Kia EV5 will go on sale in China first; likely to get the same powertrain options as the EV6.
Kia has taken the wraps off the EV5 SUV concept, its third born EV, just a week after showing the production-spec full-size EV9 SUV. The new Kia EV5, as the name suggests, is smaller than its freshly revealed EV9 sibling, but follows the larger car in adopting the ‘Opposites United’ design ethos which will define all future models from the Korea brand.
- Production-spec Kia EV5 to go on sale in China first
- Gets a flexible cabin like the EV9
- Sits on a version of the E-GMP platform
Kia EV5: What’s new?
Referred to officially as the ‘Concept EV5’ for now, the new SUV will launch in China later this year – which is why it has been unveiled with no prelude at the brand’s Chinese EV Day event. Kia has not said whether it will come to Europe as well, but has promised to reveal “future plans for the other global markets” in due course.
Technical details also remain largely under wraps, but the production version of the EV5 is likely to ride on a variation of the E-GMP platform that underpins the two existing bespoke Kia EVs, and another four that will follow before 2026.
In size and stature, the EV5 looks roughly comparable to today’s combustion-engined Kia Sportage, and so could feasibly serve as a rival to similarly conceived family EVs including the Toyota bZ4X, Nissan Ariya and Volkswagen ID 4. While Kia has not yet offered any hints as to performance and pricing, it is likely to match those cars (and its siblings) in offering a choice of two- and four-wheel-drive powertrains, and if it’s offered with the same 77kWh battery as the EV6, it will offer a competitive maximum range of more than 482km (300 miles). Kia presents the EV5 as a crossover that supports the lifestyles of owners pursuing a “‘borderless life’ where there is no boundary between their enjoyment and appreciation of nature and the city”.
Kia EV5: styling
Like the EV9, it is sharply proportioned and overtly focused on practicality, and the larger car’s swivelling seats feature here, too – allowing occupants in both rows to turn 90 degrees to “enjoy uninterrupted views of the scenery”, courtesy of rear-hinged rear doors and the absence of an A-pillar. This is a feature that appeared on the original EV9 concept, too, and is unlikely to make it to the production-spec EV5.
Kia EV5: interior
Uniquely, the EV5 concept also seemingly features a bench-style front seat – taking advantage of the lack of a transmission tunnel to provide more space for the front occupants. Whether or not such a feature could be homologated for sale in China or elsewhere remains unclear, but no doubt the panoramic roof (hosting battery-boosting solar panels on the concept) will make it to showrooms, as will the sustainably sourced interior materials and wraparound digital infotainment screen atop the dashboard.
The EV5’s outdoor remit is further highlighted by a pop-out wooden table in the boot that looks to double up as a bench, plants in the rear storage bins and chunky 21in wheel designs that hint at a degree of ‘go-anywhere’ capability.
Kia EV line-up in India
For India, Kia currently sells the EV6 as the only model in its electric portfolio among a bunch of combustion engine powered offerings.