The 2022 Kia K5 GT is an excellent option for those in the market for a sporty, yet practical sedan.
The 2022 Kia K5 GT is still part of the fifth generation of the K5 lineup launched in 2019 and is now offered for a base selling price of $31,190. Being the top of the line trim of the Kia K5, the 2022 K5 GT is the most powerful and capable model, making it a very enticing proposition for those who want a fun-to-drive sedan without compromising on the versatility of a family sedan.
This 2022 iteration is even more appealing than the outgoing 2021 model, especially due to the additional features it's packing. The 2022 K5 GT gets features like a 360-degree camera, power-folding mirrors, and front parking sensors, along with that, it still retains the youthful interior and exterior design coupled with a long list of optional extras to spruce up the ride. Competing with the other mid-size sedans like the Hyundai Sonata N Line, Toyota Camry TRD, and Nissan Maxima SV, here are 10 things you need to know before buying the 2022 Kia K5 GT.
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The independent front and rear suspension setup on the 2022 Kia K5 GT makes sure that you can corner comfortably. The chassis is well-engineered, and the suspension is tuned to the stiffer side, making it a hoot to drive around the twisties. It corners relatively flat and the body roll is on the lower side.
The K5 GT does exhibit a bit of understeer at the start of the corner when pushed hard, similar to the rivals. However, it grips in well and could hold on to the line with no issues, and the steering is fast and responsive. When put into sport mode, the gearshifts, steering, and throttle inputs get crisper, however, we feel the steering was a bit numb.
The same youthful design of the outgoing 2021 model is retained in this 2022 Kia K5 GT as well. We admire the striking tiger-nose grille which is fully blacked out, and the lower bumper is a bit reshaped to make it look more proportioned and aggressive. The LED headlights with LED DRLs and the new Kia logo are onboard too.
If you get the optional GT1 package, which can be had for an additional $4,200, you could get LED projector headlights, which look great and improves the visibility at night. The K5 GT gets 19" alloy wheels, neat body lines, a GT badge on the brake caliper, and black mirrors and pillars. The coupe-like roofline, beautiful quad exhaust system, an LED taillight, and trunk lid spoiler look excellent, giving it adequate sportiness.
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The beautifully designed interior looks stunning in the all-new chestnut brown shade, giving it a premium vibe, which has been missing in almost all the rivals in the segment. The leatherette seats with the GT accents and contrast black elements look like they came out of a car from a segment above. The thick side bolstering on the seats is impressive too.
The two-step dashboard makes the K5 GT feel very European in terms of design language, and even after 3 years of being in continuous production, this sedan still exudes class inside. The faux aluminum, leather inserts, and neatly integrated infotainment system look appealing too, and there is a large panoramic roof as well. However, we do not like the tiny digital information display, as some of the rivals do come with a fully digital gauge cluster.
One thing that we have always felt were a bit of a compromise in the K5 lineup's interior is the slightly disappointing material quality it offers. The same hasn't been sorted in this 2022 model year, and we wish they could have done a better job in this regard. The dashboard and door cards do get a fair share of hard-touch plastics.
Even the center console also doesn't exude the premium factor that the design managed to bring in. In comparison, we found the Sonata N Line and the Camry TRD to be slightly better.
The 2022 Kia K5 GT is powered by the 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-4 engine producing 290 hp and 311 lb-ft of torque. This motor is mated to an 8-speed DCT automatic and the power is put down through the front wheels. The 0-60 mph comes in just 5.2 seconds, and the car can do the quarter-mile run in 13.7 seconds flat.
There is a lot of torque at low and mid-range RPMs and that makes it a hoot to drive in both cities and on the highway. Being the same engine that is under the hood of the Stinger, the torque does pull you back to the seat when you mash on the throttle, and you would have no problems while overtaking on the highways. The 8-speed DCT is reasonably quick too, however, it does feel a bit confused at times.
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The 2022 Kia K5 GT comes with the same powertrain as the outgoing model, and hence the fuel efficiency numbers see no changes. This sporty sedan managed to achieve 24 MPG in the city and 32 MPG on the highway, equating to 27 MPG combined. This is almost similar to the Sonata N Line and much superior to the Maxima SV's 24 MPG combined.
With a fuel tank capacity of 15.8-gallons, the 2022 Kia K5 GT could do 379 miles in the city and 505 miles on the highways with a full tank of gas. This was also better than many of the rivals in the segment. However, the Maxima SV churned out a better range due to the superior tank capacity of 18-gallons.
Even though the 2022 Kia K5 GT is the highest trim of the Kia K5, you still do not get all the safety and driver-assistance tech as standard. Nevertheless, most of the features like forward-collision warning, automated emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, lane departure warning, collision mitigation, blind-spot monitoring, and driver monitoring system are standard.
However, the adaptive cruise control with highway driving assist is an optional extra. With a solid build quality on offer, the K5 GT managed to ace both the NHTSA and IIHS crash tests, getting an overall crash safety rating of 5-stars in the former and the 2022 top safety pick + title in the latter.
The 10.25" UVO touchscreen infotainment system is offered as standard, and it comes loaded with all the features like Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, SiriusXM radio, navigation, voice recognition, and Bluetooth connectivity. The interface turned out to be top-notch, and we loved the well-designed menu and excellent touch sensitivity.
The viewing angles and display quality is better than the infotainment system offered with the Maxima SV. The 6-speaker audio system that is offered with the lower trims comes in this GT trim as well, and the audio quality is passable. However, you could opt for the optional 12-speaker Bose audio system.
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The braking hardware sees changes from the lower trim configurations, similar to the older model years. The GT trim gets 13.6" front rotors and 12.8" rear rotors. Along with that, all the much-needed braking features like ABS with EBD, ventilated rotors, brake assist, hill hold control, and electric parking brakes are standard.
It has got the right braking behavior which you would expect from a sporty mid-size sedan, and the people are going to appreciate that. The initial bite is spot on and the braking progression is excellent. The car could stop from high speeds with superb control, and all the safety features make sure that the driver never loses confidence while doing so. The 70-0 mph braking distance of 163 feet is one of the lowest of the lot.
Like any other sedan of this segment, people are not going to complain about the front seat space. There is enough headroom, legroom, and shoulder room on offer for even the taller folks, making it a comfortable place to be in. There are multiple storage spaces on offer and the supportive seats need a special mention too.
However, the rear seat isn't the best of the segment in terms of headroom, and that can be associated with its Sportback-like roofline. Nevertheless, the rear seat can seat three passengers with reasonable comfort, since there is enough shoulder room, and the legroom is pretty good too. When it comes to the cargo capacity, 16 cu ft is adequate for storing luggage of all five passengers for a weekend road trip.