By Jim Prueter
MotorwayAmerica.com

(June 11, 2021) It’s no secret that times are tough in the mid-sized family sedan segment as droves of car shoppers flock to sport utility vehicles, cross over utility vehicles and trucks. But rather than giving up on the segment, Kia has made the decision to fight the mid-size demise head on by introducing the all-new K5 sedan.

The all-new for 2021 K5 is a replacement vehicle for the outgoing Optima. The Optima has been a mainstay in the Kia portfolio of vehicles sold in the United States since 2001.

The K5 is a 4-door sedan that shares a platform with the Hyundai Sonata. The K5 is longer, lower and wider than the Optima and the first front-wheel-drive Kia sedan to also be offered with all-wheel-drive, a feature not available on the Sonata. The K5 is available in four trim levels, LX, LXS, GT-Line and our test K5 the EX.

The striking new exterior design is nothing short of compelling, bearing a strong resemblance to the Kia Stinger with its aggressive wide-grille that wraps around the front of the car, sleek-sloping roofline and sweeping side profile. We also liked its eye-catching front turn-signals with its zigzag design that mimics the look of a heartbeat monitor. It’s definitely distinctive and completely different from any other car as it grabs attention. that includes the Honda Accord, Nissan Altima and, Toyota Camry among others.

A strong case can be made that the taillights at the rear of the K5 are even cooler looking with a staccato lighting look with an expansive bar of lighted dashes across the entire rear of the K5.

We think styling is the best feature of the K5 and kudos to the Kia design studio for presenting a great looking family sedan. We think it’s the best-looking sedan in its competitive class

Inside, the K5 seats five with enough legroom for 6-footers to be comfortable in both rows of seats. Rear seat headroom however is in short supply given the sloping roofline especially for taller passengers. The overall look of the interior is both modern and upscale with generous amounts of soft-touch surfaces and attractive appointments such as matte finished wood trim about the dash and doors.

Standard upscale features in our EX included ambient interior lighting, both heated and ventilated front seats, panoramic sunroof with a power sunshade, wireless phone charger, and rear USB charger ports. Front seats are comfortable with ample power adjustments so most drivers will find an agreeable seat position.



The standard infotainment touchscreen is 8.9 inches with an optional 10.25-inch screen available. There are physical buttons immediately adjacent to the touchscreen to operate the infotainment as well as redundant buttons on the steering wheel. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration along with SiriusXM are all standard.

Our EX came equipped with the $3,400 optional infotainment and driver assistant equipment including the larger touchscreen with navigation, 12-speaker Bose premium audio system, heated steering wheel, forward collision avoidance assist, and cycle assist, smart cruise control with stop & go, safe exist assist with power child lock, parking collision avoidance for the rear, and more. Automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and lane keeping assistance are standard on all trim levels. Blind spot warning and monitoring and rear cross traffic warning come standard on LXS trim and above.



If we had one major complaint it was with the operation of the cruise control feature. It takes repeated attempts to engage the cruise control at the desired speed. When it did engage it seemed only by accident not by intuitive driver input. We also wished for a digital speed readout in the instrument cluster since the actual speedometer has extremely small markings and difficult to read.

Most K5 trim levels are powered by a 180-horsepower 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that pairs with an eight-speed automatic transmission. We found our front-drive EX delivered decent acceleration around town, getting up to highway speeds when entering the interstate and when passing. Engine and wind noise on the highway was well muted and conversations were executed with normal speaking voices. We think most buyers will be more than satisfied with the power and performance of the 1.6-liter engine.

The GT trim K5 is powered by a powerful 2.5-liter turbo-four that generates 290 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. We did not get an opportunity to drive that version of the K5.

We spent a good amount of time and miles on the interstate with real-world fuel economy delivering an impressive 38.6 mpg and overall of 34.6 mpg  combined city-highway driving easily besting federal EPA-DOT fuel economy rating of 37 mpg highway and 31 mpg combined.

Handling is predictable, cornering confident with body lean kept to a minimum. Steering is on the light side but on center. We thought our EX was nimble with sharp steering response, and both easy to drive and park. Bumps were well absorbed and brakes performed excellently with short stops with precise brake pedal feedback.

Overall, the impressively styled new K5 delivers a lot of car for the money with a striking stage presence. It’s a beauty both inside and out, loaded with standard safety and infotainment features with excellent road manners and impressive fuel economy for a non-hybrid family sedan. We also like that the K5 is offered with all-wheel drive, joining both Camry and Altima in the family sedan segment.

Vital Stats
Base Price: $27,990
Price As Tested: $32,355
What Makes It Go: 180-horsepower 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine connected to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
EPA Fuel Economy: 27/37/31-mpg city/Highway/Combined
Seating: 5

Crash Test Safety Ratings: Highest possible 2021 Top Safety Pick+ from the insurance Institute for Highway Safety and highest overall 5-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Where Built: West Point, Georgia

Competes With:
Chevrolet Malibu
Honda Accord
Hyundai Sonata
Nissan Altima
Subaru legacy
Toyota Camry
Volkswagen Passat

Fab Features
Gorgeous and modernistic styling inside and out
Loaded with upscale features and driver safety assist tech
Impressive fuel economy for non-hybrid sedan