In the last few years, we experienced a huge rise in quality, character, and performance from Korean automakers. Since its major re-brand, going as far as replacing their logo, Kia has been producing vehicles that can confidently compete with German manufacturers and often times win. We recently drove the Telluride only to realize that Kia is taking all of its vehicles seriously. We almost had nothing bad to say about these new and improved Kia vehicles. Then, we reviewed the 2022 Kia K5 GT-Line. In the review, I said, “We could barely find things to complain about, until we felt how much the engine could benefit from some additional power.” With the GT-Line being almost perfect for its price, we needed to get behind the wheel of the 2022 Kia K5 GT, an almost identical platform with a bigger, more powerful engine. The K5 GT is the answer to any performance disappointment from the smaller, less expensive GT-Line.

The Kia K5 GT Vs GT-Line

While they may look nearly identical, the difference between the Kia K5 GT and the K5 GT-Line is massive. The GT takes everything that is great about the GT-Line, and improve upon it with a brilliant, larger engine. The GT-Line comes equipped with a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged engine that sends the power to all four wheels (optional configuration). This engine delivers 180 horsepower at 5,500 RPM and 195 lb-ft of torque between 1,500 RPM and 4,500 RPM.

The 2022 Kia K5 GT, however, sports a 2.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine and sits at the top of the K5 trim levels. This engine delivers 290 horsepower at 5,800 RPM, and 311 lb-ft of torque between 1,650 RPM and 4,000 RPM. This is a massive 110 horsepower and 116 lb-ft of torque difference between the two trims.

The larger engine works collaboratively with an 8-speed dual clutch automatic transmission, which Kia tuned for quick, crisp shifting to match the engine’s performance. The transmission also features paddle shifters for more spirited driving. While the GT-Line comes with the optional all-wheel drive system, the better GT only comes as a front-wheel drive.

Stinger Vibe For The Right Price

The overall silhouette of the Kia K5 GT is very reminiscing of the Kia Stinger. If you’re a fan of the Stinger, you probably love its sleek, long design. If you dislike the Stinger, you probably do so because of its higher cost of entry. Thanks to Kia, the K5 GT can give you a relatively similar design for a far lower MSRP. The GT trim gives you more than just a higher performance engine. The design elements of the GT (and the GT-Line) give the body aggressive black accents, like the front bumper trim and the black and silver 19-inch alloy wheels. The panoramic sunroof also adds to the long, smooth lines of the K5.

The front-end of the K5 GT truly takes it to the competition. Not only is it well-designed, refined, and futuristic, it’s also aggressive. Combine the aggressive front with the fastback design of the rear, and you truly have a unique shell only matched by some Audi designs that carry more than double the price tag. When you compare this design with other midsize sedans in its price range, the K5 GT dominates.

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Classy Cabin With Modern Features

The classiness of the exterior design continues inside the cabin. The Kia re-brand we’ve mentioned truly changed the direction of the automaker’s vehicles. The interior quality, features, and experience have made quite the statement for Kia. Our loner came with the beautiful brown seats with the GT embossing. The front seats are both heated and cooled. The infotainment system through the 10.25-inch touchscreen is easy-to-use, pleasant, and efficient.

Unfortunately, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto still require a cable. If you decide to go without Apple CarPlay and you still want to charge your phone, the K5 offers one of the best wireless phone chargers on the market. Instead of laying the phone flat on a pad and in the way, there is a vertical pocket in front of the armrest that you place your phone fully inside, and it will keep charging no matter how rough the road gets. It was as good as the charging pad in the Mercedes S500 we just reviewed – a huge statement by Kia.

Kia has been equipping their vehicles with the best sound systems, whether it’s Harman Kardon or Bose. The K5 GT gets the 12 Speaker Bose Premium Audio System, and it’s a pleasure to listen to. All in all, the interior of the 2022 Kia K5 GT is comfortable, luxurious, and filled with different textures that are nothing but quality.

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Sport Suspension And Great Power Delivery

The 2.5-liter turbocharged engine in the K5 GT gave us exactly what we needed with tons of great features. After complaining about the lack of power and torque from the 1.6-liter, we are now sure this trim level is the right one to choose if you like to have some fun behind the wheel. The engine is powerful and continues pulling as you stomp the throttle. It truly never leaves you needing more for a midsize sedan in this price range. While acceleration is great, the exhaust could use some beefing up. It simply sounds too normal. With this engine performance, it would be great to get a throaty exhaust to help get you in the mood. We are sure the aftermarket is already offering a catback exhaust solution, however.

The transmission is aggressive, crisp, and quick-shifting; however, it feels awfully notchy from a stop. Put it in reverse and slowly step on the gas pedal, and the K5 GT will jerk into motion in a very uncomfortable way. The same is true for moving forward from a stop. As car enthusiasts, we can easily overlook this flaw, but for a person that is just looking for luxury, this 8-speed could use some tuning. The sport-tuned suspension feels to have hit the perfect balance. It’s comfortable and refined on the road, yet sporty enough for cornering at speeds. It performs well, but it never feels like it sacrifices comfort. Speaking of cornering, with peak torque coming in at just 1,650 RPM, exiting corners could loosen up the traction, and you will get some fun torque steer. With a gradual press of the throttle, you can point your steering wheel and the K5 GT will just carve its way into that corner like a train on its tracks.

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The balance of the handling with the great braking, and the immediate torque in the low-to-mid range make this car a blast to drive. When you put it in Sport+ mode, traction control turns off automatically and the fun can really begin. If you try launching it, the K5 GT will show you exactly why this model is far more fun than the GT-Line, which we actually loved. It will spin and give you a satisfying burnout only provided by sleeper sedans. After driving the 2022 Kia K5 GT for a week, we are truly convinced that not only is this the right trim to buy, it’s also the right sedan to buy for the money.

A Sleeper Midsize Sedan With A lot Of Value

We named the Stinger GT “The Best Bang For Your Buck In Its Segment.” However, if you don’t want to spend the Stinger GT money, then this is your second choice. For a midsize sedan with a starting MSRP of $31,190, you can hardly find a competing platform. This sedan offers a turbocharged engine, dual-clutch transmission, sport-tuned suspension, and all of the luxury, safety, and comfort features. We’ve averaged 25 mpg in the week we drove it, and while we drove it hard at the start of the week, we switched to conservative highway driving, and we are almost sure this will be as good as it gets. Overall, we can’t think of too many vehicles on the market that offer performance like this for that price