The world is a strange place. In a way, the Kia Optima has become the K5, and it looks amazing. Not only that: it offers a 290-horsepower, 311-pound-foot 2.5-liter turbocharged engine bolted to a dual-clutch transmission, and it can apparently go from zero to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds. Just look at this thing.
Damn Kia has been crushing him lately, which is a phrase I’ve heard him say many times over the past decade. Just last week, I He called the new Kia Sedona minivan “beautiful.” When the Kia Telluride came out, everyone sang the praises of the SUV. And the stinger? Everyone agrees that, among sports sedans, it is the real business. So given that kind of boost, it shouldn’t surprise me that the new Kia K5 looks as good as it does.
My coworker Jason has already sung the praises of the new Kia K5 in its history. “Holy Crap The new 2021 Kia Optima looks great“So I’m not going to get too far on the design side of things. I’m just going to say I dig the ‘Tiger Nose’ fascia (with the grille texture Kia says inspired my shark skin) and daytime running lights. “Heartbeat”.
Let’s get into the hardware: the standard engine is a 1.6-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder (with continuously variable valve life) making 180 HP and 195 pound-feet of torque, which is sent through a conventional eight-speed automatic transmission to the front wheels or all four wheels.
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The highest trim level, the GT, has a 2.5-liter inline turbocharged engine, generating 290 hp and 311 lb-ft of torque, sending it all through a standard wet dual-clutch transmission and then to the front wheels. Optimal composite overhang up to 245 HP and 260 pound-feet, in case you were curious, and sent that power through a six-speed car (although a seven-speed dual clutch was available on 1.6 models).
“For now, only all-wheel drive will be offered with the 1.6,” a Kia representative told me by phone about the K5. It’s a shame it seems like all-wheel drive is mainly there to help with winter driving, and not so much for performance reasons; a high powered all wheel drive model could have been great. But hey, maybe the front-wheel drive GT will be a lot of fun? The 1.6-liter weighs only about 3,200 pounds; If the GT is close to that, I bet it could be fast on a track.
The K5 is on a new platform that Kia calls “N3”. The vehicle is two inches longer than the outgoing Optima, one inch wider, 1.8 inches longer in wheelbase, but 0.8 inches shorter. Kia says the K5 is quieter than the Optima, and that its MacPherson front suspension and multi-link rear have been “optimized for sporty handling, responsiveness and stability.”
The interior also looks great, especially on the GT. The standard infotainment screen is eight inches wide, while a 10.25-inch screen is optional. Apple carplay is standard, as is dual-zone temperature control, in case you’re curious.
There are plenty of standard and available safety features, too, with Lane Keeping Assist, Forward Collision Avoidance Assist and High Beam Assist as standard, and Navigation-based Smart Cruise Control (which slows the car down corners) and Highway Driving Assistance (which acts as adaptive cruise control and also adjusts speed based on speed limits) as options.
The Kia K5 goes on sale this summer, with all-wheel drive models coming later in the year.
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