Kia has announced that it will be expanding its highly-regarded electric (EV) line-up with the introduction of the EV5 – a compact SUV that will sit below the flagship EV9 in Kia’s battery-powered range.
The model was unveiled for the first time at the Chinese Chengdu motor show back in April, but Kia has now announced that the electric SUV will be sold globally, and adds that British buyers should expect the EV5 to become available to order in 2025.
The EV5 will be built on the same foundations as the Kia EV6 crossover – The Car Expert’s ‘Car of the Year’ in 2022 – but while the EV6 uses the brand’s 800V battery architecture, the new EV5 will make use of a less powerful 400V unit. This will reduce Kia’s production costs (which could in turn lower the pricing), but expect this SUV to charge at a slower rate than its acclaimed crossover counterpart.
With the SUV’s arrival date a couple of years away, Kia is yet to confirm the EV5’s pricing as of yet, but it says that it plans to sell a range of EVs in the lower £30k to £40k bracket, to help accelerate the widespread adoption of electric cars. These plans include the EV5, as well as the smaller EV3 and EV4 models which are still in the concept stage.
Kia says that two different battery pack options will be available in the UK at launch – an entry-level ‘standard’ 58kWh battery unit, and the ‘Long-Range’ 81kWh battery. Front-wheel drive models make use of a 160kW front-mounted electric motor, while all-wheel drive is only available with the larger battery, and adds an additional 70kW motor to the rear axle.
We don’t know what the battery range of these model options will be as of yet, but Kia says the range “will be tailored to meet the market demands” in Europe, to keep the EV5 competitive with similar electric SUVs.
The EV5 has a ‘Tiger face’ exterior design which bears some resemblance to the large EV9 SUV which is now on sale, and the similarities continue inside. A continuous dashboard display combines a 12-inch digital instrument cluster with a 12-inch infotainment touchscreen that both sit either side of a five-inch segment display that provides driving information.
Like its larger sibling, Kia has decided to keep physical buttons to a minimum inside the EV5, with the large majority of vehicle functions controlled through the display. This has freed up room on the centre console for additional storage space and a table. A head-up display, which projects driving information onto the windscreen, will be an optional extra.
All versions will feature “an advanced heat pump”, and the car’s driving settings will include a single-pedal mode.
The car’s ‘digital key’ feature offers keyless entry and start, as well as a remote autonomous parking function that can park the car without a further prompt. Kia says that there will be a few different upholstery options, including an ‘eco-friendly’ selection made of recycled plastics and synthetic leathers.
The brand also asserts that you will be able to “effectively transform the rear of the vehicle into a bedroom” thanks to the second-row ‘camping’ seat that can fold flat, and the car can also be specced with a refrigerator/warmer in the rear.
That sums up what we know about the EV5 so far. We will no doubt learn more about Kia’s upcoming EVs, including the EV3 and EV4 in the coming months. Check back soon!
