The EV5 made by South Korea automotive firm Kia is among the newest entrants into the crowded midsize electrical SUV market, becoming a member of a number of new manufacturers and quite a few SUV fashions arriving in Australia over the last quarter of 2024.
Kia has excessive hopes that the EV5 will probably be its greatest promoting electrical mannequin but, provided that – partly as a result of it is going to be made in China somewhat than its dwelling nation – it is going to be its lowest worth EV providing in Australia thus far.
“We’re anticipating to promote 400 a month,” Kia Australia CEO Damien Meredith informed journalists in the course of the firm’s EV5 drive day occasion this month. That is greater than double the variety of Kia EV6 bought every month and would put the EV5 simply exterior the highest 5 of the month-to-month EV gross sales chart, behind Tesla, BYD and the MG4.
The costs for the EV5 have been introduced final week, with a base EV5 Air Customary Vary pitched at $56,770 driveaway, round $4,000 cheaper than a Tesla Mannequin Y Rear-Wheel Drive. The Air Lengthy Vary begins from $61,170 plus on-road prices, Earth Lengthy Vary AWD from $64,770 plus on-roads and GT-Line Lengthy Vary AWD from $71,770 plus on-roads.
The EV5 is nearly half the worth of the EV9 electrical individuals mover, which begins from roughly $106,500 together with on-road prices. EV5 is round $20,000 cheaper than equal EV6 variants and in addition undercuts the marginally smaller Kia Niro EV ranging from $66,590 plus on-road prices.
This aggressive worth level was made doable by Kia constructing EV5 of their Yancheng manufacturing unit in China, versus South Korea the place different Australian Kia EVs are sourced. EV5 additionally utilises lithium iron phosphate (LFP) blade batteries in all variants together with Lengthy Vary, manufactured by BYD subsidiary FinDreams.
Wanting into worth parity in opposition to Kia’s ICE fashions, a combustion powered Kia Sportage is the closest match to an EV5 when it comes to measurement and it ranges from $32,995 to $52,920 plus on-road prices, so there may be nonetheless a big hole between Kia’s combustion and electrical automobiles.
Kia invited The Pushed to check drive and be taught all concerning the EV5 over two days, whereas taking within the sights and surroundings on the NSW south coast, Kangaroo Valley and Southern Highlands.
Appears to be like and feels identical to a smaller EV9
My first thought upon seeing the EV5 was that it appears to be like remarkably much like the EV9, sharing the identical boxy form and general design language as Kia’s bigger 7-seat sibling. From a distance it’s genuinely exhausting to inform the 2 aside, particularly with out different automobiles close by for scale.
Measurement smart, the EV5 is 395 mm shorter, 105 mm narrower and 40 mm decrease than an EV9. Many of the extra size in an EV9 is accounted for by a 350 mm longer wheelbase, which is sensible given it has an additional row of seating to accommodate.
This boxy design has a number of benefits in the case of storage and inside house. Boot house within the EV5 is 513 L, with a big huge opening and flat ground. This expands to 1,714 L with the seats folded. Further house is on the market beneath the boot ground in addition to a 67 L entrance storage compartment, simply accessible through one of many key fob buttons.
Rear seats fold utterly flat within the EV5 and Kia will probably be promoting a blow up mattress that matches completely within the again if you wish to take the automotive glamping. I spent a really snug evening behind an EV9 beforehand with a great deal of room to spare, and the EV5 appears to be like simply nearly as good for sleeping in except you might be very tall.
All through the boot there are cubby holes for storing smaller objects in addition to adjustable baggage hooks that may be positioned in varied holes positioned excessive and low. An inner car to load (V2L) socket can also be situated within the boot, able to supplying as much as 15 A.
The robust resemblance between the EV5 and EV9 continues contained in the cabin, with a well-known sprint structure that includes similar 12.3 inch touchscreen and driver’s show sandwiched both aspect of a 5 inch local weather monitor. Wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are each accessible.
I discovered the infotainment screens have been responsive and intuitive, identical to these in different Kia and Hyundai EVs. There’s good use of bodily buttons on the sprint for adjusting the local weather, together with a row of capacitive buttons beneath the display screen with shortcuts to the house display screen, map, media, settings and a customisable star button.
By way of consolation, entrance seats within the EV5 felt nice after hours of driving and being a passenger, with no discomfort in any respect. EV5 Air seats are trimmed in fabric and synthetic leather-based whereas Earth and GT-Line are all synthetic leather-based.
For lengthy or anxious drives, the driving force’s seat comes with a therapeutic massage operate in all variants, which extends to the passenger aspect within the GT-Line. Entrance row seats are heated throughout the board, whereas GT-Line additionally will get heated rear outer seats and ventilated entrance seats.
The second row seats are spacious too, though not fairly on the identical degree as these within the EV9. Rear seats will be reclined with three totally different positions accessible. Facilities within the again embrace USB-C ports, map pockets, air vents on the B-pillar and a fold down armrest with 2 cupholders.
A useful rear storage tray slides out backwards from beneath the centre console for storing issues out of sight. Within the top-spec GT-Line this tray additionally has a cooling or heating operate, with temperature settings wherever between 5 – 55 levels Celsius. The tray pulls out a lot additional than proven within the image beneath.
Total match and end of the EV5 cabin feels premium and strong all through all variants. I discovered no noticeable distinction when it comes to construct high quality in comparison with different Kia electrical automobiles that I’ve examined.
Comfy, easy and quiet trip
Throughout Kia’s take a look at drive program we received to spend time driving the front-wheel drive Air and all-wheel drive Earth variants. Sadly the top-spec GT-Line was not prepared but, nevertheless it ought to be very related on the highway to the Earth AWD exterior of the creature comforts within the cabin talked about above.
Each EV5 variants felt responsive and properly planted by means of high and low velocity corners. The suspension is tuned extra for consolation and trip high quality, offering a easy, quiet trip over bumps and rougher patches of highway we travelled on. Some physique roll was evident, however the EV5 shouldn’t be designed to be a sporty automotive just like the EV6.
Similar to the EV6 and EV9, Kia accomplished an in depth trip and dealing with program for the EV5. “The main target for this automotive was to not make it too sporty, nevertheless it’s an city utilization, each day utilization sort car,” the engineers informed us. “It makes use of a frequency variable damper so it could possibly change its damping constantly based mostly on trip inputs to the automotive.”
Previous to driving the EV5, I believed front-wheel drive Air variants would possibly really feel inferior in comparison with single-motor rear-wheel drive EV6 or EV9. After I requested about this, Kia responded saying it’s a world route and a drive for each packaging and price elements went into making the choice.
On the highway, the distinction between Air and Earth variants was a lot lower than I had anticipated. Aside from the Earth being a bit faster, most individuals would most likely not discover. The one time I felt some minor torque steer within the EV5 Air was once I pulled out and accelerated exhausting to overhaul one other automotive.
Regenerative braking is properly tuned and will be adjusted rapidly utilizing steering wheel paddles. A gripe of mine is you could flip it as much as full i-Pedal or one pedal driving power each time you begin the automotive, use reverse or change drive modes, I’d desire if the automotive remembered your settings.
Adaptive cruise management and lane centering on the freeway labored properly, aside from slight wavering within the lane at instances. Lane conserving help was often intrusive, jerking the wheel unexpectedly when the lane widened quickly after a turnoff for instance.
Just like different Kia and Hyundai automobiles, the velocity restrict warning enabled at first of each drive can get annoying as it’s liable to false positives when it incorrectly detects velocity indicators. Kia confirmed that the subsequent OTA software program launch brings a shortcut for disabling the warning by holding down the mute button on the steering wheel.
WLTP vary kicks off at 400 km within the Air Customary Vary, leaping as much as 555 km in case you go for the Lengthy Vary battery with the Air. This drops to 500 km within the Earth or 470 km within the GT-Line, primarily as a consequence of these variants utilizing bigger 19 and 20 inch rims respectively.
It was exhausting to get an correct learn on effectivity in the course of the take a look at drive program with a number of drivers and automotive swaps. Nonetheless, the worst leg I noticed used 193 Wh/km whereas travelling primarily uphill with a lot of sharp corners in an Air Lengthy Vary. On the best way again from Bowral to Sydney in an Earth AWD we consumed 163 Wh/km.
Charging and possession
Most DC charging speeds usually are not listed in Kia’s official EV5 spec sheet, however 10-80% charging instances on a 350 kW charger are 36 minutes for the Customary Vary 64 kWh battery and 38 minutes for the Lengthy Vary 88 kWh battery.
On board AC charging is proscribed to six.6 kW single section for the Air Customary Vary whereas different variants are able to as much as 11 kW on three section. An exterior V2L adapter is included with Earth and GT-Line variants, however will be bought individually to be used with the Air.
Kia has moved the cost port from the rear driver’s aspect the place it’s on EV6 and EV9 as much as the entrance driver’s wheel arch. This isn’t good for kerbside chargers the place the cable might have to be draped throughout the bonnet, probably damaging paintwork. Maintain this in thoughts in case you use these types of chargers often.
Towing capability for the Air Customary Vary variant is 300 kg braked or unbraked, with 50 kg max towball obtain. This will increase to 750 kg unbraked or 1,250 kg braked with 100 kg max towball obtain for all Lengthy Vary variants.
The EV5 comes with a 7 12 months/limitless km guarantee overlaying the car and seven 12 months/150,000 km for the battery pack and excessive voltage elements resembling the electrical motor(s). Pay as you go service plans can be found for 3 years ($980), 5 years ($1,535) or 7 years ($2,431).
Clarification on EV5 delay and Kia’s future EV plans
Initially the EV5 was as a consequence of arrive in Australia in June 2024, however this was pushed again as a consequence of “wheel and software program points.” Meredith expanded on these points in the course of the Q&A, “With a brand new mannequin, doesn’t matter whether or not it’s Tasman or EV5, we make sure that it’s prepared for market and acceptable for market.”
“When a brand new product comes out of a manufacturing unit that’s not nation of origin, you need to guarantee you’ve got an important relationship with that and your high quality degree must be on the degree you need it for the market, and that’s why we delayed. We needed to ensure the automotive was spot on to enter the market.”
Thomas Wacker, Basic Supervisor Service for Kia Australia additionally clarified, “We had some points with vibrations within the automotive, so we had some tyre stability points that we would have liked to kind out, and that took a while working straight again with the manufacturing unit.”
“And from a software program perspective, the MDPS (Motor Pushed Energy Steering) steering simply wasn’t proper for what we’d like, so we would have liked to get that up to date as properly.”
In the course of the take a look at drive program I didn’t expertise any vibrations or steering points within the automotive so Kia seems to have satisfactorily resolved these issues. EV5 Air and Earth variants are as a consequence of arrive in Kia dealerships imminently, adopted by the GT-Line coming in December 2024.
When requested about Kia’s plans to fill within the gaps of their EV lineup resembling a smaller EV1 or EV2, Kia executives have been unable to substantiate something past their subsequent electrical car being the EV3 SUV arriving late Q1 or early Q2 2025.
Conclusion
The EV5 is a compelling car general and may compete properly in opposition to the rising variety of electrical SUVs arriving on our shores. From design, by means of to driving expertise and performance, Kia has efficiently taken their flagship EV9 components and utilized it to a smaller and far more reasonably priced package deal within the EV5, assuming you don’t want 7-seats.
However, in case you desire driving one thing sportier or with a sleeker design, take the EV6 for a take a look at drive. A refreshed 2025 EV6 is coming quickly, which incorporates inside and exterior updates to convey it in keeping with the remainder of Kia’s EV vary.
Desk of key specs for Kia EV5
Be aware the EV5 Air Customary Vary worth is driveaway, whereas costs for the opposite variants beneath don’t embrace on-road prices.
Variant
Air Customary Vary
Air Lengthy Vary
Earth Lengthy Vary
GT-Line Lengthy Vary
Beginning worth
$56,770*
$61,170
$64,770
$71,770
Battery measurement
64 kWh
88 kWh
Battery chemistry and producer
Lithium iron phosphate (LFP), FinDreams
Vary (km, WLTP)
400
555
500
470
Pushed wheels
Entrance-wheel drive
All-wheel drive
Energy / Torque
160 kW / 310 Nm
230 kW / 480 Nm
Charging time
7 kW AC (10 – 100 %) – 9 hours 43 minutes50 kW DC (10 – 80 %) – 57 minutes350 kW DC (10 – 80 %) – 36 minutes
11 kW AC (10 – 100 %) – 8 hours 10 minutes50 kW DC (10 – 80 %) – 72 minutes350 kW DC (10 – 80 %) – 38 minutes
Exterior dimensions (mm)
Size: 4,615Width: 1,875Top: 1,715Wheelbase: 2,750
Floor clearance (mm)
175
161
166
Kerb weight (kg)
1,910
2,054
2,198
2,229
Cupboard space (VDA)
Frunk: 67 LBoot, rear seats up: 513 LBoot rear seats folded: 1,714 L
Service interval
12 months / 15,000 km
Tim has 20 years expertise within the IT business together with 14 years as a community engineer and website reliability engineer at Google Australia. He’s an EV and renewable power fanatic who’s most keen about serving to individuals perceive and undertake these applied sciences.
