Kia K5 - Review, Specs, Pricing, Features, Videos and More

Kia showed off its updated K5 in October but said its full list of changes would have to wait. At the Chicago Auto Show this month, the wait ended, and the brand pulled back the curtain on the updated sedan. Changes are sweeping, including a new engine option, more standard features, and better, newer tech.

Starting with the powertrain, Kia says it has axed the K5’s previous 1.6 turbo powertrain in favor of its 2.5-liter naturally-aspirated four-cylinder. Here, it’ll produce 191 horsepower and 181 lb-ft of torque in all trims but the GT trim. The GT trim level is unchanged, still making use of sporty upgraded components like suspension, brakes, and more, as well as a 290-hp turbocharged engine and dual-clutch automatic transmission.

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You learn very quickly that the traction-off setting in the 2021 Kia K5 GT really means off.

Not every modern car is honest on that front. But the K5 is. Switch into the Sport Plus driving mode—exclusive to the GT—and this sharp-suited sedan will happily lay down two thick strips of rubber on the road. Uh, if you’re so inclined.

It’s this honest approach to simple fun that defines the K5 GT. Kia’s new sport sedan doesn’t offer layers upon layers of obfuscation between driver and road in the quest for smooth, efficient progress. It doesn’t shield you from its occasionally scrappy nature, either. That’s what makes it such a welcome addition to the four-door landscape—and at a great deal, too.

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The market’s ongoing obsession with crossovers has forced an interesting evolution of the mid-size sedan.

Take these two cars here: the all-wheel drive versions of both the Toyota Camry and new Kia K5. The Camry used to be the punchline of automotive jokes, an appliance for those who saw driving as a necessary evil. When the current model arrived in 2018, it ushered in dramatic new looks, with underpinnings that even seemed to relish the occasional back-road jaunt—especially in fun, affordable TRD trim. A move to the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform also allowed for the addition of all-wheel drive, providing an added level of security for sedan hold-outs.

Over at Kia, the K5 debuted this year as the replacement for the Optima. The brand has done its homework, closely mirroring the best-selling Camry’s available features. It marries handsome styling to available AWD, a torquey turbocharged engine, and even a hi-po GT trim to fight off the TRD Camry. Kia’s traditional value approach is at play here, too.

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Kia might be killin’ it lately with its SUV lineup, but that doesn’t mean it’s forgotten what got it to where it is today.

At the turn of the century, the mid-size sedan was still the place to be in the automotive kingdom. Everyone was in on the action, and Toyota built a veritable empire on the back of the Camry’s reputation. Kia threw its hat into the ring in 2000, knowing that to be taken seriously, it needed to fight on the main card. In the intervening 20 years, Kia has kept improving its four-door offering, culminating in this, the 2021 Kia K5.

Times change though: the metric for success is now the crossover. That’s what makes the K5’s arrival feel like such a grudge match. Kia didn’t have to put a lot of effort into this fight, since the spotlight is shining elsewhere. Instead, it’s built a lean, mean fighter ready to worry other sedans, packed with practical solutions to the everyday grind and a bevy of high-tech features. Beyond that, the K5’s camera-friendly looks might even draw eyeballs away from the current heavyweight crossovers, with a style none of ’em can hope to match.

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It’s no secret the Honda Accord is the knee-jerk reaction for anyone shopping in the mid-size sedan market. Over 40 years of refining and honing has made the Honda an unbeatable all-rounder, capable of transporting a family and their things reliably and in comfort, for a reasonable sum.

Kia wants to make a point with its flashy exterior design on the K5, but the message is more than skin-deep. A handsome interior plays host to a well-equipped technological suite. All-wheel drive is available for maximum sure-footedness, but the party piece is the K5 GT with its 290-hp turbocharged engine.

Does Kia provide enough style and substance to make would-be Accord shoppers swoon? We line the two up for a head-to-head feature and capability comparison.

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