2025 Kia K5

MY2025 is the facelift year of the third-generation (DL3, 2021-on) K5, and it swapped the 180-hp 1.6T for a naturally aspirated 2.5L four on the LXS, EX and volume GT-Line trims. 191 hp sits near the bottom of the sedan band; the GT keeps the 290-hp 2.5T.

The 2.5L peaks at 181 lb-ft, less than the 195 lb-ft the outgoing 1.6T made and well below turbo and hybrid rivals, so it normalizes near the bottom of the sedan band.

Kia publishes no 0–60 claim. Published figures for the 191-hp 2.5L/8AT range from 7.4–7.8 s to Edmunds' instrumented 8.5 s (no rollout), so 7.8 s is taken as representative — mid-pack-to-slow for the segment. The GT is a genuine outlier at about 5.4 s.

The naturally aspirated 2.5L is lag-free and linear at part throttle but short of low-end torque and buzzy when worked hard; reviewers note the 2025 change trades the 1.6T's midrange punch for smoother but slower delivery. Below the hybrid Accord/Camry, roughly level with the twin Sonata.

The 2.5L pairs with a conventional 8-speed torque-converter automatic that shifts smoothly and avoids the CVT drone of the Altima and the Accord 1.5T, a real segment advantage. Held below 80 because it is slow to kick down and the GT's 8-speed wet DCT is hesitant at low speeds.

For 2025 AWD is offered only on the GT-Line trim — LXS, EX and GT are front-drive only — and the system is a basic slip-triggered setup with no terrain modes. Narrower than the Camry (AWD across trims) but better than FWD-only Accord.

Two gas powertrains — the 191-hp 2.5L and the 290-hp 2.5T GT — with no hybrid, PHEV or EV in the US range. The wide performance spread covers mainstream and enthusiast buyers, but the lack of any electrified option keeps it below the Accord and the hybrid-equipped Sonata twin.

The volume GT-Line FWD with the new-for-2025 2.5L and 8-speed automatic is rated 29 MPG combined — mid-pack for a gas mid-size sedan and slightly worse than the outgoing 1.6T, with no hybrid option.

City economy is the K5's weakest figure — a non-electrified 2.5L gives up a large margin in stop-and-go driving.

Highway is the K5's best economy result, helped by the 8-speed's tall top gears, though it still trails the hybrid field.

A ~15.8-gallon tank at 29 MPG combined gives 458 miles — adequate for the segment, well short of the 550–600 mi hybrid mid-size sedans manage.

At current EPA fuel-price assumptions the volume trim costs about $2,300 a year on regular — in line with the Sonata 2.5L and Altima AWD, several hundred dollars more than hybrid rivals.

Every 2025 K5, including the GT's 2.5T, is EPA-listed on regular gasoline — the simplest, cheapest fueling story a gas car offers. Matches the Sonata and Altima.

The 2025 K5 (DL3 generation, facelifted for 2025) carries NHTSA's maximum 5-star overall rating, though the frontal-crash and rollover components are 4 stars rather than a clean sweep.

Good in both small-overlap tests, but the K5 rates Poor in the updated moderate-overlap test (the rear dummy's head slid past the curtain airbag and hit the door sill) and Marginal in the updated side test, so it earns no 2025 award. Those are key-test failures, which puts it in the low band below Camry/Accord.

All five benchmark features are standard on every 2025 trim. That covers AEB with car, pedestrian, cyclist and junction-turning detection, Lane Following Assist centering, stop-and-go adaptive cruise, active blind-spot avoidance and rear cross-traffic avoidance. Safe Exit Assist and High Beam Assist are standard too. Only Highway Driving Assist and the camera aids are kept for upper trims.

In IIHS testing the system avoided vehicle collisions at both 12 and 25 mph (Superior). The standard system rates Advanced for day pedestrians (Superior with the optional system) and Advanced at night. That is strong, but these results come from the older protocol, and the K5 has no published result in the tougher updated vehicle-to-vehicle test.

Blind-spot and rear cross-traffic systems brake or steer instead of only warning, and they come standard on every trim along with Safe Exit Assist. EX and GT add the Blind-Spot View Monitor camera, which helps given the fastback's over-the-shoulder blind zones.

Real lane centering (Lane Following Assist) is standard on every trim, on top of Lane Keeping Assist. Reviewers find Kia's system competent on well-marked highways but say it wanders on faded markings and gives up in tighter curves.

Full-speed adaptive cruise with stop-and-go is standard and reviewers rate it smooth. The combined Highway Driving Assist, with navigation-based speed adjustment, comes only from GT-Line up, so the base LXS lacks the integrated highway assist.

No K5 trim offers hands-free highway driving. Highway Driving Assist requires hands on the wheel, so there is nothing comparable to BlueCruise or Super Cruise.

The 2025 facelift makes LED multi-focus reflector headlights and High Beam Assist standard on all trims. Before the facelift, IIHS rated the K5's LED reflector lamps (volume trims) Acceptable and only the top-trim projectors Good. No IIHS headlight grade was found for the refreshed 2025 lamps, so the score assumes the volume trims are still around Acceptable.

The low fastback roof, high beltline and thick C-pillars limit the view to the rear and over the shoulder. Surround View and Blind-Spot View cameras come only on EX and GT, so volume trims rely on the standard rearview camera and blind-spot avoidance.

IIHS rates the K5's LATCH hardware Acceptable. Two outboard positions have full lower anchors and a tether, and the center seat has a tether only. Rear legroom is roomy for the class, but the sloping roofline makes it harder to load a rear-facing seat.

The 2025 K5 is a conventional five-seat mid-size sedan on every trim, FWD and AWD.

Without the sunroof the volume GT-Line offers 40.2 in, top of the sedan band; the panoramic roof on EX/GT trims costs nearly 2 in.

46.1 in is among the largest front legroom figures in the class, shared with the Sonata and well clear of the Accord and Camry.

Mid-band on paper, though the fastback roofline makes the rear door opening low and access awkward for taller passengers.

The K5's clearest packaging weakness — well behind the Accord (40.8 in) and Camry (38.0 in), near the bottom of the sedan band.

A mid-pack trunk for the class: close to the Camry (15.1) and Altima (15.4), behind the Accord (16.7). Kia's 2025 media spec lists 15.6 cu ft; several third-party sites carry over the pre-facelift 16.0.

The 2025 facelift redesigned the center console with larger cupholders and a standard wireless charging pad flanked by USB-C ports; door pockets and glovebox are typical. Competitive but no standout solutions, and the 60/40 split-folding rear seat is the only cargo trick.

Front seats are supportive and well bolstered over long drives; the rear bench is comfortable once seated but legroom and the sloping roof limit adults. The volume GT-Line lacks the EX's 10-way power driver seat with lumbar.

Composed and controlled, but tuned firm: occupants feel most pavement flaws and expansion joints deliver sharper hits than in the softer Camry or Accord.

Road and wind noise are well suppressed for the class; the new naturally aspirated 2.5L becomes raspy under hard acceleration.

Dual-zone automatic climate with rear vents and heated front seats are widely available; the heated steering wheel is an EX item and ventilated seats are limited to upper trims/packages (GT-1), so the volume GT-Line is decently but not richly equipped. Remote climate via Kia Connect.

The 2025 refresh starts at $28,365 delivered for the LXS with the new 191-hp 2.5L. That is in line with the Sonata SE ($27,800) and below a base Accord, so the K5 sits in the low part of the sedan band.

The GT-Line FWD is the volume trim: it costs only $1,000 more than the LXS and adds the sporty styling most K5s are sold with. Even the top EX stays under $36,000 delivered, so the whole range sits in the lower half of the sedan band.

Published estimates are far apart. KBB runs high across the whole class, and CarEdge counts scheduled maintenance only. Unlike Hyundai, Kia includes no complimentary maintenance, so the K5 is set a little above the Sonata ($4,500) and close to the Altima ($5,400) on the same blended basis.

KBB's forward residual for the 2025 LXS works out to about 49%, and CarEdge's used-market model to about 57%. A 52% blend puts the K5 slightly ahead of the Sonata (50) and well ahead of the Altima and Malibu. It is still clearly behind the Accord and Camry.

Kia's 5-year/60,000-mile basic limited warranty tops the segment band. It runs two years longer than Toyota, Honda and Nissan coverage, and it applies to every 2025 K5.

The 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain coverage is at the top of the band, double what Toyota and Honda give. It applies to the original owner only.

Kia includes no scheduled maintenance in the US, which is the main gap against Hyundai's 3 years/36,000 miles and ToyotaCare. What it does include is 5-year/60,000-mile roadside assistance plus a complimentary Kia Connect trial, which puts it in the 'basic roadside only' band.

$29,365 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (52% retained, or about $15,270) leaves about $14,095 in depreciation. Add the projected $5,200 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $19,295 in total.

2025 is the facelift year of the third-generation DL3 K5. The platform has four prior model years of field data, but the volume powertrain changed this year. J.D. Power rates the 2025 car 'Great' for quality and reliability and ties it for second in the mid-size car class with the Sonata. That is above the mainstream Korean norm, but a first-year refresh and Consumer Reports' mid-pack brand read keep it short of the Camry/Accord tier.

Kia is solidly mid-pack to upper-mid in dependability. It finishes at or near the top of mass-market brands in J.D. Power Initial Quality and around or above average in VDS, but sits mid-field in Consumer Reports and still carries drag from the Theta II engine campaigns and the immobilizer theft wave.

The 2025 K5 has two NHTSA campaigns, and both are minor: rear window/C-pillar trim pieces that can loosen and detach, and a software fix for flickering parking lights. Neither is a powertrain or fire defect. Because the 2.5L replaced the 1.6T, the 2025 car is also clear of the 1.6T purge-valve fuel-tank melt recall that covers 2021–2024 K5s. The record is cleaner than the pre-facelift years but not spotless.

For 2025 the volume trims moved to the naturally aspirated 2.5L Smartstream GDI four with a conventional 8-speed automatic. It is a lower-stress pairing than the outgoing 1.6T and is proven in the Sonata, Santa Fe and Sportage. Its first year in the K5, the 2.5's early rod-bearing campaign on other models, and the GT's turbo plus wet-DCT outlier keep it below the Toyota and Honda benchmarks.

The 2025 refresh added a curved dual 12.3-inch panoramic display, a reworked dash and console, and better switchgear, which makes the cabin competitive for the class. The base LXS still shows its price with cloth, urethane touch points and hard lower plastics.

Initial quality is strong on a mature body. However, the detaching rear-window trim recall carries into 2025, and the new dash and display structure is a first-year build, so this sits a little under the 2026 car.

Roughly 775–800 US Kia dealers give good metro coverage but a thinner rural footprint than Toyota or Honda, with roughly average service satisfaction. The 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty helps; there is no complimentary scheduled maintenance.

The 2.5L engine and 8-speed automatic are shared with the Sonata and the wider Smartstream family, so mechanical parts are cheap, widely stocked and familiar to independent shops. The new curved display and the GT's turbo/DCT hardware are the costly outliers once out of warranty.

The 2025 facelift made a 12.3-in touchscreen with navigation standard across the lineup, larger than the Camry's base 8-in unit.

The new ccNC software is quick and logically laid out with physical volume/tune knobs retained, but climate functions now share a toggling touch-control strip that adds glances while driving.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on every 2025 trim — new for the facelift.

Embedded navigation is standard on the 12.3-in unit with Kia Connect live services and cloud voice recognition, but it is command-driven rather than a natural-language assistant; most owners will default to phone projection.

Base six-speaker audio is ordinary; a 12-speaker Bose system is standard on EX and in the GT-Line Premium Package — a real branded upgrade, though not class-leading.

The volume LXS/GT-Line keep analog gauges with a 4.2-in center display; the 12.3-in digital cluster in the curved panoramic panel is reserved for EX and the GT-1 package.

The ccNC head unit introduced for 2025 supports over-the-air software and map updates, but there is no evidence of routine feature-adding whole-vehicle OTA.

Kia Connect provides remote start with climate, lock/unlock, vehicle finder and status, on a trial that becomes a subscription; Digital Key 2.0 phone-as-key is limited to EX and GT-1.

The facelift added a standard wireless charging pad and front and rear USB-C ports; no household AC outlet.

Smart key with push-button start and remote start are widely available; phone-as-key (Digital Key 2.0) only on EX/GT-1.

Rear camera and rear park distance warning are standard, but Surround View Monitor, Blind-Spot View Monitor and side park sensors are EX/GT-1 only.

No head-up display is offered on any 2025 K5 trim.

Rear doors are wide but the fastback roofline makes the opening low, complicating car-seat installs; 35.2 in of rear legroom crowds rear-facing seats, though the 15.6 cu ft trunk takes a stroller.

Strong standard ADAS on the base LXS — Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go and Forward Collision-Avoidance with junction and cyclist detection — with Highway Driving Assist and surround view on EX; 5-star NHTSA overall per the K5's safety record.

Rear vents, rear USB-C and a mid-size trunk help, but rear legroom is tight for teens and adults on long trips and there is no rear entertainment or rear climate zone.

The new 2.5L with a conventional 8-speed automatic is smooth and predictable in traffic without CVT drone, stop-and-go adaptive cruise is standard, and reviewers call it an easy daily driver; the firm ride is the main annoyance.

Low-30s MPG combined for the FWD 2.5L on regular fuel is average for a non-hybrid mid-size sedan, and there is no hybrid option to match the Camry, Accord or Sonata hybrids.

A 193-in-long body is big for city parking, but the 36.0-ft turning circle is tidy and rear park sensors are standard; surround view only on EX.

Not a work vehicle: no US tow rating, no bed, and only a 15.6 cu ft trunk.

The conventional 2.5L and 8-speed torque-converter automatic are high-volume Hyundai/Kia units and the K5 has a fleet/rental presence, but the new-for-2025 engine pairing in this car has a short track record.

No onboard AC power, no factory roof rails or hitch, and a carpeted trunk — almost no work-oriented provisions.

A 15.8-gal tank gives roughly 500 miles of range, front seats are supportive and the cabin quiet at cruise, and Highway Driving Assist is available on EX; the firm ride and tight rear seat limit long hauls.

AWD is available on the GT-Line, a real gravel-and-snow advantage over FWD-only rivals, but low ground clearance, no roof rails and no tow rating keep it pavement-bound.

The 15.6 cu ft trunk fits normal luggage and the 60/40 rear seat folds, but the sedan opening limits bulky gear and there are no roof rails or hitch.

A competitive handler for the class — responsive and predictable with body roll well controlled, though the standard 2.5L trims can wallow a little when pushed.

Quick and accurate (2.6 turns lock-to-lock) but numb, with artificial weight in Sport mode.

Ventilated front / solid rear discs give adequate, fade-free stopping for normal use; pedal feel is unremarkable. The GT gets larger 13.6/12.8-in rotors.

The new 2.5L with a conventional 8-speed automatic is smooth and well-mannered in normal driving with crisp shifts, but it is merely adequate (about 8 s to 60) and needs revs to merge.

Quiet at cruise, but the naturally aspirated 2.5L turns raspy and coarse under full throttle.

36.0 ft is better than the sedan band midpoint and easy to place in parking structures.

Low, sporty driving position with good seat and wheel adjustment; the volume GT-Line lacks the EX's power lumbar, and the sloping roof hurts rear visibility and rear ingress.

The volume 2.5L K5 is pleasant and composed but no thrill; the 290-hp GT is genuinely quick but a niche trim.

For 2025 Kia made wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard on every K5. The LXS also comes with a full Drive Wise driver-assistance suite, keyless start and alloy wheels for about $28,400 delivered. That is competitive with the Sonata SE. The curved dual-screen display is optional rather than standard on the base trim, so it stops short of the Sonata's 82.

The K5 is strong for the money. AWD is available on the GT-Line at about $31,000 delivered, the 290-hp GT costs about $34,500, and every trim carries a 10-year powertrain warranty. Having no hybrid is a gap as the segment shifts to electrified powertrains (the Camry is hybrid-only), which keeps it out of the top band.

There are five configurations from $28,365 to $35,865: LXS, GT-Line FWD, GT-Line AWD, EX and GT. Together they cover FWD and AWD and a performance model. The range is narrower than the Sonata's seven configurations, and there is no hybrid, and AWD is offered only on the GT-Line.

US K5 sales rebounded 57% in 2025, to 72,751 units, after the refresh. That makes it one of the fastest risers in a shrinking segment, but its volume is still a fraction of the Camry's and Accord's.

Kia's image has improved sharply since the 2021 rebrand, helped by bold design, record US sales and the EV9/EV6 halo. Owners rate the K5's styling highly, but the badge still doesn't carry Toyota or Honda resale-grade loyalty.

Kia Finance offered subvented 0.9% APR for up to 48 months and 1.49% for 60 months on the 2025 K5, plus $750–$1,500 cash alternatives. These are meaningful buyer benefits without fire-sale pricing.

2025 is the first year of the mid-cycle facelift for the generation that launched in 2021. It brings new styling, a new 2.5L base engine, an updated interior with an optional curved display, and standard wireless phone projection. The underlying platform dates to 2021 and no hybrid is offered.

Reviewers consistently praise the K5's styling, tech and value, and it took a JD Power Performance Award. It is rarely the comparison-test pick over the Accord and Camry, though, and Edmunds rates it a solid 7.5/10.