2011 Kia K5

2011 Kia K5

2011 Kia K5

2011 Kia K5

2011 Kia K5

The new Kia K5 it is easy to come to the conclusion that Kia has got off to a great start if they are planning on making the K5 a knockout. The K5 does not look like any of the previous Optima’s and this present generation model has very aggressive styling and a certain appeal that really makes it stand out. For those of us who are true car connoisseurs though a closer look will reveal some amount of design discord and it seems as though Kia has put in loads of crisp lines and creases to increase the masculinity of the vehicle but they may have been overdone.

2011 Kia K5 is impressive if you have one-dimensional eye-sight. What I am trying to say, is that if you look at each element individually then you may be impressed. What designers at Kia look like they have done, is given each part of the interior to a different designer without sharing the designs of the other elements. This results in there being no cohesiveness between; say the dashboard and the door panels. It seemed that Kia designers never thought these areas may appear together. The door panes are in themselves a non-thought out affair with the speakers protruding like a sore thumb and make the door look very lop-sided.

The steering wheel is also smaller than you would expect and is cluttered with a dozen buttons that make the Airbus A380 look like child’s play. Saying that a quarter of those buttons are meant for the K5’s cruise control, which is not normally found in mid-sized Korean cars and should make the engineers at neighboring Hyundai quite jealous as both their mid-sized offerings the Sonata and Grandeur do not have the cruise control option.

Vehicle Category: Sedan

Engines (petrol): 2.4 L, 4 cylinder, GDI, 200 HP, 345 Nm torque

Engine (petrol): 2.0 L, 4 cylinder, Turbo GDI, 274 HP, 420 Nm torque

Drive train: Front engine, 5 passenger, 4-door sedan, FWD

Transmissions (standard): 6-speed auto

Curb Weight: 2389 kg

0-100 kph: 6.8 secs (est.)

Mileage city/hwy: 9.3 / 11.8 kmpl

Base Price: $ 25,000 (est.)

The Kia K5 falls short on a number of front and is not a sporty car not is it a complete easy riding sedan. It will appeal in terms of its styling and design to those who are not too concerned and picky about refined looks as it has lines and creases all around (even if they are not coherent). The engine could do with a bit more power and it is more likely that buyers would prefer the better looking interiors of the Sonata over the Kia K5. We will have to wait and see how well the K5 does in the U.S. and only time will tell.