Youngsters do not sketch SUVs in research corridor and automotive designers do not spend years at school working their method as much as studio boss to determine how to attract a grille and headlights on a potato. The designers we all know dream of penning efficiency vehicles, and whereas the 2021 Kia K5 is not precisely that, it undoubtedly appears to be like like one.
“Longer and decrease with a wider monitor” seems like a Chevy advert from the ’50s, however these descriptors belong to Kia’s mid-size sedan, too. In contrast with the Optima it replaces, the K5 measures two inches longer and almost an inch decrease and has an additional 0.Eight inch between the tires. The proportions and design yield a hanging automotive that belies its front-drive structure, the $24,455 beginning worth. We drove a GT-Line mannequin with an asking worth of $27,955, however a mechanically similar EX went to the check monitor and that is the place the numbers got here from. Aesthetes who discover the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry too widespread won’t flip their noses up on the K5.
Whereas the styling pleases eyes, the K5 is satisfying in lots of different methods. The bottom engine is a 180-hp turbocharged 1.6-liter 4 shared with the Sonata, and it is paired to an eight-speed automated—no rubber-band CVT right here. Shifts are easy and fast, and the proper gears are referred to as up with none fuss. Low-end torque feels extra considerable than its peak of 195 pound-feet at 1500 rpm signifies, and the turbo makes itself felt instantly. Stomp it and the K5 will get to 60 in 7.Zero seconds.
Enterprise past 5000 rpm and the engine moans, one thing you will not hear in an Accord. Pushed extra sedately, the K5 hums 67 decibels of sound into the cabin at 70 mph. All GT-Line and EX fashions have the identical suspension tuning as the bottom K5, however they use 18-inch wheels with wider Pirelli all-season tires than the entry trim’s 16s. Sharp impacts expose an absence of isolation. Whereas not a deal breaker, it is value noting that an Accord sops up the identical hits with much less coarseness. It is probably the shorter sidewalls of the 18-inch wheels and the one-size-fits-all tuning are in charge. The steering is each unerringly secure at freeway speeds and deft and responsive whenever you’re sawing via a canyon highway or attention-grabbing on-ramp.
A radically angled windshield lends a sports-car temper to the driving expertise, and the seating place is great. Rear-seat house is beneficiant and cozy. A 10.3-inch touchscreen is on the market on some trim ranges, however the GT-Line comes with an 8.0-inch display screen. Each sprout out of the sprint and are flanked by bodily buttons that make switching between features straightforward. The instrument panel has a BMW-ness to it, and materials high quality all through the cabin is nice. Apple and Android cellphone mirroring is wi-fi on all fashions with the standard 8.0-inch infotainment display screen, however unusually, you will want a cable in case you improve to the 10.3-incher.
The K5 inches nearer to the Accord’s capability to ship on a regular basis pleasure. A little bit of suspension tuning to extend isolation and refinement would give it the manners to match its designer appears to be like.
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