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The K5 GT 2020 is Kia’s reimagining of its sedan in the midsize category, with an aggressive modern look that is fun and functional.
Although it is a four door, the fastback design reminds me of the old Ford Mustangs, which have become very popular in the past few years.
Instead of confusing things with a few different engine choices like the Optima had, the K5 offers a 1.6-liter turbo. It’s a crossover from the Optima, but with new tech that can generate more horses (180 hp) and about the same torque (195 pound-feet). It gets an average of 27 miles to the gallon, which always pulls at my wallet strings.
Although this is a luxury car along the lines of the Hyundai Sonata, the styling in the Kia emphasizes performance from top to bottom. The price, at more than $25,000, is reflective of its target market, which wants luxury at an affordable price.
You still get wood trim on the doors and the dashboard and the dash matches the colors of the seats you choose. I also like the T-shaped gear knob, which doesn’t require a science degree to operate.
As for the rest of the interior, you get Syn-Tex faux leather and cloth, but if you want to splurge, real leather is available with the click of a button on the Web. On cold days you don’t have to worry because the front is heated and ventilated. The attention to detail is obvious when you see that the steering wheel also comes with heating features.
There is also plenty of legroom in the front and in the back, which makes driving the family comfortable and efficient. That kind of comfort is brought home by a well designed, eight-inch infotainment system, which continues from the driver’s gauge console. I like it because it is centrally located and its clear, bright screen can be viewed from anywhere in the car. I know because I checked.
Let’s talk turkey about safety. Kia spared no expense at making sure this overhaul of the Optima included all of the most modern features the market can offer. These include rear cross-traffic collision avoidance, leading vehicle departure alert, forward collision-avoidance assist and pedestrian detection.
What does that mean for you and me? That when you are tooling around on a cool, fall Sunday afternoon with nothing to do, you won’t get rear-ended by a slouch looking at their Instagram on their phone app.
The way I see it is that the Kia K5 GT is the perfect car for a modern four-person family, particularly if pricing is a priority. And considering this car starts at just over $25,000, you can get matching vehicles for you and your partner. Now wouldn’t that make the holidays all that much better?
Let me make it easy for you – YES!
