2021 Kia K5 just entered the Chinese market, are we next?

It was announced that the 2021 Kia K5 will be built in China, by that, does this give us a higher chance of receiving this sweet sedan anytime soon? Upon recalling, the distributorship of Kia vehicles here in the Philippines has been managed by Ayala. In fact, the brand has become reliant in the Chinese-joint venture, given that some of its vehicles including the Soluto and the upcoming Stonic, are sourced from that country. Frankly, it’s not a bad thing at all, as positively speaking, it does cut the vehicles’ overall cost, therefore making those certain models more desirable and at the same time, attainable to several buyers out there. 

Just a bit of a trivia, the K5 is part of Kia Optima’s life-cycle, a familiar name that was used for the brand’s midsize sedan since 2000. However, that nameplate already ceased for this generation, with it already being pertained to as the Kia K5. So going back, the production of the 2021 Kia K5 in China was announced during the executive sedan’s public debut at Auto China.

While other markets get at least two engine options for the K5, China, on the other hand, can only get the midsize sedan in a 1.5-liter motor. This turbocharged engine is said to make 170 hp and 253 Nm of torque, which is quite a lot for a small displacement engine. Apart from that, it is also worth noting that this powerplant easily qualifies for less than 5 percent customs duties, if ever it is to be exported to our country. Lastly, the said mill is then paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic, returning promising fuel economy figures as stated by the manufacturer.

Today, midsize sedans have become competitive, not only in terms of looks but also in features. That’s why it is quite evident that almost all brands are treating their entries with the right amount of equipment. In conjunction with that, Kia has blessed the K5 with numerous niceties such as a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster along with a 7-speaker JBL sound system.

In China, the Kia K5’s pricing ranges from about 161,800 RMB to 171,800 RMB, that equates from P1,151,000 to P1,220,000 only. Now those numbers may seem too affordable for our market, however, if this great possibility comes to reality, the SRP of the China-built Kia K5 might seemingly just sit at around P1,700,000, which is an absolute steal if the model here would be specced very well.