Electric 2024 Kia EV5 SUV officially unveiled

The new 2024 Kia EV5 made its official debut in China last weekend, continuing the Korean brand’s trend of keeping its electric SUV offerings remarkably close to their concept form.

Expected to arrive in local showrooms by mid-2024, the Kia EV5 has similar dimensions to the Kia Sportage mid-size SUV but looks more like a full-size Kia EV9 that was put through the drier one too many times, with similar body and character lines to its EV stablemate – albeit downsized.

This relationship extends to the interior design, where there’s a similar dash layout to the EV9 – headlined by dual 12.3-inch screens – but enough differences to mark the two models apart.

Where the EV9 features an EV take on the traditional centre console arrangement, the EV5 features little more than an integrated hump between the driver and front passenger seats and seemingly overhangs a storage tray at the base of the dash.

It also has a hinged floating arm rest above it which can fold up between the backrests.

Kia is yet to expand on this particular design feature but we’re sure it won’t be long before we get a full explanation given the EV5 is due to launch in China later this year before entering global markets in the first half of 2024.

“Research by Kia has revealed that millennial households now regard the interior of their EV SUV not just as a place to sit safely and comfortably when travelling from A to B, but as an additional ‘room’ to live their life in,” the company said.

“To meet this challenge, Kia’s interior designers have completely reimagined the vehicle’s interior space.

“Drawing additional inspiration from the recently launched larger EV9 SUV, they have endowed the EV5 with an extensive interior space that is closer in concept and execution to a home lounge than a traditional car cabin.

The EV5 is expected to be underpinned by the established e-GMP architecture, while Chinese homologation data has suggested the volume-selling grades will feature a 160kW/310Nm single-motor powertrain and a BYD-sourced lithium iron phosphate battery.

A dual-motor version is anticipated, and a high-performance GT version could also be in the mix to sit below the corresponding EV6 and EV9 GTs.

More details of the EV5 will be announced in October at the Kia EV Day, where the brand “will expand upon its global vision for electrification”.