Photo: Kia / edited
The K5 was introduced stateside for the 2021 model year as the replacement for the long-running Optima. Joined at the hip to the Hyundai Sonata, the mid-size sedan entered 2024 with one small change to its name. Pricing has also been revised, with Kia now asking $300 more for the entry-level LXS grade.
Regarding the aforementioned change, prospective customers of the GT-Line FWD will be happy to find out that heated front seats are now standard. This grade carries a manufacturer suggested retail price of $26,890 for 2024, which is $400 more than the 2023 model. The EX slots between the LXS and GT-Line FWD with a starting price of $29,290 sans destination.
The GT-Line can be had with all-wheel drive, the only K5 available with all-wheel drive, for an extra $1,600. Finally, the lineup is completed by the GT. What sets the range-topping version apart from the rest is the 2.5T GDI engine and dual-clutch transmission. By comparison, GT-Line AWD and lesser versions come with the 1.6T GDI and an automatic tranny.
Recalled in October 2022 due to a quality deviation affecting the dual-clutch transmission, the K5 GT puts out 290 horsepower and 311 pound-feet (422 Nm) of torque. As for the 1.6-liter engine, peak figures are listed as 180 horsepower and 195 pound-feet (264 Nm) for the United States market. Rather surprisingly, Kia North America recommends regular unleaded fuel (87-octane gasoline) for the 2.5T GDI in the K5 GT.
Fuel economy favors the 1.6T GDI, with the South Korean automaker promising up to 31 miles to the gallon (around 7.6 liters per 100 kilometers) on the EPA's combined test cycle. The GT-Line AWD is much obliged to return 28 miles per gallon (8.4 liters per 100 kilometers), and the GT is listed with 27 miles per gallon (circa 8.7 liters per 100 kilometers).
The largest FWD-biased sedan that Kia sells in this day and age, the K5 comes standard with 16-inch alloys, LED headlights, a 60/40 rear seat with a center armrest, and Bluetooth with Multi-Device Connectivity. The GT-Line improves on the LXS with 18s, dual-zone climate control, LED fog lamps, and an exterior styling kit. The EX improves the breed with a panoramic sunroof and a power sunshade. As for the GT, make that 19-inch alloys, larger brake rotors, a sport-tuned suspension, plus a quad-tipped exhaust system.
We all know the RWD-biased Stinger is going the way of the dodo for two reasons: poor sales and Kia's ongoing transition to all-electric vehicles. The K5 and technically similar Hyundai Sonata are believed to be dropped from the US lineup as well, with hearsay suggesting 2026 and 2025 as their final years. Whatever the future may hold, there's no denying that sedans are falling out of favor with Hyundai-Kia customers.
Hyundai delivered 55,131 units of the Sonata in 2022 stateside, down 41 percent from the 93,142 sales of the preceding calendar year. The situation isn't rosy at Kia either, with the K5 dropping from 92,342 units in 2021 to 66,298 in 2022.
The GT-Line can be had with all-wheel drive, the only K5 available with all-wheel drive, for an extra $1,600. Finally, the lineup is completed by the GT. What sets the range-topping version apart from the rest is the 2.5T GDI engine and dual-clutch transmission. By comparison, GT-Line AWD and lesser versions come with the 1.6T GDI and an automatic tranny.
Recalled in October 2022 due to a quality deviation affecting the dual-clutch transmission, the K5 GT puts out 290 horsepower and 311 pound-feet (422 Nm) of torque. As for the 1.6-liter engine, peak figures are listed as 180 horsepower and 195 pound-feet (264 Nm) for the United States market. Rather surprisingly, Kia North America recommends regular unleaded fuel (87-octane gasoline) for the 2.5T GDI in the K5 GT.
Fuel economy favors the 1.6T GDI, with the South Korean automaker promising up to 31 miles to the gallon (around 7.6 liters per 100 kilometers) on the EPA's combined test cycle. The GT-Line AWD is much obliged to return 28 miles per gallon (8.4 liters per 100 kilometers), and the GT is listed with 27 miles per gallon (circa 8.7 liters per 100 kilometers).
The largest FWD-biased sedan that Kia sells in this day and age, the K5 comes standard with 16-inch alloys, LED headlights, a 60/40 rear seat with a center armrest, and Bluetooth with Multi-Device Connectivity. The GT-Line improves on the LXS with 18s, dual-zone climate control, LED fog lamps, and an exterior styling kit. The EX improves the breed with a panoramic sunroof and a power sunshade. As for the GT, make that 19-inch alloys, larger brake rotors, a sport-tuned suspension, plus a quad-tipped exhaust system.
We all know the RWD-biased Stinger is going the way of the dodo for two reasons: poor sales and Kia's ongoing transition to all-electric vehicles. The K5 and technically similar Hyundai Sonata are believed to be dropped from the US lineup as well, with hearsay suggesting 2026 and 2025 as their final years. Whatever the future may hold, there's no denying that sedans are falling out of favor with Hyundai-Kia customers.
Hyundai delivered 55,131 units of the Sonata in 2022 stateside, down 41 percent from the 93,142 sales of the preceding calendar year. The situation isn't rosy at Kia either, with the K5 dropping from 92,342 units in 2021 to 66,298 in 2022.
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