New Kia EV5 electric SUV will come to the UK after all

• Same platform as Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 and 6
• Mid-size electric SUV
• Standard, long-range and all-wheel drive versions, with sporty GT arriving later

Kia has released new details about its EV5 electric SUV, announcing that it will be coming to the UK market after its Chinese launch. That means it will face a host of rivals including the Tesla Model Y, Nissan Ariya and BMW iX3. 

The Kia EV5 was initially revealed at the Chengdu Motor Show in China earlier this year, and the manufacturer has also now revealed two other EVs which will launch alongside it: the Kia EV3 compact SUV and EV4 saloon. There’s even an EV2 in the pipeline that is expected by 2027, bolstering its EV lineup.

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The EV5 is a new compact electric SUV, with chunky styling that references the larger seven-seat Kia EV9, while promising more practicality than the sleek EV6. It will be available in three different variations: ‘Standard’, ‘Long-range’ and ‘Long-range AWD’. The standard model gets a 64kWh battery and 217bhp motor in the Chinese market, while South Korean versions have a smaller 58kWh battery, and it’s not yet clear which battery will be fitted in the entry-level version in the UK market. The 64kWh has a claimed 329-mile range according to the Chinese CLTC testing regime and is yet to be tested using the European WLTP standard.

Chinese long-range versions get an 88kWh battery (81kWh in South Korea) paired with the same 217bhp motor, with a claimed 447-mile range (again, according to CLTC testing). The all-wheel drive model uses the same battery pack with a more powerful dual-motor setup producing 312bhp. As a result, CLTC-tested range for this model drops to 403 miles.

Kia has also said a sporty ‘GT’ range-topper will later join the lineup, bringing a more ‘engaging driving experience.’ There’s already a GT version of the EV6 with 577bhp and a 0-62mph time of just 3.5 seconds, and we’d expect similar performance from the EV5 GT.

New Kia EV5 design and interior

As we expected, the production EV5 hasn’t deviated much from the styling of the EV5 concept car shown earlier this year at the Shanghai Auto Show. It builds on the brand’s ‘Opposites United’ design language, most recently seen on the EV9 and the latest Kia Picanto facelift, with a series of LED daytime running light elements forming Kia’s characteristic ‘Tiger Face’ grille design – just without a grille itself.

There’s a similarly prominent LED signature at the rear, while chunky wheel arches and incredibly distinctive wheels give the EV5 the look of a car that seems to have driven straight off the show stand and onto the roads.

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The interior is unsurprisingly a lot more conventional than the concept, but it’s far from dull. One detail carried across from the concept, in spirit at least, is a bench-style passenger seat that seems to extend over the centre console. Like many recent Kias and Hyundais, there’s a wide display screen incorporating the driver’s instruments and the infotainment, and a simple, uncluttered dashboard design.

Kia will offer four interior colours (to complement nine gloss exterior hues and one matte finish), as well as five-seat patterns – along with 64-colour ambient lighting, which can synchronise with the car’s drive modes, as well as dimming automatically in low light and sending coloured alerts should a driver stray over the speed limit.

The company considers the EV5’s cabin to be no less than another room in which owners can live their lives – an environment “that combines a sense of relaxed wellbeing, personal inspiration, and family fun”. That’s presumably until your kids rub chocolate into the upholstery and your dog chews the headrests.

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Pricing for the Kia EV5 is yet to be confirmed, but if it’s to compete with its rivals the Nissan Ariya and Tesla Model Y, it’ll likely cost between £40,000 and £45,000.

Read our in-depth reviews of the Kia EV6 and EV9, or why not check out our list of the best electric cars on sale?