Kia K5 GT 0-60 Times: How Quick Is Compared To Cheaper Models?

Like most mainstream car producers, Kia has a habit of manufacturing sedate cars and then going on to inject them with a sporting bloodline with improved performance numbers that look downright impressive. The K5 is a product of that wise strategy. Kia's O.G fastback sedan has been around since arriving for its fifth-generation ahead of the 2021 model year. As part of changes, the car was renamed to K5 — from Optima — aligning it with the brand's 'K' series range of passenger cars. 

Among all the K5 trims, the GT is the one you will likely jump at the chance to own if you're looking for something with fantastically good ride quality and the quickest zero-to-60 time. Kia makes some bold claims about the K5 GT being a faster and better handling car than the BMW 530i. It is in part thanks to a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that makes more power than its counterparts at 290 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque, directed to the wheels via an eight-speed dual clutch transmission.

So equipped, the K5 GT sprints to 60 mph in a sprightly 5.4 seconds, per Kia's estimate. In Car and Driver's testing of a mechanically similar 2021 K5 GT, the performance sedan was even quicker, reaching 60 mph in 5.2 seconds, with the quarter mile clocked in 13.7 seconds at 106 mph. Car and Driver also quotes a 155 mph top speed. 

Clearly, cheaper Kia K5 models aren't as concentrated as the GT version, as they're usually bred for economy. Pre-facelift variants had a base 1.6-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder that puts out 180 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque through a conventional eight-speed automatic transmission while averaging five more mpg than the GT model at 32 mpg. When MotorTrend tested models with the 1.6 engine, a K5 EX hit 60 mph in a lumbering 7.8 seconds. The K5 GT-Line chops almost a second off the EX's time at 7.0 ticks, and if you keep going, it'll reach a manufacturer estimated top speed of 128 mph.

For 2025, base K5 models received a more powerful engine – a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that kicks out 191 horsepower and 181 lb-ft of torque via an eight-speed automatic as before. A MotorTrend performance test found that post-facelift K5 models with all-wheel drive accelerate to 60 mph in 8.3 seconds. Opting for front-wheel drive helps bring down the figure to a more respectable 7.6 seconds.