+1 Boost
Optima has been sold in the United States since 2000 not 2002. That really shouldn't be hard to figure out, so a 20 year old nameplate wasted.


jtz7jtz7 - 7/1/2020 11:22:18 PM
+1 Boost
Nameplates wasted
Galant, Eclispe, XL7, Rodeo yet the Kia Optima sold better. So how is the Optima name a waste? The K900 is a waste both car and name plate. They cant sell mo more than 70models yet the Optima name can reach over 60M units a year.


vdivvdiv - 6/30/2020 9:53:40 PM
+3 Boost
Don't think that the Stinger as a HALO car for KIA was a failure. Think that it was at worst a stepping stone, they will keep upping their game. No car maker is safe with the Koreans nibbling at their heels, they are driven, and they are relentless.


MDarringerMDarringer - 7/1/2020 9:25:17 AM
-2 Boost
They overpriced the Stinger, then did no marketing, followed by no incentivized leasing. Kia killed the Stinger's chances from the get go.


Section_31_JTKSection_31_JTK - 6/30/2020 10:46:35 PM
-1 Boost
K5 is gonna be another failure. Great cars to buy in 3 years after the 50% depreciation though.
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