2025 Kia K5 First Look

This fresh and lively midsize sedan packs more features for 2025.

Andrew Ganz | 

Feb 16, 2024 | 2 min read

Kia

A wide range of updates bring the 2025 Kia K5 midsize sedan up to date for the upcoming model year. Revised styling, bigger screens, and even a new standard engine add up to a thorough mid-cycle refresh.

Here's what is known so far about the 2025 Kia K5.

Kia

2025 Kia K5 Cuts a Dashing Figure

The difference is in the details, at least when comparing the updated K5 to its 2024 model-year predecessor. Kia tweaked its headlights, taillights, and wheel designs as well as its front bumper. All but the base LXS trim level now ride on 18- or 19-inch wheels. The top-end K5 GT even wraps its big tires in sporty Pirelli P-Zero rubber.

Inside, the K5 gains a new single panel that houses a 12.0-inch instrument cluster screen and a 12.3-inch touchscreen for infotainment and navigation. Below, physical buttons for the climate-control system have been replaced by a new touchpad.

Kia

Kia's K5 Gains a New Engine for 2025, But Don't Look for a Hybrid

The previously standard 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder is replaced by a 2.5-liter inline-four without a turbocharger, but there's more detail to consider than just the size of the engine. The new engine makes 191 horsepower, an 11-hp increase over last year, but its torque rating drops from 195 pound-feet to 181.

An eight-speed automatic transmission remains the only available gearbox choice, and all-wheel drive sticks around as an option on the mid-level GT-Line trim. The top GT version sticks with its 290-hp turbocharged four-cylinder and standard front-wheel drive.

Kia

More Tech for 2025 Kia K5

The larger touchscreen now includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, plus a new version of Kia's infotainment system that offers over-the-air updates. Kia also says that the available navigation system has been tweaked for quicker responses.

Other tech upgrades inside include a wireless charging pad and USB-C ports for front and rear-seat passengers.

All models now include front and rear parking sensors, while most trim levels offer or include adaptive cruise control, a blind-spot camera system that displays a live feed through the digital instrument cluster, and side parking sensors that can help reduce the risk of a curbed wheel. The top versions even include the ability to use a smartphone as a key to enter the vehicle.

The step-up EX trim level sees a number of additional standard features, including Bose speakers, a power-adjustable driver's seat, heated steering wheel, and power-folding rearview mirrors.

Andrew Ganz

Andrew Ganz has had cars in his blood ever since he gnawed the paint off of a diecast model as a toddler. After growing up in Dallas, Texas, he earned a journalism degree, worked in public relations for two manufacturers, and served as an editor for a luxury-lifestyle print publication and several well-known automotive websites. In his free time, Andrew loves exploring the Rocky Mountains' best back roads—when he’s not browsing ads for his next car purchase.