Toronto Kia
Posted on October 20, 2023
The oldest automobile manufacturer of South Korea is reinventing itself with a new logo while also changing the company’s name from Kia Motors to just Kia. But that is not the only change made by the company. Kia went ahead to rethink its brand strategy for its mid-size sedan, the Optima, and finally decided to drop the two-decade-old name and in favor of the new K5 designation. Introduced in 2021, the Kia K5 was a complete makeover for the mid-size sedan with a much more aggressive-looking design and attractive features.
While all this highly worked in favor of the company, it went to release the latest version of the car—the 2022 Kia K5. Although the new K5 does not feature any major change, it does include a new GT-line AWD trim and a list of interesting tech and convenience features that make the car the best in its segment.
Down below are our 10 most favorite features in the latest 2022 Kia K5 that make it stand out from its affordable midsize sedan competition.
The 2022 Kia K5 offers an impressive flagship-level exterior styling that can grab anyone’s attention with the details. The mid-level sedan looks extremely aggressive, probably even more than the Kia Stinger which happens to be the flagship car for Kia’s lineup. The GT trim of the latest K5 sports a beautiful gloss black-finished front grille matching the black-finished elements on the bumper. The state-of-the-art headlights are full projector units that add to the aggressiveness of the car.
On the sides, the beautiful 5-spoke star design alloy wheels accentuate the styling to the next level, while the full black outside rearview mirrors are matched with the other black accents across the body. Nevertheless, the orange daytime running lights add to the overall visual appearance of the car.
While all the base trims of the 2022 Kia K5 equip a 1.6-liter turbo engine that manages to produce a healthy power output, the GT trim of the new K5 sports an enormous 2.5-liter straight-four turbocharged engine which produces a humungous output of 290 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of peak torque and as claimed by Kia, these numbers are best-in-class.
The power generated by the four-cylinder engine is effortlessly managed and distributed by an 8-speed automatic transmission system with impressive gear ratios.
The 2022 version of the Kia K5 offers a uniquely designed cabin that looks like it belongs in a more expensive car. Offered in black-grey, chestnut brown, and red color language, the new generation K5’s interior is filled with quality materials with matched color accents to make it look more premium. The higher trims get their seats made up of high-quality SynTex material while the GT line offers ‘GT’ embossed on the front seats to maintain the sporty driving experience.
Other features of the 2022 Kia K5’s cabin include heated and ventilated front seats, 10-way power adjusted front seats with lumbar support, memory seats function, and heated and leather-wrapped steering wheel to name a few. Nevertheless, there is a large moonroof on offer that lets plenty of light enter the cabin.
Not just styling and power but the 2022 Kia K5 also offers an extensive amount of tech on board. To start with, the center console equips a 10.25-inch touchscreen that represents the infotainment system of the car. The new voice recognition system allows the driver to practically speak to the car and command it to do various actions like track change or temperature control.
The in-built navigation system with voice control offers a seamless experience of in-car navigation while commuting to new places. Moreover, The Kia Connect is a remote connectivity feature on offer that lets you connect the new K5 with your phone through an app.
An optional package for the GT line trim allows the buyers to choose a premium Bose audio system with surround sound. The 12-speaker unit provides an excellent and immersive audio experience and can be used with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
Furthermore, there is SiriusXM satellite radio technology that can be paired with the speaker system to listen to hundreds of different entertainment channels which makes the passenger experience even more lively.
One of the best deals about the 2022 Kia K5 is that it offers the best ergonomics that elevates the overall driving experience. There are multiple places to store items, including a massive bin just near the gear shifter. To the right of the gear shifter, there are two cup holders on offer for both the front passenger and the driver that make sure hot coffee does not spill over the clothes.
Behind the cupholders, Kia has equipped a wireless charging dock that even features a cooling fan beneath the surface to make sure the phone does not overheat while charging. Talking about the driver’s convenience, there is a push start-stop button for ignition, paddle shifters behind the wheel for better gear shifts, and mounted steering controls for high functionality.
The surround-view system offered on the EX and GT trim provides an excellent 360-degree glance around the vehicle which makes it much easier for the driver to maneuver around tight spaces. The surround-view system provides visuals from the top, rear, sides, and also blind spots on the center infotainment screen.
This assists the driver to park the car in tight spaces without causing any damage. There is a rear-view camera too as a part of the deal which shows visuals from the back of the car along with adaptive guidelines that help in reversing.
The 2022 Kia K5 is loaded with safety features that ensure a safe drive for all its users. To start with, the car offers lane-keeping assist and lane-follow assist that makes sure the car does not slip out of its lane. There is a high beam-assist technology on offer too which recognizes incoming cars from the opposite direction at night and automatically switches between high beam and dipped beam.
The car also features a forward collision-avoidance assist which uses the front camera to scan the road and alerts the driver if something approaches in front of the car and if necessary, automatic brakes are applied. This helps to avoid forward collisions and reduce the impacts of the collisions if any. Nevertheless, the car offers an advanced system of nine airbags which also include a driver-knee airbag and side curtain airbags.
The 2022 model of the Kia K5 boasts the company’s prestigious driver attention warning system (DAW) that is extremely effective and helpful for a safe journey in the car. Using its advanced technology, the DAW system analyzes the driver’s behavioral patterns and tendencies while driving the vehicle and can sense any irregularity in the pattern of dreaming, which could be an effect of fatigue and drowsiness.
In such cases, the DAW warns the driver about it and alerts through messages to take a break or rest. In case the driver fails to respond to the visual messages on the multi-information display, the DAW starts giving physical alerts like a bell or vibrating steering. It is also capable of turning the steering wheel and applying brakes in case of emergencies.
Kia K5 is a mid-size sedan that competes with Honda Accord 2.0T and Toyota Camry V6 and the 2022 version of the Kia K5 outperforms its rivals in terms of power output and speed. The Honda Accord equips a 2.0-liter turbo engine that produces a healthy 252 horsepower with 273 lb-ft and can do 0-60 mph in 5.7 seconds, it still stays behind the Kia K5 GT which can produce 290 horsepower and do 0-60mph in just 5.2 seconds.
Talking about the other rival, the Toyota Camry produces 11 more horsepower than the Kia K5 GT because of the V6 engine, but still is a lot slower than the Kia, requiring 6.5 seconds to reach 0-60mph. Talking about the exterior design too, the Kia K5 looks better overall and will give a tough competition to all its rivals.
Categories: K5 ARTICLES