The new 2025 Kia K5 is a sedan that dares to be different. It combines a sleek design, a powerful performance, and a rich array of features to offer a premium driving experience. The new K5 made its North American debut at the Chicago Auto Show on February 8, 2024, and it is expected to hit the dealerships in the spring of 2024.
What Makes the New Kia K5 So Special?
The new Kia K5 is the successor of the popular Kia Optima, but it is more than just a name change. It is a complete makeover that reflects Kia’s bold and innovative approach to the sedan segment. Here are some of the highlights of the new K5:
- A new platform that is lighter, stronger, and more rigid than the previous generation, resulting in better handling, stability, and safety.
- A new design language that is inspired by the Kia Stinger, featuring a tiger nose grille, a fastback silhouette, a dual exhaust system, and LED lighting. The new K5 also offers nine exterior colors and five interior options to suit different tastes and personalities.
- A new engine lineup that includes a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that delivers 290 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque, paired with an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. This is the most powerful engine ever offered in a Kia sedan, and it can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds. The new K5 also offers a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that produces 180 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Both engines feature gasoline direct injection and continuously variable valve duration technologies that enhance fuel efficiency and emissions.
- A new all-wheel-drive system is available for the first time in a Kia sedan, providing enhanced traction and control in various road conditions. The new K5 also offers a drive mode selector that allows the driver to choose from four modes: normal, sport, smart, and custom, each with different settings for the engine, transmission, steering, and AWD.
- A new infotainment system that features a 10.25-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, a 12-speaker Bose premium sound system, a wireless smartphone charger, and a navigation system with real-time traffic information. The new K5 also offers a head-up display that projects key information on the windshield, a digital instrument cluster that can be customized, and a remote start function that can be activated via a smart key or a smartphone app.
- A new suite of advanced driver assistance systems that includes forward collision-avoidance assist, blind-spot collision-avoidance assist, rear cross-traffic collision-avoidance assist, lane following assist, lane keeping assist, driver attention warning, smart cruise control, highway driving assist, safe exit assist, and rear occupant alert. The new K5 also offers a surround-view monitor that provides a 360-degree view of the vehicle’s surroundings and a smart parking assist that can automatically park the vehicle in parallel or perpendicular spaces.