Automotive News believes that the Kia K5, which came to replace the Optima sedan a couple of years ago, may itself retire soon. The Stinger fastback has even less market time left, with sources claiming that the production ends next quarter. Kia does not confirm this information, nor does it deny it.
According to the reports, it will take between three and five years for Kia to phase out the K5 from its range. In all likelihood, the company will gradually remove the sedan from different markets while simultaneously introducing a new EV as a replacement.
As for the Stinger, sources claim it might be replaced in the coming few months. The high-end Kia EV6 is viewed upon as the likeliest successor.
As the demand falls for sedans, light passenger cars and ICE cars in general, manufacturers are looking into optimizing their lineups. Carscoops reports that the Kia K5 and Optima still sell reasonably well in the United States at around 100,000 units per year combined. This is around a half of what the company used to sell in 2012-2015, when the Optima was at the peak of popularity. The Stinger is far worse off than the Optima with only around 13,000 units finding new owners every year.