Kia has been excellent at building cars that seem more expensive than they are. The K5 is the latest entry in the competitive mid-size segment.
Two engine options are offered on the 2021 K5: A 180-horsepower turbocharged 1.6L four cylinder, and a 290-horsepower turbocharged 2.5L four 4 cylinder. Both engines are mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission.
The K5 range includes the FWD LX, LXS, GT-Line, EX, and GT, while the LXS and GT-Line are offered with all-wheel drive. Standard equipment across all K5 models include LED headlights and daytime running lights, dual zone automatic climate control, AM/FM/HD stereo with six speakers, Bluetooth, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, an 8-inch touchscreen, cruise control, and USB ports.
Stepping into the GT adds fog lights, 20-inch wheels and heated front seats, the EX takes those heated seats and adds ventilation for to help keep the driver and passenger cool in the summer.
Safety features across the lineup include 9 airbags, an active lane departure system, forward collision mitigation, rear collision warning, pedestrian detection, and a driver attention alert. All trims but the LX also have a blind spot warning system and the EX and GT trims both have rear parking sensors.