2021 Kia K5 Post Motor1.com Test-Drive: “Sharp and Sporty, and Loaded with Style”

Jeff Perez was eager to “pour one out for the Kia Optima” in the form of celebration and praise last week on the Motor1.com blog for sweeping the core values of the Optima and coming up with a sedan that dials things up a notch in the style department. Solid equipment, a comfortable ride, and loads of safety features carry over to the new K5, coming for the 2021 model year. Boasting visually-appealing new elements like sharp LED “Heart Beat” amber running lights, a slimmed-down “Tiger Nose” grille, and a full-width light bar in the rear, Jeff claims there that the K5 looks even better than the crosstown competitor Mazda6!

The Motor1.com team tested both the GT-Line and the EX, which came with an eye-catching blue paint job and 18-inch wheels. They had to admit that the GT-line looked even better with sporty cues such as a shark skin-inspired grille mesh, 18-inch wheels, and exhaust tips with aggressive new styling. The K5 GT-Line also gets a Wolf Gray paint job that some even thinks draws influences from legendary trackster Porsche. The interior on the GT line is the only trim that now comes standard with red, faux leather seats, a flat-bottomed, leather-stitched steering wheel, and a shifter with aluminum fixtures.

 

The EX model seems at first more basic in appearance, but it does offer a few materials that are more high-quality. There is the addition of standard black leatherette, soft black plastic on the door panels, aluminum and wood trim on the dash, and piano black plastic around the touchscreen and instrument cluster that feels more durable to the Motor1.com team that what is found in the GT-Line. And thankfully for all of our customers here at Jim Butler Kia of St Louis, the team here claims that “You can't go wrong with either” when discerning the two models.

The K5 has a clean, spacious cabin layout that provides more than enough comfort for both front and rear passengers, and the exquisite leatherette feels as close to cowhide as anything as the team had ever been planted in previously. There are two available touchscreens: the 8.0-inch and optional 10.3-inch. The response time on the UVO entertainment system is rated as excellent, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connect instantly once you hop inside.

Both models have wireless charging, one of the most useful features of a car when you just

want to kick back, not dig for a port, and assure that you are rejuvenating the juice in your

device. If you are waiting on the model that is truly like a “mini-Stinger”, the full-fledged K5 GT with 290 horsepower and all-wheel drive is going to deliver on the promise of a quick launch off the line and robust track-ready handling. Cornering is great for its class – the K5 is flatter and smoother than rivals like the Subaru Legacy and Nissan Altima. We’ll keep you posted on all-important arrival dates and spec changes, and hope the St Louis area summer is finding you safely distanced outdoors and soaking up rays whenever possible!

Autoblog.com Highlights The Kinetic Energy and Performance of the Kia K5

We saw some unbelievable fireworks over the 4^th this year at Jim Butler Kia of St Louis, and were able to squeeze in a few safe and distanced backyard events with our family and friends. It was fantastic to enjoy the rays and heat, think about the laurels our nation was built on, and also talk about what we love to talk about all day: incoming car models! This week the staff on duty at Autoblog.com cranked out a feature about the coming K5 and immediately began by saying it was poised to be the next-best thing.

Delivering the practicality and comfort expected of a modern midsize sedan, the “K5” has been the name of the Korean-market Optima since its major redesign ten years ago, and with the coming of the 2021 model, it's will see presence in the States. Along with the re-branding comes an entire overhaul to the four-door family car, including available all-wheel drive and a new performance GT model that everyone who already has great love for the Stinger should well appreciate. On the outside, you still are greeted by the “tiger face” design Kia is known for, but there is also plenty more to see underneath the sheet metal.

The incoming sedan will be offered with two turbocharged engines and for the first time in a front-wheel-drive Kia, an all-wheel-drive option will be on deck for those who are looking for more all-weather capability. The base engine will be a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder that produces 180 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. The base model LX will see that engine paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive. On the LXS and GT line, there will be the availability of all-wheel drive.

If raw and heart-pumping performance is what you are after, the GT model is the way you want to go. It is powered by Kia's new 2.5-liter turbo-4, cranking out 290 hp and a class-leading 311 lb-ft of torque powered with an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. This combo boasts a 0-60 time of just 5.8 seconds, enough to assure that you have about the furthest thing from a snail's presence in automotive existence.

 

Inside, the K5 sees several different upgrades over the outgoing Optima. Shown here in the GT-Line and GT guise, the interior is now going to be available with perforated leather seating options with contrast stitching for a little added flavor in the style department. The flat-bottom steering wheel pictured is also exclusive to the GT and GT-line trims. We definitely think that the sporty GT trim is the most exciting: borrowing elements from the thrilling and track-ready Stinger, it will inspire you to embrace every inch of asphalt with the raw enjoyment that only a sedan can convey!