A decade after Kia's third-generation Optima totally repositioned Kia's status in the midsize car hierarchy, the fifth generation of Kia's midsize car is poised to once again shift the balance in the midsize segment.
This is the 2021 Kia K5, a dramatic sedan with a fastback silhouette riding on Kia's new N3 platform. There were three main priorities when developing the new N3 platform: safety, weight reduction, and performance. The 2021 K5 returns other benefits, as well, including greater interior space and a longer, lower, wider profile.
New to Kia's intermediate car is a turbocharged powerplant. It's a 1.6-liter that generates 180 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque, and it's linked to an 8-speed automatic. There will be an optional turbocharged engine, as well: a 2.5-liter pumping out 290 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque. That engine will be linked to a different transmission; an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic.
Inside, the 2021 Kia K5 will ofer touchscreens of either 8.0 or 10.25 inches in dimension, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, and a 12-speaker Bose audio system. Advanced safety tech will also be common place in the K5: forward collision warning, forward collision-avoidance assist, driver attention warning, and lane following assist.
Kia Canada will release more details regarding the 2021 Kia K5 LX, K5 EX, and K5 GT-Line in the fall of 2020, shortly before the K5 lands on the lot at Centennial Kia in Summerside.
