The most affordable Korean car on the market today

Kiahas been a real hit as a brand lately. They offer one of the best value three-row SUVs on the market, as well as one of the most desirable minivans. So it makes sense that the best value car would come from them too, and the 2025 K5 midsize sedan fits the bill.

The K5 has some pretty strong competition in its class, with the likes of the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. Because of this, Kia had to make sure the K5 offers a lot for the price, which it does. With a few tweaks to the already impressive sedan for the 2025 model year, it looks like it will put up a tough fight.

To help you understand the value Kia offers with its excellent K5, we’ve broken down some of its key features. We’ll take a look at the starting price and what changes Kia has made to the sedan for the 2025 model year. We’ll also look at how well equipped the K5 can be if you stretch your budget a little.

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Kia’s 2025 K5 sedan starts at an impressive $26,900

The 2025 Kia K5 has recently hit dealerships and, despite some major upgrades over the outgoing model, it comes at an impressively low price. The K5 is more affordable than its main competitors and offers some incredibly feature-rich equipment from start to finish.

Equipment variants

The K5 will be slightly more expensive for the 2025 model year, but it also brings a ton of changes that more than justify it. With a starting price of $26,990, the K5 is significantly cheaper than the Accord and Camry without compromising on quality or standard features. Kia has packed the K5 full, and no other Korean car comes close to this sedan’s value for money.

There are four trim levels for the K5. The GT-Line offers some slight upgrades over the standard model and is the only trim you get with optional all-wheel drive. The full-fledged GT is the sportiest version of the K5 and features an upgraded powertrain, transmission and suspension. The EX offers a cabin that approaches European luxury levels, making this humble sedan an incredibly comfortable place to be.

What’s new for 2025?

The K5 is getting a mid-cycle refresh for the 2025 model year. This mainly means that a lot of visual elements have been revised. New headlights and taillights give the K5 a much sleeker, more modern look compared to the previous model. The interior has also been completely redesigned. In addition, the K5 comes standard with a 12.3-inch infotainment screen that shares a bezel with the instrument cluster regardless of trim level. Some models also feature a 12-inch fully digital meter.

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Alongside these changes, there is a major change to the powertrain lineup. The 2.5-litre turbo engine available in the GT remains the same, but the base engine used in all other trim levels is different. The 1.6-litre engine is gone, replaced by a more powerful non-turbocharged unit that makes a little more power.

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The GT-Line is the best value K5 you can buy

We’ve found the K5 to be the best Korean car on the market, but the GT-Line trim is the best value K5 you can get. For just $1,000 more than the base model, the GT-Line offers an absolute wealth of extra equipment for the price. You also get access to some highly desirable extras.

Highlights of the GT Line

Compared to the base K5, the GT-Line offers a fun mix of sporty elements while remaining attractively priced. Personally, we’d opt for the GT-Line with all-wheel drive, which costs $1,600 more. We think it’s well worth the money, especially if you live somewhere that experiences frequent drastic weather changes.

The GT-Line comes with a sportier body kit as standard, with both the front and rear looking slightly different to the base model. It also rides on 18-inch wheels instead of the standard 16-inch ones. A leather steering wheel, 10-way power driver’s seat and a wireless charging pad are just some of the other major upgrades you get.

GT-Line Premium Package

Provided you’re willing to stretch your budget a bit, we think the Premium Package you can get on the GT-Line is well worth the extra funds. This package costs $2,000, which is no small sum, so the total price for our AWD GT-Line trim comes to $32,745, which still makes it one of the most affordable AWD sport sedans on the market.

The Premium package, however, includes some highly desirable features. Adaptive cruise control, advanced forward collision warning and LED headlights are among the most impressive features. In addition, the package includes LED interior lighting, a panoramic sunroof and a high-quality Bose sound system with 12 speakers.

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For 2025, the K5 features a brand new 2.5-liter engine

While the K5 previously had a base 1.6-liter engine, Kia has now introduced a more powerful 2.5-liter engine. Despite the increased power, the new engine is comparable to the old one in terms of fuel economy. This is just another item on the long list of improvements Kia has made for the 2025 model year, although the K5’s price has only increased slightly.

Performance

The 2024 model year had a turbocharged 1.6-liter engine with 180 horsepower. The 2025 model year’s 2.5-liter engine has 11 horsepower more power. Torque is slightly reduced, but not so much that the average driver would realistically notice. All in all, the new unit is pretty impressive.

All models come with front-wheel drive as standard, with the GT-Line being the only model that can be specified with all-wheel drive. An eight-speed automatic transmission is standard, but the full-fledged GT gets an upgraded version of the transmission.

Fuel consumption

The K5’s fuel economy with the non-turbocharged engine is quite good, especially if you opt for a front-wheel drive model. However, to get maximum efficiency, you’ll need to opt for the base model, as the larger wheels on the other models reduce fuel consumption somewhat. Hence, there is such a drop in the all-wheel drive model, as it’s the GT-Line and comes with the larger 18-inch wheels.

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The K5 can deliver up to 290 hp in its sportiest version

For those looking for something a little sportier, the K5 GT is also a great value. Along with all of the brilliant features mentioned above, the GT has a much more powerful engine. With a starting price of $33,090, the K5 GT is a brilliant entry-level sports sedan for budget-conscious buyers.

Performance

The jump between the base K5 and the GT is absolutely massive, with the turbo engine producing nearly 100 more horsepower. It also has a unique eight-speed dual-clutch transmission with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters, all of which help it deliver outstanding acceleration for a car in its price range.

In addition to an improved powertrain, the GT also gets a lot more equipment. It has larger brakes designed for significantly greater stopping power. Kia has also given the GT a unique, sportier suspension setup. Finally, the K5 GT is equipped with a brilliant-sounding quad-twin exhaust. If the regular K5 isn’t quite your thing, then the GT definitely takes it up a notch.