K5 owners across the world in the JD Power Ratings say their favorite things about the premium sedan are the exterior styling, driving feel, feeling of safety, interior design, and fuel economy.
Specifically, these five things about the vehicle ranked highest in comparison to other sedans in the car segment.
In a 100-Point Score that is based on hundreds of thousands of independent and unbiased opinions of verified car owners, K5 got an A+ in the ratings.
Owners’ evaluation of the K5’s design, performance, comfort, functionality, safety, and technology, comprise 82 out of 100 ratings.
The K5 owners are particularly thrilled with the car’s Exterior styling, Safety systems, Ability to hold personal items, Getting in and out of the front seats and usefulness of the infotainment functions
A midsize sedan, the 2021 Kia K5 replaces the Optima in Kia’s lineup, a vehicle that ranked high in the J.D Power 2020 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study despite its advancing age. It also replaces the Optima nameplate, presumably derived from the word “optimum” and used for 20 years on vehicles that mostly did more than less to live up to that promise.
As was true before, the new 2021 Kia K5 shares a platform, powertrains, and technology with the Hyundai Sonata, its corporate cousin. However, Kia puts its own spin on things with entirely different exterior styling and interior design, along with other details unique to this vehicle. It comes in LX, LXS, GT-Line, EX, and GT trim levels.
Christian Wardlaw, a veteran automotive journalist with over 25 years of experience in test-driving vehicles and JD Power expert says Kia’s midsize sedan, K5, has been a style leader in its segment.
“The all-new Kia K5 even looks more like a luxury car than a traditional family sedan,” he said
Exterior
The heartbeat lighting elements give K5 an unmistakable look, and the Gravity Gray paint sparkles in the sunlight. A fastback roofline suggests a rear hatch’s added utility like Kia’s own Stinger, but the K5 gets a roomy trunk instead. For a performance appearance, the K5 features more aggressive-looking front and rear bumpers.
Interior
Powertrain
If you want power and performance, get a Kia K5 GT. It’s got a turbocharged 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine good for a mighty 290 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 311 lb.-ft. of torque between 1,650 rpm and 4,000 rpm. An exclusive 8-speed wet dual-clutch automated manual transmission is standard with this power plant, which drives the car’s front wheels.
All other K5s have a turbocharged 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine. While it is not nearly as powerful as what’s under the GT’s hood, it delivers enough torque to make the K5 feel lively in everyday driving situations. It produces 180 hp at 5,000 rpm and 195 lb.-ft. of torque between 1,500 rpm and 4,500 rpm, and pairs with 8-speed automatic transmission. The car is front-wheel drive unless you’ve specified the optional all-wheel-drive system.
Comfort and Space
While the Kia K5 EX’s leatherette upholstery and simulated wood trim are not the real deal, it’s tough to tell the difference.
Combined with the metallic accents throughout the interior, the creative detailing around the air vents, and the aircraft-inspired transmission shifter, the K5’s cabin makes you feel like you spent more on this car than you did. That’s a good thing, and it goes a long way toward making owners happy with their purchases.
According to JD Power, there is plenty of room inside of the Kia K5, and with a low 0.27 coefficient of drag and an acoustic laminated windshield, the cabin is mostly free of wind and engine noise. Road noise, however, can be bothersome at times.
As the expert says, the K5 has the right mix of style, size, sophistication, safety, and value to remain on the radar of people who still prefer family-sized cars to compact SUVs.
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