Kia K5 Sedan Revealed, Will Rival Honda Civic & Skoda Octavia

The Kia K5 sedan is an update on the erstwhile Kia Optima sedan, which is being launched in global markets in 2020.

The Kia K5 sedan is an evolution of the Kia Optima.

Photo: Kia Motors India

Kia Motors has revealed its K5 sedan, a fast-back model of the Kia Optima, which gets futuristic styling and comes with a whole load of tech. The Kia K5 sedan will go on sale in the brand’s global markets, of which India is a part, in 2020. The company hasn’t specified when exactly it will come to India though.

The Kia K5 sedan is likely to compete with the Honda Civic, Skoda Octavia and Hyundai Elantra. In some markets, Kia will be introducing an all-wheel-drive (AWD) system along with the standard front-wheel-drive layout.

The Kia K5 may sport a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine.Photo: Kia Motors India

It will come with a petrol engine and six-speed automatic, but will also feature an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission for the first time. In Korea and North America, it will have a 1.6 litre turbo-petrol pushing out 180 PS of power and 265 Nm of torque. This is likely to make it to India as well.

Other engine choices include a 2-litre petrol and a 2.5 litre petrol motor too.

The highlight of the car is its design, with a sharp “tiger-nose” grille and muscular stance. It has a fast-back layout, where the roof slopes into the boot giving it a sporty look. At the rear, the LED tail-lamp stretches across the boot lid. It takes a lot of design inspiration from the Kia Stinger (which is a Ford Mustang competitor).

The Kia K5 sedan will come with a bunch of features that would be “first-in-segment” claims the company. Going by the Kia Seltos, it’s quite possible the K5 will have a long feature list.

Some of the features include forward-collision avoidance (auto-braking), blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, lane-follow assist and driver attention warning. These features are seen on cars like the Volvo S60, which are far more expensive.

The Kia K5 sports a fast-back design and full-length tail-lamp.Photo: Kia Motors India

Kia says it has “level-two” autonomous driving tech. It will also feature remote start and smart parking, where the driver can move the car forward or backward just using the key fob, like with the BMW 5 and 7 Series. This feature helps move the car out of tight parking spots.

However, before the K5 comes into the Indian market Kia will first launch the Carnival MPV, a smaller compact SUV (like the Hyundai Venue) and likely a crossover hatchback.