The Kia K5 is not only a stunning car, but it’s also very efficient.
Kia now has a new midsize sedan, the 2021 K5. The stylish four-door replaces the aging Optima and can get up to 32 MPG combined depending on the configuration. The EPA had given us an estimate of the K5’s fuel economy back May. But now, the Kia has officially made this information public.
The base Kia K5LX with front-wheel drive and the turbocharged 1.6 liter engine is the most efficient, returning 29 mpg in the city, 38 on the highway, and 32 combined. The front-drive LXS, GT-Line models and the GT-Line get 27 mpg each, 37 highway and 31 combined. The K5 still achieves 29 mpg when combined with power at all four corners, although it is less efficient than the all-wheel-drive version.
The K5 front-wheel-drive car isn’t the most efficient in mid-size classes. However, the Toyota Camry (34 total) and Honda Accord (33, combined) are more efficient. The all-wheel-drive K5 is one mpg better than the Subaru Legacy (33 combined). The Kia is able to match the Nissan Altima (32 total) and its sibling, the Hyundai Sunata (32, each). A hybrid K5 model is also possible in the near future.
The standard Kia K5 produces 180 horsepower (134kilowatts) as well as 195 pound-feet (226 newton-meters). The K5 GT has a turbocharged 2.5-liter engine that produces 290 horsepower (216 kW) as well as 311 lbft (422 Nm). The company does not yet have figures on the GT’s fuel economy.