Here’s What You Get on a Fully Loaded 2023 Kia K5

The midsize sedan market is full of the same old names year after year. You know their names, and you know their personalities.

The Kia K5 is hardly a newcomer, having been sold under that name in the U.S. since 2020. But, in a stolid segment, that makes it the exciting young thing.

And exciting it is. The K5's sporty looks, contemporary cabin, and available 290-horsepower turbocharged engine lean into its image as the cool one in a parking lot full of uncool family cars.

In top-of-the-line GT trim, it's a family 4-door that does a convincing impersonation of a European sport sedan when you find an open road. The K5 GT starts at $31,690. A few more expensive color choices and a single options package can push that to over $37,000.

But you get a lot for your money. The K5 GT might be the right indulgence for some buyers.

Let's examine what you get on a top-of-the-line Kia K5 GT.

The engine found in other K5 trims – a 1.6-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder making 180 horsepower – is all anyone needs. But the upgraded 2.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder is something many buyers want.

It offers more power than you’ll find in any Honda Accord or Nissan Altima. And it still manages a respectable 27 mpg in combined driving.

Our test driver calls the K5 GT "a proper sport sedan — with a bespoke suspension and steering setup, supportive front seats, paddle shifters, and larger disc brakes."

The suspension, mechanically, fits the same description as the springs found in other K5 models. Up front, it uses MacPherson struts and a stabilizer bar. In the back, an independent multilink setup absorbs bumps, and another stabilizer bar keeps things calm.

But engineers retuned it with lots of track time to make it corner sharper and feel firmer. The same is true of the responsive steering. It's not meant to mimic what a Porsche 911 feels like. But, if you enjoy a spirited drive, you’ll feel more connected to the GT than you would a tamer sedan.

Sport sedans are mostly about performance. But they’re partly about attitude and aesthetics, too. Nothing improves the sporty feel of a car as quickly as making the surfaces you touch most feel special.

Kia puts an entirely different set of front seats in the GT. Added bolstering helps hold you in place in spirited driving. They’re upholstered in Kia's SynTex vegan leather, which is one of the most convincing faux leather surfaces on the market. And they look cool, too. Chestnut leather versions get cool dark gray inserts and contrast-color seatbelts. Black SynTex seats get red contrast stitching for a look that is all sport.

Real leather wraps the flat-bottom steering wheel and, if you spring for the GT1 package, the shifter.

Some sporty models coddle the driver and leave everyone else out. But every K5 gives rear-seat passengers their own USB charging ports. The GT model adds rear-seat air conditioning and heating vents to help keep everyone comfortable.

The K5 GT isn't keeping secrets about its sporty nature. It takes on a more aggressive look than other K5 variants, thanks to restyled front and rear bumpers.

A gloss black rear spoiler is standard equipment. Gloss black side mirrors match it.

Also standard are LEDs for the fog lights, turn signals, and tail lights. The optional GT1 package adds LED projector headlights as well.

You don't have to spend GT money to get the GT look. The GT-Line model borrows the sportier look but skips the performance upgrades.

The optional GT1 package adds some advanced driver aids, including the Highway Driving Assist system that can assist with steering, acceleration, and deceleration on the highway. It doesn't let you take your hands off the wheel and turn your attention from the road, but it does help prevent fatigue on long drives.

Read our full review or build and price your own Kia K5 GT. If you’re ready to take some action, check out the Kia K5 models for sale near you.

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