2025 Kia K5

midsize car / 4-door sedan

2025 Kia K5 4-door sedan
2023 Kia K5 shown

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Evaluation criteriaRating
Small overlap front
G
Moderate overlap front: updated test
P
Side: updated test
M

Seat belts & child restraints

Evaluation criteriaRating
Seat belt reminders
A
LATCH ease of use
A

Other available safety features

  • Standard blind spot detection
  • Standard lane departure warning & prevention
  • Standard rear automatic braking

Key

GGood
AAcceptable
MMarginal
PPoor
Superior
Advanced
Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Small overlap front

The small overlap front evaluation consists of a driver-side and a passenger-side component. If the results of the two evaluations differ, then the combined small overlap rating is equal to the lower rating.

Driver-side

Tested vehicle: 2021 Kia K5 LXS 4-door
Rating applies to 2021-25 models

The Kia K5 was introduced in the 2021 model year, replacing the Optima nameplate in the Kia lineup. Driver-side small overlap frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test of a 2021 K5 conducted by Hyundai/Kia.

Evaluation criteriaRating
Overall driver-side evaluation
G
Structure and safety cage
G
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
G
Chest
G
Hip/thigh
G
Lower leg/foot
G
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
G
Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Evaluation criteriaMeasurement
Test ID VTN2012
Lower occupant compartment
Lower hinge pillar max (cm) 3
Footrest (cm) 4
Left toepan (cm) 3
Brake pedal (cm) 4
Parking brake (cm)
Rocker panel lateral average (cm) 1
Upper occupant compartment
Steering column 2
Upper hinge pillar max (cm) 1
Upper dash (cm) 2
Lower instrument panel (cm) 3

Driver injury measures

Evaluation criteriaMeasurement
Test ID VTN2012
Head
HIC-15 78
Peak gs at hard contact no contact
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.8
Extension bending moment (Nm) 7
Maximum Nij 0.18
Chest maximum compression (mm) 23
Femur (kN)
Left 0.4
Right 0.1
Knee displacement (mm)
Left 1
Right 1
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left 0
Right 0
Maximum tibia index
Left 0.45
Right 0.33
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left 1.9
Right 0.1
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 55
Right 32

Passenger-side

Tested vehicle: 2021 Kia K5 LXS 4-door
Rating applies to 2021-25 models

The Kia K5 was introduced in the 2021 model year, replacing the Optima nameplate in the Kia lineup. Passenger-side small overlap frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test of a 2021 K5 conducted by Hyundai/Kia.

Evaluation criteriaRating
Overall passenger-side evaluation
G
Structure and safety cage
G
Passenger injury measures
Head/neck
G
Chest
G
Hip/thigh
G
Lower leg/foot
G
Passenger restraints and dummy kinematics
G
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
G
Chest
G
Hip/thigh
G
Lower leg/foot
G
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
G
Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on passenger side

Evaluation criteriaMeasurement
Test ID VTP2016
Lower occupant compartment
Lower hinge pillar max (cm) 4
Footrest (cm) 7
Right toepan (cm) 4
Center toepan (cm) 2
Rocker panel lateral average (cm) 1
Upper occupant compartment
Center dash (cm) 1
Upper hinge pillar max (cm) 2
Upper dash (cm) 2
Right lower dash (cm) 3

Passenger injury measures

Evaluation criteriaMeasurement
Test ID VTP2016
Head
HIC-15 83
Peak gs at hard contact no contact
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.0
Extension bending moment (Nm) 14
Maximum Nij 0.20
Chest maximum compression (mm) 23
Femur (kN)
Left 0.2
Right 0.5
Knee displacement (mm)
Left 0
Right 1
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left 0
Right 0
Maximum tibia index
Left 0.32
Right 0.61
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left 0.3
Right 2.1
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 44
Right 97

Driver injury measures

Evaluation criteriaMeasurement
Test ID VTP2016
Head
HIC-15 74
Peak gs at hard contact no contact
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.8
Extension bending moment (Nm) 9
Maximum Nij 0.16
Chest maximum compression (mm) 24
Femur (kN)
Left 0.5
Right 0.5
Knee displacement (mm)
Left 0
Right 1
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left 0
Right 0
Maximum tibia index
Left 0.29
Right 0.23
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left 0.8
Right 1.2
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 24
Right 29

About the small overlap front test

Moderate overlap front: updated test

Tested vehicle: 2023 Kia K5 LXS 4-door
Rating applies to 2023-25 models

The Kia K5 was introduced in the 2021 model year, replacing the Optima nameplate in the Kia lineup.

Evaluation criteriaRating
Overall evaluation
P
Structure and safety cage
G
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
G
Chest
G
Thigh/hip
G
Leg/foot
G
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
G
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
P
Chest
M
Thigh
G
Rear passenger restraints and dummy kinematics
M
Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Evaluation criteriaMeasurement
Test IDCEF2312
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm)6
Left (cm)7
Center (cm)9
Right (cm)2
Brake pedal (cm)9
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm)0
Right (cm)0
Steering column movement
Upward (cm)1
Rearward (cm)-4
A-pillar rearward movement (cm)0

Driver injury measures

Evaluation criteriaMeasurement
Test IDCEF2312
Head
HIC-15184
Peak gs at hard contactno contact
Neck
Tension (kN)0.7
Extension bending moment (Nm)6
Maximum Nij0.16
Chest maximum compression (mm)25
Femur (kN)
Left0.2
Right0.8
Knee displacement (mm)
Left1
Right1
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left0
Right0
Maximum tibia index
Left0.25
Right0.40
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left2.2
Right2.5
Foot acceleration (g)
Left64
Right43

Rear passenger injury measures

Test IDCEF2312
Head
HIC-15 for head contact during forward excursion
no contact
Peak gs at hard contactno contact
Neck
Tension (kN)3.9
Compression (kN)0.3
Maximum Nij for head contact during forward excursion
no contact
Chest
Chest index37
Shoulder belt tension (kN)7.3
Thigh (kN)
Left femur compression1.3
Right femur compression0.3

About the moderate overlap front test

February 2024 adjustment to rating criteria

Side: updated test

Tested vehicle: 2023 Kia K5 LXS 4-door
Rating applies to 2021-25 models

The Kia K5 was introduced in the 2021 model year, replacing the Optima nameplate in the Kia lineup.

Evaluation criteriaRating
Overall evaluation
M
Structure and safety cage
M
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
G
Torso
M
Pelvis
A
Driver head protection
The dummy's head moved downward past the side curtain airbag and struck the window sill of the driver door. The head protection is inadequate.
A
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
G
Torso
G
Pelvis
M
Rear passenger head protection
G
Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Evaluation criteria Measurement
Test ID CES2303
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) -11.0
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Driver injury measures

Evaluation criteria Measurement
Test ID CES2303
Head
HIC-15 216
Peak gs at hard contact 40
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.3
Compression (kN) 0.3
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 47
Lateral force (kN) 1.4
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 43
Average deflection (mm) 39
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 5.71
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.91
Pelvis
Combined force (kN) 4.1

Passenger injury measures

Evaluation criteria Measurement
Test ID CES2303
Head
HIC-15 107
Peak gs at hard contact no contact
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.8
Compression (kN) 0.7
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 22
Lateral force (kN) 1.4
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 32
Average deflection (mm) 24
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 3.45
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.44
Pelvis
Combined force (kN) 5.8

About the side crash test

Seat belt reminders

Rating applies to 2023-25 models

Evaluation criteriaRating
Overall evaluation
A
Front row
Unbelted occupant alert (audible & visual)
Initiation time
DurationLong enough (90+ seconds)
Volume
Audio frequency
Second row
Startup status alert (visual)
None
Technical measurements for this test
Background cabin sound pressure level at 24 km/h 52 dB
Audible signal sound pressure level at 24 km/h 60 dB
Difference between background and signal 7.7 dB
Background cabin sound pressure level at 40 km/h 55 dB
Audible signal sound pressure level at 40 km/h 62 dB
Difference between background and signal 6.9 dB
Dominant audio frequency 784 Hz

About the seat belt reminder evaluation

Child seat anchors

Rating applies to 2021-25 models

Evaluation criteriaRating
Overall evaluation
A
Vehicle trimLXS
Seat type cloth

This vehicle has 2 rear seating positions with complete child seat attachment (LATCH) hardware. It has 1 additional seating position with a tether anchor only.

1 2 3
Rating iconRating
GGood
AAcceptable
MMarginal
PPoor
Seating positions that rely on borrowed lower anchors or have only a tether anchor available are not rated.
thether anchor symbol
Tether anchor
lower anchor symbol
Lower anchors
shared lower achors symbol
Lower anchor(s) can be borrowed from adjacent positions(s)
No hardware available

Details by seating position

PositionRating
1
Tether anchor
easy-to-find location
no other hardware could be confused for anchor
Lower anchors
too deep in seat
not too much force needed to attach
easy to maneuver around anchors
2
Tether anchor
easy-to-find location
no other hardware could be confused for anchor
Lower anchors
none available
3
Tether anchor
easy-to-find location
no other hardware could be confused for anchor
Lower anchors
too deep in seat
not too much force needed to attach
easy to maneuver around anchors
Technical measurements for this test

Seat position 21

3

Lower anchor A
Open access rated No
Depth (cm) 2-4
Force (lbs) 19
Clearance angle (degrees) 80
Lower anchor B
Open access rated No
Depth (cm) 2-4
Force (lbs) 18
Clearance angle (degrees) 71
Tether anchor
Location Rear deck
Confusing hardware present No
Has contrasting label
within 3 inches of tether anchor		 No
Tether anchors can be accessed
while seatback is properly positioned
for use of LATCH		 Not measured

Seat position 22

2

Lower anchor A
No lower latch for this seat position
Lower anchor B
No lower latch for this seat position
Tether anchor
Location Rear deck
Confusing hardware present No
Has contrasting label
within 3 inches of tether anchor		 No
Tether anchors can be accessed
while seatback is properly positioned
for use of LATCH		 Not measured

Seat position 23

1

Lower anchor A
Open access rated No
Depth (cm) 2-4
Force (lbs) 19
Clearance angle (degrees) 66
Lower anchor B
Open access rated No
Depth (cm) 2-4
Force (lbs) 15
Clearance angle (degrees) 60
Tether anchor
Location Rear deck
Confusing hardware present No
Has contrasting label
within 3 inches of tether anchor		 No
Tether anchors can be accessed
while seatback is properly positioned
for use of LATCH		 Not measured

About the child seat anchor evaluation