Like its stablemate and platform partner, Hyundai, Kia has been among the more aggressive established automotive brands with regard to its electric vehicle (EV) push.
Until recently, the Korean car maker’s EV range encompassed the Niro compact SUV, EV6 large SUV, and EV9 seven-seat SUV, but what the brand really needed was a mid-sized rival for Tesla’s Model Y.
Enter the EV5, a smartly designed and reasonably priced SUV that’s the first model to be exported from Kia’s plant in China.
Prices start at $56,770 (MRLP) for the EV5 Air 2WD Standard Range, moving up to the EV5 Air 2WD Long Range at $61,170 (MRLP), the EV5 Earth AWD at $64,770 (MRLP), and topping out with the EV5 GT-Line AWD at $71,770 (MRLP).
The EV5 Air 2WD Standard Range is the only model to get the smaller 64.2 kWh battery, while the other models get a larger 88.1 kWh battery. The smaller battery can accommodate AC charging at up to 7kW, whereas the larger battery can charge at up to 11W AC (3 Phase).
All EV5 variants can accommodate DC charging up to 350kW, with the larger battery taking an estimated 72 minutes for a 10–80% charge on a 50kW DC charger, or 38 minutes for the same charge on a 350kW charger.
Dimensionally, the EV5 is about the same length as Toyota’s RAV4 but is slightly taller and wider, and rides on a 60mm longer wheelbase. The tale of the tape is largely reversed when compared with the larger Tesla Model Y, however.
Inside, there are dual 12.3-inch screen displays, which create an impressive-looking integrated panoramic display, while the long wheelbase and wide body translate into a pleasingly roomy interior with good space for front and rear seat passengers.
Materials improve noticeably as you move up the grades, with Air variants feeling a bit fleet-spec compared with the better-appointed GT-Line. Despite this, they’re well equipped, with heated front seats, power driver seat with lumbar adjustment and massage function, power windows, and an artificial leather four-spoke steering wheel.
The 2WD EV5s are front-wheel drive, which is a key point of difference with the 2WD Tesla Model Y, which drives its rear-wheels. Give the EV5 Air too much accelerator out of a corner and the effects of sending V8-like torque through the front wheels is felt through the steering.
Ride and handling err more toward comfort than sports, resulting in a generally well-balanced and predictable vehicle, but the EV5 doesn’t particularly like rapid directional changes with the suspension under load.
Like most EVs, the Kia is impressively quiet at road speeds and delivers its power in a smooth and linear fashion that makes for pleasurable open-road performance. The single-motor Air variants boast outputs of 160kW/310Nm, while the dual-motor variants offer a more muscular 230kW/480Nm.
The driving range of the entry-level variant at 400km is about the minimum that’s acceptable in this country, but the Air 2WD Long Range pushes this out to a more manageable 555km for a not much higher price.
Visit racq.com/membership/subscriptions and subscribe to our Drive e-newsletter for more motoring news and car reviews delivered monthly.
Key stats
Price (MRLP): $61,170 (MRLP)/$63,990 (driveaway)
Warranty: Seven years, unlimited km (vehicle); seven years, 150,000km (high-voltage battery)
Powertrain: 88.1 kWh Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery, single electric motor, front-wheel drive (160kW/310Nm)
Energy consumption (WLTP): 18 kWh/100km
Range (WLTP): 555km
ANCAP crash rating: Five stars (Oct 2024)
For: Right sized for smaller families, reasonably priced, attractively styled, roomy and practical interior, decent range and performance, strong safety package.
Against: No spare wheel (tyre repair kit), extra weight of the battery tests the suspension on challenging roads, torque steer in 2WD variants, less powerful and more expensive than its key rival.
