The 2021 Kia K5, the Korean automaker's new midsize sedan, is ready to hit Canadian showrooms next month. The all-wheel-drive-only 1.6L turbocharged version of the sedan will come first followed by the front-wheel-drive model and 290-hp GT performance version, which should be here in the winter. Pricing for the new sedan starts from just under $30,000.
With the K5 getting loads of tech and standard all-wheel drive, the price change versus the Optima it replaces is smaller than expected. The new K5 will be just $1,100 more than the 2020 Optima, starting from $29,995 for the new LX trim. Kia will offer that along with EX and GT-Line, all with AWD and a 180-hp 1.6L turbocharged four-cylinder engine with a new eight-speed automatic transmission.
Also new to the K5 is a standard 8.0 or optional 10.25-inch touchscreen with wireless versions of both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto coming with the smaller screen (but strangely not the larger). Driver aids include forward collision warning and avoidance assist, blind spot collision avoidance assist, driver attention warning, and lane following assist all standard, with junction turning (warns of collisions when you're making a left turn across traffic) optional.
Arriving a bit later is the GT trim with 290 hp and 311 lb-ft from a 2.5L turbocharged four-cylinder engine with a new eight-speed dual-clutch automatic, which will start from $39,995. Kia says the K5's new platform has better sound deadening, as well as roomier interior dimensions, and should provide improved handling.
2021 Kia K5 Canadian Pricing
LX $29,595
EX $32,595
GT-Line $35,995
GT $39,995