Kiaseems unstoppable right now, rolling out acclaimed models like Koreanclockwork: The curvaceous, Audi-esque Stinger sedan, a smartly redesigned Soulcrossover and the Telluride midsize SUV that’s now loaded to its handsome roofwith accolades, including being named Utility of the Year in the 2020 NorthAmerican Car, Utility and Truck of the Year Awards (I’m a juror on the panel,and it got my vote).
Chalkup another winner with the K5. This replacement for the Optima launches Kiainto the big leagues of family sedans, with the brand’s now-familiar tripleplay of style, thoughtful features and value.
Truly great-looking family sedans are rare, and always have been. Put the K5 on a short list of current, four-door fashion plates, joining the Mazda6. Where the old Optima had a “Tiger Nose,” in Kia design parlance, this one gets an entire “Tiger Face” with a stretched, clamshell hood that curls over its slim grille. That grille opening is lined with a geometric, dark-gray mesh that Kia calls “sharkskin-inspired.” Running lights zigzag along front fenders and trace below LED headlamps. Front air vents aren’t functional, but look the sporty part. A rakish fastback roof and gym-sculpted body instantly recall the pricier Stinger.
It’sthe same story inside. A contemporary, unfussy layout helps even a base-modelK5 LX, at $24,455 including destination come across like a more-expensivesedan. On top of the base, there are four other trims: LXS, GT-Line, EX and GT.The Higher-end models—verge on Genesis entry-luxury territory. The EX’s fauxwood might convince a lumberjack it’s the real thing. It’s not that Kia’smaterials are so much better than, say, Honda’s or Toyota’s. It’s more thedesigners’ evident, loving attention to details; from smoothly damped switchesand elegant trims, to the flat-bottom, leather-wrapped steering wheel and GT-badgedred upholstery (cloth with leatherette inserts) of the midgrade GT-Line.
TheGT-Line’s fat roster of features includes standard 18-inch alloy wheels, LEDfog lamps and rear taillamps, a remote start, five UBS ports, dual-zone climatecontrol and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. A blackroof, black rear spoiler and dual chrome-tipped exhausts further differentiatesits look from the rest of the lineup.
For another $1,600, a GT-Line Premium Package adds a panoramic sunroof with a power shade, LED projector headlamps, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go ability, wireless phone charging, LED interior lighting and a forward collision avoidance system for cyclists and junction turning.
All that puts the GT-Line at $28,400 out-the-door, a price that reads like a misprint considering its curb appeal and comprehensive equipment.
The EX model’s additional goodies include a larger 10.3-inch touchscreen (up from 8 inches on other versions), a panoramic sunroof, 12-speaker Bose audio system and heated and ventilated front seats. And compared with some competitors, Kia’s high-mounted touchscreens remain blessedly easy and intuitive to use.
Every K5 gets Kia’s DriveWise suite of advanced driver-assistance safety technology, with collision avoidance assists for the front, blind spots and rear cross-traffic; lane-keeping and lane-following systems, safe-exit assist, a driver-attention warning and adaptive high beams. And when tested in New York City, the K5’s adaptive cruise control (in conjunction with standard lane-keeping assist) performed better than on some luxury models, smoothly regulating speed in traffic and staying centered in its lane without ping-ponging from marker to marker.
Sharing its new “N3” platform with the latest Hyundai Sonata, the K5 is 2 inches longer, 1 inch wider and 0.8-inches lower than the departed Optima. The wheelbase stretches an additional two inches, resulting in a skosh more rear seat space. Despite its downsloping roofline, the K5 does a good job of preserving headroom for taller rear passengers. It’s quite comfortable for two six-foot-plus adults, though on-paper legroom is modest by class standards, with 35.2 inches versus the Honda Accord’s sprawling 40.4-inch backseat. The 16-cubic-foot trunk is enormous, nearly matching the Honda’s 16.7 cubes, and topping the trunks of a Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima or Mazda6. The 60/40-splitting rear seats fold flat to make even room for longer gear.
EveryK5, aside from the GT model (not to be confused with the GT-Line) gets aturbocharged, 1.6-liter four-cylinder with 180 horsepower and 195-pound feet oftorque. All models come configured with a front-wheel drivetrain, with availableall-wheel drive on the LXS and GT-Line. The engine uses an eight-speedautomatic transmission shifts smoothly and helps deliver class-average EPA fueleconomy. The GT-Line in FWD achieves 27 mpg in city driving, 37 mpg on the highwayand 31 mpg combined. Other K5 models manage 1-mpg better in all three measures;AWD drops mpg slightly.
If the Kia’s design and features set a high bar, the driving experience brings it back to suburban earth, at least in the initial GT-Line model. A long drive from New York to Rhode Island showed the K5 to be a pleasant conveyance at all times, with a softly sprung manner and a bit more road noise and intrusion from bumps than the vault-like Accord. The engine emits a modest hum, and will escort the K5 to 60 mph in roughly 7.2 seconds. The tiny turbo engine doesn’t much enjoy being wrung out, as evidenced by a transmission that shifts well before the 6,500-rpm redline. As with its Hyundai Sonata stablemate, the Kia’s steering is accurate and trusty, but there’s little feel or frisky character as in a Mazda6 or Accord. Let’s be clear: Most family-sedan buyers put a low priority on sporty handling, if they consider it at all. For people who drive Camrys or Nissan Altimas—or Chevy Malibus and Ford Fusions before those now-defunct sedans were overwhelmed by SUVs—the K5 should feel as familiar as an old friend.
Aselectable Sport mode mildly stiffens the steering, holds transmission gearslonger and sneaks some engine noise into the cabin via audio speakers, butdoesn’t change the car’s essential character. And the GT-Line alone adds paddleshifters, which made for some diversion over our long trip. Kia also offersoptional all-wheel-drive on LXS and GT-Line versions, diverging from theSonata’s front-drive-only approach.
Forgenuine diversion, Type-A sedan buyers are directed to the top-end K5 GT,starting from $31,455. Coming to showrooms in November, the GT aims to drop abomb on the segment with a turbocharged 2.5-liter four with 290 horsepower, 311pound-feet of torque and an eight-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission.That’s more horsepower by far than any four-cylinder, mainstream family sedan,and topped only by the Toyota Camry’s optional, 301-horsepwoer V6. Thatenlarged turbo four should hustle the K5 from zero to -60 mph in less than sixseconds, in speedy line with the V6 Camry, turbocharged Nissan Altima andAccord Sport.
Regardless of the model, the K5 makes a strong case for inclusion on family-sedan shopping lists, from its smartly designed interior to impeccable value. For style-conscious buyers, the fact that it doesn’t look like a typical family sedan might be the deciding factor.
