Kia K5: 2027 facelift: Pleos Connect screen and new interior

© A. Krivonosov

The second facelift of the Kia K5 has now exposed almost the entire new dashboard architecture. A DL3 PE2 prototype photographed during testing in California carries a large freestanding central display running Pleos Connect, while the instrument screen remains directly behind the steering wheel. For the current K5, this is a clear departure from the layout with two joined 12.3-inch displays.

The images were published by The Korean Car Blog. They also show a new steering wheel and a transmission selector moved to the steering column. That frees the center console for storage areas and a wireless charging pad. The source does not specify the exact diagonal of the new screen.

Pleos Connect is no longer an experiment. Hyundai Motor Group officially presented the production version of the system on April 30, 2026, with rollout beginning in May. The platform is based on Android Automotive OS and supports multitasking, third-party apps, OTA updates and the Gleo AI voice assistant. By 2030, the group aims to have Pleos Connect in roughly 20 million Hyundai, Kia and Genesis vehicles.

For the K5 itself, the latest photos matter because they turn earlier expectations into a visible prototype. A larger screen and Pleos Connect had already been expected for the K5 in the summer, but the main discovery at the time was the redesigned rear lighting and the cabin remained less certain.

It is still too early to treat every detail as confirmed. KCB describes the updated K5 as the first production Kia with Pleos Connect in 2027, but Kia itself has not announced that status. The manufacturer has only said officially that it plans to complete development of its first full software-defined vehicle by the end of 2027. That model will also use Pleos Connect and Gleo AI.

The K5 is still relevant to Russia rather than being a purely overseas model. Two 2026 K5 cars with a 2.0-liter engine rated at 160 hp and only 12–13 km on the odometer are currently listed there through Kia’s certified-used program. That does not mean official deliveries of new cars have resumed.

The second K5 facelift is expected to debut in 2027. Before then, the key unknowns are the exact screen size, the Pleos Connect feature set for Kia and whether the prototype’s dashboard layout will spread to other future models from the brand.