The EV5 made by South Korea car company Kia is one of the latest entrants into the crowded midsize electric SUV market, joining several new brands and numerous SUV models arriving in Australia during the last quarter of 2024.
Kia has high hopes that the EV5 will be its best selling electric model yet, given that β partly because it will be made in China rather than its home country β it will be its lowest price EV offering in Australia so far.
βWeβre expecting to sell 400 a month,β Kia Australia CEO Damien Meredith told journalists during the companyβs EV5 drive day event this month. This is more than double the number of Kia EV6 sold each month and would put the EV5 just outside the top 5 of the monthly EV sales chart, behind Tesla, BYD and the MG4.
The prices for the EV5 were announced last week, with a base EV5 Air Standard Range pitched at $56,770 driveaway, around $4,000 cheaper than a Tesla Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive. The Air Long Range starts from $61,170 plus on-road costs, Earth Long Range AWD from $64,770 plus on-roads and GT-Line Long Range AWD from $71,770 plus on-roads.
The EV5 is almost half the price of the EV9 electric people mover, which starts from approximately $106,500 including on-road costs. EV5 is around $20,000 cheaper than equivalent EV6 variants and also undercuts the slightly smaller Kia Niro EV starting from $66,590 plus on-road costs.Β
This competitive price point was made possible by Kia building EV5 in their Yancheng factory in China, as opposed to South Korea where other Australian Kia EVs are sourced. EV5 also utilises lithium iron phosphate (LFP) blade batteries in all variants including Long Range, manufactured by BYD subsidiary FinDreams.
Looking into price parity against Kiaβs ICE models, a combustion powered Kia Sportage is the closest match to an EV5 in terms of size and it ranges from $32,995 to $52,920 plus on-road costs, so there is still a large gap between Kiaβs combustion and electric vehicles.
Kia invited The Driven to test drive and learn all about the EV5 over two days, while taking in the sights and scenery on the NSW south coast, Kangaroo Valley and Southern Highlands.
My first thought upon seeing the EV5 was that it looks remarkably similar to the EV9, sharing the same boxy shape and overall design language as Kiaβs larger 7-seat sibling. From a distance it is genuinely hard to tell the two apart, especially without other cars nearby for scale.Β
Measurement wise, the EV5 is 395 mm shorter, 105 mm narrower and 40 mm lower than an EV9. Most of the additional length in an EV9 is accounted for by a 350 mm longer wheelbase, which makes sense given it has an extra row of seating to accommodate.
This boxy design has several advantages when it comes to storage and interior space. Boot space in the EV5 is 513 L, with a large wide opening and flat floor. This expands to 1,714 L with the seats folded. Additional space is available underneath the boot floor as well as a 67 L front storage compartment, easily accessible via one of the key fob buttons.
Rear seats fold completely flat in the EV5 and Kia will be selling a blow up mattress that fits perfectly in the back if you want to take the car glamping. I spent a very comfortable night in the back of an EV9 previously with loads of room to spare, and the EV5 looks just as good for sleeping in unless you are very tall.
Throughout the boot there are cubby holes for storing smaller items as well as adjustable luggage hooks that can be placed in various holes positioned high and low. An internal vehicle to load (V2L) socket is also located in the boot, capable of supplying up to 15 A.Β
The strong resemblance between the EV5 and EV9 continues inside the cabin, with a familiar dash layout featuring identical 12.3 inch touchscreen and driverβs display sandwiched either side of a 5 inch climate monitor. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both available.
I found the infotainment screens were responsive and intuitive, just like those in other Kia and Hyundai EVs. There is good use of physical buttons on the dash for adjusting the climate, along with a row of capacitive buttons below the screen with shortcuts to the home screen, map, media, settings and a customisable star button.
In terms of comfort, front seats in the EV5 felt great after hours of driving and being a passenger, with no discomfort at all. EV5 Air seats are trimmed in cloth and artificial leather while Earth and GT-Line are all artificial leather.
For long or stressful drives, the driverβs seat comes with a massage function in all variants, which extends to the passenger side in the GT-Line. Front row seats are heated across the board, while GT-Line also gets heated rear outer seats and ventilated front seats.
The second row seats are spacious too, although not quite on the same level as those in the EV9. Rear seats can be reclined with three different positions available. Amenities in the back include USB-C ports, map pockets, air vents on the B-pillar and a fold down armrest with 2 cupholders.
A handy rear storage tray slides out backwards from underneath the centre console for storing things out of sight. In the top-spec GT-Line this tray also has a cooling or heating function, with temperature settings anywhere between 5 β 55 degrees Celsius. The tray pulls out much further than shown in the picture below.
Overall fit and finish of the EV5 cabin feels premium and solid throughout all variants. I found no noticeable difference in terms of build quality compared to other Kia electric vehicles that I have tested.
During Kiaβs test drive program we got to spend time driving the front-wheel drive Air and all-wheel drive Earth variants. Unfortunately the top-spec GT-Line was not ready yet, but it should be very similar on the road to the Earth AWD outside of the creature comforts in the cabin mentioned above.
Both EV5 variants felt responsive and well planted through low and high speed corners. The suspension is tuned more for comfort and ride quality, providing a smooth, quiet ride over bumps and rougher patches of road we travelled on. Some body roll was evident, but the EV5 is not designed to be a sporty car like the EV6.
Just like the EV6 and EV9, Kia completed an extensive ride and handling program for the EV5. βThe focus for this car was not to make it too sporty, but itβs an urban usage, daily usage type vehicle,β the engineers told us. βIt uses a frequency variable damper so it can change its damping continuously based on ride inputs to the car.β
Prior to driving the EV5, I thought front-wheel drive Air variants might feel inferior compared to single-motor rear-wheel drive EV6 or EV9. When I asked about this, Kia responded saying it is a global direction and a drive for both packaging and cost components went into making the decision.
On the road, the difference between Air and Earth variants was much less than I had anticipated. Apart from the Earth being a bit quicker, most people would probably not notice. The only time I felt some minor torque steer in the EV5 Air was when I pulled out and accelerated hard to overtake another car.
Regenerative braking is well tuned and can be adjusted quickly using steering wheel paddles. A gripe of mine is you need to turn it up to full i-Pedal or one pedal driving strength every time you start the car, use reverse or change drive modes, Iβd prefer if the car remembered your settings.
Adaptive cruise control and lane centering on the highway worked well, apart from slight wavering in the lane at times. Lane keeping aid was occasionally intrusive, jerking the wheel unexpectedly when the lane widened temporarily after a turnoff for example.Β
Similar to other Kia and Hyundai vehicles, the speed limit warning enabled at the start of every drive can get annoying as it is prone to false positives when it incorrectly detects speed signs. Kia confirmed that the next OTA software release brings a shortcut for disabling the warning by holding down the mute button on the steering wheel.
WLTP range kicks off at 400 km in the Air Standard Range, jumping up to 555 km if you opt for the Long Range battery with the Air. This drops to 500 km in the Earth or 470 km in the GT-Line, primarily due to these variants using larger 19 and 20 inch rims respectively.Β
It was hard to get an accurate read on efficiency during the test drive program with multiple drivers and car swaps. However, the worst leg I observed used 193 Wh/km while travelling mainly uphill with lots of sharp corners in an Air Long Range. On the way back from Bowral to Sydney in an Earth AWD we consumed 163 Wh/km.
Maximum DC charging speeds are not listed in Kiaβs official EV5 spec sheet, but 10-80% charging times on a 350 kW charger are 36 minutes for the Standard Range 64 kWh battery and 38 minutes for the Long Range 88 kWh battery.Β
On board AC charging is limited to 6.6 kW single phase for the Air Standard Range whereas other variants are capable of up to 11 kW on three phase. An external V2L adapter is included with Earth and GT-Line variants, but can be purchased separately for use with the Air.
Kia has moved the charge port from the rear driverβs side where it is on EV6 and EV9 up to the front driverβs wheel arch. This is not good for kerbside chargers where the cable may need to be draped across the bonnet, potentially damaging paintwork. Keep this in mind if you use these sorts of chargers regularly.
Towing capacity for the Air Standard Range variant is 300 kg braked or unbraked, with 50 kg max towball download. This increases to 750 kg unbraked or 1,250 kg braked with 100 kg max towball download for all Long Range variants.
The EV5 comes with a 7 year/unlimited km warranty covering the vehicle and 7 year/150,000 km for the battery pack and high voltage components such as the electric motor(s). Prepaid service plans are available for 3 years ($980), 5 years ($1,535) or 7 years ($2,431).
Originally the EV5 was due to arrive in Australia in June 2024, but this was pushed back due to βwheel and software issues.β Meredith expanded on these issues during the Q&A, βWith a new model, doesnβt matter whether itβs Tasman or EV5, we ensure that itβs ready for market and acceptable for market.βΒ
βWhen a new product comes out of a factory thatβs not country of origin, you have to ensure you have a great relationship with that and your quality level has to be at the level you want it for the market, and thatβs why we delayed. We wanted to make sure the car was spot on to enter the market.β
Thomas Wacker, General Manager Service for Kia Australia also clarified, βWe had some issues with vibrations in the car, so we had some tyre balance issues that we needed to sort out, and that took some time working directly back with the factory.β
βAnd from a software perspective, the MDPS (Motor Driven Power Steering) steering just wasnβt right for what we need, so we needed to get that updated as well.β
During the test drive program I did not experience any vibrations or steering issues in the car so Kia appears to have satisfactorily resolved these problems. EV5 Air and Earth variants are due to arrive in Kia dealerships imminently, followed by the GT-Line coming in December 2024.Β
When asked about Kiaβs plans to fill in the gaps in their EV lineup such as a smaller EV1 or EV2, Kia executives were unable to confirm anything beyond their next electric vehicle being the EV3 SUV arriving late Q1 or early Q2 2025.Β
The EV5 is a compelling vehicle overall and should compete well against the growing number of electric SUVs arriving on our shores. From design, through to driving experience and functionality, Kia has successfully taken their flagship EV9 formula and applied it to a smaller and much more affordable package in the EV5, assuming you donβt need 7-seats.
On the other hand, if you prefer driving something sportier or with a sleeker design, take the EV6 for a test drive. A refreshed 2025 EV6 is coming soon, which includes interior and exterior updates to bring it in line with the rest of Kiaβs EV range.
Note the EV5 Air Standard Range price is driveaway, whereas prices for the other variants below do not include on-road costs.
Variant | Air Standard Range | Air Long Range | Earth Long Range | GT-Line Long Range | ||
Starting price | $56,770* | $61,170 | $64,770 | $71,770 | ||
Battery size | 64 kWh | 88 kWh | ||||
Battery chemistry and manufacturer | Lithium iron phosphate (LFP), FinDreams | |||||
Range (km, WLTP) | 400 | 555 | 500 | 470 | ||
Driven wheels | Front-wheel drive | All-wheel drive | ||||
Power / Torque | 160 kW / 310 Nm | 230 kW / 480 Nm | ||||
Charging time | 7 kW AC (10 β 100 %) β 9 hours 43 minutes 50 kW DC (10 β 80 %) β 57 minutes 350 kW DC (10 β 80 %) β 36 minutes |
11 kW AC (10 β 100 %) β 8 hours 10 minutes 50 kW DC (10 β 80 %) β 72 minutes 350 kW DC (10 β 80 %) β 38 minutes |
||||
Exterior dimensions (mm) | Length: 4,615 Width: 1,875 Height: 1,715 Wheelbase: 2,750 |
|||||
Ground clearance (mm) | 175 | 161 | 166 | |||
Kerb weight (kg) | 1,910 | 2,054 | 2,198 | 2,229 | ||
Storage space (VDA) | Frunk: 67 L Boot, rear seats up: 513 L Boot rear seats folded: 1,714 L |
|||||
Service interval | 12 months / 15,000 km |
Tim has 20 years experience in the IT industry including 14 years as a network engineer and site reliability engineer at Google Australia. He is an EV and renewable energy enthusiast who is most passionate about helping people understand and adopt these technologies.
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View Comments
So, does it come with a spare wheel?
No
We know what to get you for your birthday
The ground clearance for the base model, seems to be a good start for "SUVs" to have more appropriate ground clearance for the vehicle descriptor category.
The V2L capacity (apparently, up to 15A - such numbers would have been good to have been included in the table at the end of the article, rather than having to search through the text of the article, to find them again) appears to maximise the benefit of a third party device for partial V2H - see https://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/hoem-review .
The location of the charge point connector is a matter of concern, being a person who surprisingly survived a motor vehicle collision with a hoon who, at a recklessly excessive speed, hit my car at that point, and wrote my reasonably solid car off, with the point of impact, being where that charge point connector is located..
I believe that the best location for the charge point connector on a BEV, is the rear left corner, like on the MG4 models. Elsewhere, I believe, is a design flaw.
You make an excellent point Bret.....that should be sent on to the importers & factory !
Another option for zero tailpipe emissions motoring, well done KIA
If your rich
You sound like a potential LeapMotor customer.
Tesla margins will be under even more pressure - and the stalkless stripped out version will be an even harder sell. Of course Tesla is an FSD company now......or perhaps one day.
"Tesla margins will be under even more pressure" - because Kia has a new EV?
"and the stalkless stripped out version will be an even harder sell." Why?
"Of course Tesla is an FSD company now" - Tesla, Inc. is an American multinational automotive and clean energy company (that) designs, manufactures and sells battery electric vehicles (BEVs), stationary battery energy storage devices from home to grid-scale, solar panels and solar shingles, and related products and services.
Whoa Tim, excellent review! π―
Extra points for mentioning glamping, a big concern of mine β
Unfortunately the EV5 has poor acceleration, information that was rather pointedly excluded from the article.
Thanks, what makes you say the acceleration is poor though? According to official Kia specs, the 0-100 km/h times for Air Standard Range (8.5 s) and Air Long Range (8.9 s) may not look fast compared to other EVs but I don't think they felt slow at all. I did not get a chance to do my own 0-100 km/h tests, but the EV5 certainly felt quick enough, even the Air Long Range.
Tim write one for the average person not the very well off like you.
Poor story for the real majority of people
Your comments lead me to believe you are someone with way way too much time on their hands, unless you consider irrelevant trolling a career?
Tim, if you compare to other vehicles in this bracket, most of which are RWD (which is superior to FWD), the acceleration is very uninspiring. For the same price, I can buy a much more exciting EV.
What you can afford this car, it proves you are rich not the average person
It is a new car. Generally the "average person " buys used cars. As new cars go this isn't notably expensive, but ideally we will get good functional EVs at a lower price than ICE cars soon, so many more can get the benefit of much lower running costs.
As an "average person" person I assume you mean the vast majority of people who live and work in this great country. So, you reckon we should wait until the above average people tire of their new cars so we can afford their used cars for a good price then?
Are you able to get a novated lease? A lot of new EVs are leased. Twenty months into my leased Model 3, has cost me $50 per week so far. That will go up once or if maintenance is required and tyres are replaced.
A 20 year old Subaru Forrester would be more than $50 per week to keep on the road.
There are EV drivers who target the free chargers available in our communities. Perhaps the 2nd hand market on a late model Tesla, 2019 onwards, the one with a heat pump. But to lease a 2nd hand EV it needs to be after September 2022 i believe to qualify for FBT free.
Same price as a tarted up Hilux/Ranger and those Aussie battlers buy plenty of them.
extra points also for including the dimensions in the specs list.
Let's order 10 for families that have 5 or 6 children.
Out of the average person price as the rich writer lives in is own land
Actually letβs buy contraceptives for the families that have 5 or 6 children.
In the UK this car is a bargain but Kia seem to be chasing fat profits here. 7kW AC charging, front wheel drive, it is up against the BYD Atto 3 and should be low $50s drive away, retail from $47K. Missed opportunity, could have blown the competition arriving late 2024 out of the water.
Seems to be another car that needs adjustments to settings every time you drive it to remove the annoying beeps and noises it makes. V2L is a good thing to have, esp 15 amp
Well I got a bit excited for 10 minutes thinking this might replace my Xtrail at last, only to see another EV with low towing ability in the mid size segment and the price. Back to looking at the Sportage but I guess it's the weight of the car overall that kills towing ability for now until battery density improves and possibly the weight.
Totally agree with you. We also have an aging Xtrail and have been looking for replacement new one in this bracket for a while now.
IMO the EV3 should be far more interesting, even so, the Korean EVs are still very pricey in comparison to the Chinese cars, and they still stick with NMC-only batteries. See Fully Charged Show review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu7qbFWf6i0
Question for those with a bit more EV knowledge than me. The AWD drive Earth has a WLTP range of 500km whereas the Air LR 2WD with the same battery has a range of 550km.
I'm aware that the slightly bigger wheels and heavier weight will account for part of the difference, but is it true that if you ran the Earth in Eco Mode (which minimises AWD) that increase the range by quite a bit?
You'd have to run the tests to see for sure, but if you used Eco mode with climate switched off and drove very conservatively I think you could beat the WLTP figure. You only have to look at the sorts of records the hypermilers achieve to see what is possible, although they typically drive at very low speeds.