Kia's new EV5 aims for the heart of Europe's electric car market

Kia is taking a big step in the European electric vehicle space with the official reveal of its EV5, an electric SUV designed specifically for the continent. Sliding into a fiercely competitive segment, the EV5 will challenge established players and, as Kia puts it, serve as a "cornerstone" of its growth strategy in the region.

The EV5 shares its name and general appearance with the version sold in China, but the European model is a different machine underneath. The most significant change is the battery. Instead of the BYD LFP Blade battery used in the Chinese model, the European-spec EV5 will feature an 81.4 kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) battery pack.

This chemistry change allows the EV to target a WLTP range of up to 329 miles - a sweet spot within the landscape of family-sized electric cars. The vehicle will be available in baseline and the sportier GT-Line trims. Both variants will initially be offered with a front-wheel-drive configuration, powered by a single electric motor producing 160 kW (215 horsepower) and 218 lb-ft of torque.

If you feel disappointed by the EV5 having only one electric motor - don’t be. Quick look through the spec sheet released by Kia reveals there is in fact an AWD version coming.

It will most likely be the GT-Line AWD model already available in Australia, with the larger 81.4 kWh battery. This version is really worth waiting for - its dual-motor powertrain delivers 230 kW and 354 lb-ft of torque and makes the EV5 quite sprightly, with a 0 to 62 mph sprint taking just over six seconds.

When the battery runs low, Kia promises a quick turnaround, with the EV5 capable of charging from 10% to 80% in approximately 30 minutes on a suitable DC fast charger. Adding to the practicality, the EV5 also supports bi-directional charging, or Vehicle-to-Load (V2L), providing up to 3.6 kW of power to run external devices, which is a neat trick for camping trips or power outages.

Dimensionally, the EV5 is not a large SUV. It measures 181.5 inches in length, 73.8 inches in width, and stands 65.9 inches tall. This makes it slightly more compact than the popular Tesla Model Y and closer in size to its corporate cousin, the Hyundai Ioniq 5.

The exterior design maintains the bold, upright "Tiger Face" and boxy silhouette seen on the larger EV9, giving it a distinctive and modern road presence that has become a hallmark of Kia's current lineup of electric cars.

Inside, Kia aimed to create what it describes as a "lounge-like environment." The focus is on comfort, with seats that offer massage functions, heating, and ventilation to make journeys more pleasant. The dashboard is dominated by Kia's new ccNC (connected car Navigation Cockpit) infotainment system.

This setup comes with a wide panoramic screen housing two 12.3-inch displays for the driver's instruments and main infotainment, and separate manual climate controls. This multi-screen idea makes essential functions easy to find without having to dig through countless menus.

The official pricing has not been announced yet, but the EV5 will sit between the smaller EV3 and the larger EV6. With the EV3 starting around $47,647 and the EV6 from $53,881 in the UK, it is widely expected that the EV5 will start at a price point below $55,000. Giving even more credibility to our price estimates is the Australian version of the EV5, which starts at around $37,000.

For European customers, it's worth pointing out that their EV5 models will be built in Korea, distinguishing them from the Chinese-market versions produced through a local joint venture. Interestingly, while the EV5 is set for a global rollout that includes markets like Canada, Kia has confirmed it has no plans to bring this particular electric SUV to the United States.

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