The Kia K5 is the successor to the Kia Optima and is the Korean rival to the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry in the shrinking D-segment sedan market. Recently, a facelift was introduced in Korea 4 years after the Optima successor was launched.

Just like the rest of the Kia model line-up, the updated 2024 Kia K5 features the Korean carmaker’s Opposites United design philosophy. The DRLs have been given a prominent look that resembles the shape of a heartbeat while the star map signature lighting design has been greatly enhanced on the headlights and taillights.

The biggest change though is in the interior with a panoramic curved display on the dashboard, combining two 12.3-inch displays for the driver and the central infotainment unit. Sitting in the middle of the centre dash is a control panel that toggles between A/C and infotainment which is carried over from the EV6.

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The infotainment unit is supported by Kia’s Connected Car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC) operating system that was first introduced on the EV9. It also supports a few Korean video streaming services and is offered with over-the-air (OTA) wireless updates.

Located just above the centre armrest is a fingerprint scanner that allows the car to be operated by the registered owner even if they left the remote key at home.

Aside from these convenience features, Kia has also implemented some improvements to the K5’s front and rear suspension which it claims to provide a more comfortable ride while maintaining an agile driving experience.

The updated K5 is also offered with an array of advanced safety features like lane-keep assist (LKA), adaptive cruise control (ACC), and a blind-spot view monitor (BVM) that covers both the left and right sides of the car. It also comes with Remote Smart Parking Assist which allows the car to move forward or reverse from a tight parking spot automatically.

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The 2024 Kia K5 facelift in Korea is priced from KRW 27.84 million (~RM 98k) and is available with 4 engine choices:

• Naturally aspirated 2.0-litre petrol (160 PS/196 Nm)
• Turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol (180 PS/265 Nm)
• 2.0-litre petrol-electric hybrid (Engine: 152 PS/188 Nm, Electric motor: 52 PS/205 Nm)
• 2.0-litre LPG-powered unit (146 PS/191 Nm)

As good-looking as the updated K5 is, Kia announced back when it was first launched that the Optima successor will not be offered in right-hand drive (RHD) markets as sedan sales are slipping in most of those markets. Instead, Kia would be more focused on its SUVs and EVs for these markets.

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