Kia K5: Everything You Need to Know
What Car Shoppers Need to Know
- The Kia K5 is a mid-size sedan with front- or all-wheel drive.
- The K5 GT offers 290 horsepower.
- Pricing starts at $28,735 (all prices include destination).
While the American automakers have given up on the mid-size sedan, the Japanese and Korean automakers are sticking with it. Kia’s entry into this formerly dominant class is the 2026 Kia K5. An attractive and roomy choice for the family, the K5 comes in several trim levels, including a sporty GT trim that is unmatched by the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord for power and performance.
Related: How Much Is the 2026 Kia K5?
Pricing
Even the base K5 LXS model is well equipped. It starts at $28,735. Equipment increases by trim level from there, but the performance-oriented GT trim isn’t the line-topper. That distinction goes to the EX trim, which gets so many features that it costs the most. The GT-Line trim is available with FWD or AWD, and all other versions get FWD.
Pricing for the Kia K5 is as follows:
- LXS: $28,735
- GT-Line: $29,735
- GT-Line AWD: $31,335
- GT: $34,835
- EX: $36,235
- ${price_badge()}
- ${ami_badge()}
- ${battery_badge()}${ev_report_link()}
- ${hot_car_badge()}
- ${award_badge()}
- ${cpo_badge()}
${price_badge_description}
${ami_badge_description}
The EV Battery Rating is based on this vehicle's current expected range relative to the vehicles expected range when new. ${battery_badge_text}
This vehicle is certified pre-owned, backed by a manufacturer warranty, and typically undergoes a rigorous multi-point inspection to ensure quality and reliability.
This vehicle is currently in high demand given its competitive price, desirable features, and overall condition, and may have a higher chance of selling quickly.
Shop the 2026 Kia K5 near you
Trims and Features
Kia makes its Drive Wise set of safety features standard on all K5 trims. It comes with forward collision warning with pedestrian and bicyclist detection, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane-centering steering, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitors, rear cross-traffic alert with automatic braking, a driver-attention monitor, front and rear parking sensors, and automatic high-beam headlights. The EX adds a 360-degree camera system, blind spot view cameras, side parking sensors and rear automatic emergency braking.
LXS
The K5 LXS comes standard with LED exterior lighting front and rear, heated side mirrors and 16-inch alloy wheels. Inside, it gets manually adjustable front seats, cloth upholstery, keyless entry and start, and dual-zone automatic climate control. The tech features consist of a 12.3-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a six-speaker audio system.
GT-Line
The GT-Line gets a sportier look but not sportier equipment. It’s set on gloss-black 18-inch wheels and features a more open lower front end, a different grille mesh and black exterior mirrors to match the GT trim. The cabin gets synthetic leather upholstery, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats, a flat-bottom steering wheel, navigation, a wireless charger and upgraded interior trim, including leather on the door panels.
GT
For those who want something spicy, there’s the GT trim. It gets the turbocharged engine, plus a sport-tuned suspension, quicker steering, larger brakes (13.6-inch front and 12.8-inch rear rotors versus standard 12- and 11.2-inch discs) with green calipers and 19-inch wheels that mount wider tires. The cabin also has green contrast stitching. A panoramic moonroof completes the changes.
EX
The EX trim also has the panoramic moonroof but not the GT’s performance bits. It makes up for those omissions with added equipment that includes a power-adjustable front passenger seat, memory for the driver’s seat, ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, faux wood interior trim and a 12-speaker Bose sound system.
Related Video:
Fuel Economy
The base engine is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that produces 191 hp and 182 pounds-feet of torque. It comes in the LXS, GT-Line and EX trim levels. It’s backed by an eight-speed automatic transmission and comes exclusively with FWD in all trim levels except the GT-Line, where AWD is a $1,600 option. The GT trim gets a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder that raises output to 290 hp and 311 pounds-feet of torque. It uses an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that comes with steering-wheel paddle shifters for drivers wanting to choose their own gears.
The K5 LXS is the leader for fuel economy in the lineup thanks to the base engine, FWD, and smaller wheels and tires. The other FWD trims with the base engine lose 1 mpg combined, and the AWD GT-Line loses 3 mpg combined. Below are the ratings for every K5 trim level.
| Trim Level | Engine | Drive Type | City MPG | Highway MPG | Combined MPG |
| LXS | 191-hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder | FWD | 26 | 37 | 30 |
| GT-Line/EX | 191-hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder | FWD | 25 | 36 | 29 |
| GT-Line | 191-hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder | AWD | 24 | 33 | 27 |
| GT | 290-hp, turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder | FWD | 23 | 33 | 27 |
Interior
The K5 gets standard manually adjustable front seats, but the GT-Line adds a power driver’s seat with memory and the GT brings a power front passenger seat. Cloth upholstery is standard, and the GT-Line switches to synthetic leather; real leather is not available. Both the red upholstery available for the GT-Line, and the green contrast stitching in the GT add a sporty look.
While the K5 has adequate room front and rear, the 35.2 inches of rear legroom trails the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry by at least 2.8 inches. The trunk is moderately sized at 15.6 cubic feet, but holding capacity expands thanks to 60/40-split, folding rear seats.
The K5’s interior is outfitted appropriately for the price and looks nearly upscale beyond the base model. The available 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster makes it look high-tech, too, but buyers need to move up to the EX to get it, as well as the Bose audio system. GT buyers can get those features in a pricey $4,400 package that adds a lot of the EX’s other features, as well.
What’s New for 2026?
The K5 gets very minor changes for 2026. They consist of the new gloss-black wheels for the GT-Line trim level and the elimination of the “GT” logo on the GT trim’s brake calipers. Notably, the 2025 K5 received several updates. Under the hood, the base 2.5-liter four-cylinder replaced a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder. The change improved horsepower, from 180 to 191 hp. It also received new headlights and taillights, an available 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen under a single piece of glass, standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and more features for the top EX trim level.
Read More About the Kia K5 on Cars.com:
2021 Kia K5 News and Articles
- Hyundai Sonata, Kia K5 Sedans Recalled for Fuel Tank Fire Risk
- Nearly 189,000 Kia K5s Recalled for Faulty Airbags
- How Do Car Seats Fit in a 2021 Kia K5?
- Is the 2021 Kia K5 Sedan a Good Car? 6 Pros and 3 Cons
- 2021 Kia K5 Sedan Review: Former Optima Is Nearly Optimal
- 2021 Kia K5: Mr. Optima, I Presume?
2022 Kia K5 News and Articles
- 2022 Kia K5 Enters Sophomore Year With New Features, Pricing
- Kia Recalls 100,000 K5s for Detaching Window Trim
2023 Kia K5 News and Articles
2024 Kia K5 News and Articles
2025 Kia K5 News and Articles
- 82,000-Plus 2025 Kia K5s Recalled for Parking Lights
- 2025 Kia K5: New Tech, Engine and Face, Priced from $28,145
- 2024 Hyundai Sonata Vs. 2025 Kia K5 Vs. 2025 Toyota Camry: Auto Show Faceoff
- 2025 Kia K5 Up Close: Mid-Size Master
- 2025 Kia K5 Gets More Power, More Tech, Sharp New Looks
2026 Kia K5 News and Articles
● How Much Is the 2026 Kia K5?
Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.
