Kia EV5 detailed ahead of 2024 arrival

The new Kia EV5 electric SUV has been detailed ahead of its arrival in Australia in 2024.

To be sourced from China rather than Korea – where the EV5 will also be manufactured – the new mid-size electric SUV will utilise lower-cost lithium ferrous phosphate (LFP) batteries and a raft of technology to tempt people out of the top-selling Tesla Model Y and BYD Atto 3.

While pricing is yet to be announced, expectations are that the Kia EV5 could start at about $60,000, helping it undercut the $65,400 (plus on-road costs) Model Y that dominates the mid-size electric SUV segment – and has trounced all other EVs in the 2023 sales race so far.

“The EV market is expanding from one catering to the smaller early-adopter group to a more broader mass majority of customers,” says Spencer Cho, Kia’s head of global business planning sub-division.

“The Kia EV5 is not just the next addition to our rapidly expanding EV line-up, but also the embodiment of how we will accelerate the EV revolution.”

Key to the EV5’s value equation is the use of LFP batteries, which are cheaper to manufacture than nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) batteries, albeit with a lower energy density.

The top-selling EVs in the country – including the BYD Atto 3 and Rear-Wheel Drive versions of the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y – utilise LFP batteries that are increasingly infiltrating the EV segment, especially those sourced from China.

Min Woo Park from Kia’s global product planning team said cost was a key consideration in opting for LFP batteries in the EV5 manufactured in China (the same car being built in Korea will have NMC batteries, at least initially).

“The EV5 is a very important model for Kia,” he said. “It is not just the next addition from electric standing EV line-up but a hugely strategic product that will add much needed momentum to the mass popularisation of EVs.”

Elsewhere the EV5 talks a big tech game, with the latest remote connectivity and the ability to use a smartphone as a key.

Dual 12.3-inch screens dominate the minimalistic dash and there is a 5.0-inch display for ventilation controls, while a head-up display is also available. Like the EV9, it uses touch pads on the dash for key functions.

The EV5 also gets remote connectivity with over-the-air software updates, as well as access to the Kia Connect Store, which “offers a wide array of options to add to the vehicle’s performance and enjoyment of the user experience”.

Like the bigger EV9, the EV5 has bold SUV styling and the two share various themes inside and out.

Seating is limited to two rows and five people, although the dedicated EV platform maximises occupant space.

Leather is not available, with the EV5 instead available with Bio-PU, which looks similar.

While an interesting bench front seat is available in the Chinese market, it won’t be offered in Australia.

The EV5 rides on a familiar E-GMP architecture that also underpins various Hyundai, Genesis and Kia EVs.

However, whereas all those early arrivals have utilised an 800V electrical architecture – which makes for faster recharging – the EV5 gets a more common 400V system with charging power limited to “more than 120kW”, or about half that of the EV6 and EV9.

The EV5 will be offered in a range of two- and all-wheel drive models.

The entry-level gets a single electric motor driving the front wheels. Whereas the EV6 and EV9 have placed the electric motor on single motor models on the rear axle, for the EV5 it’s on the front, something that makes it front-wheel drive.

That base car will get a 64kWh battery and make 160kW of power.

That same 160kW motor is used in the Long Range, which gets an 88kWh battery for about 530km of WLTP driving range.

Add a 70kW rear motor – for all-wheel drive – and the total power is 230kW, albeit with about 10 per cent less driving range.

Globally, the EV5 will be available with vehicle-to-grid potential, allowing the car to power your house or feed electricity back into the grid. It’s unclear whether that functionality will be fitted to Australian cars.

Plus it’ll have the latest technology, including the ability to use your phone as a key and even a small onboard fridge and food warmer.

So, there’s a fair bit to the new Kia EV, including some decent tech and assertive styling. But arguably the most important part will be the price; if it’s sharp it could make a big impact in Australia.

For everything you auto know about EVs, listen to carsales' Watts Under the Bonnet: the electric car podcast

Join the conversation at 

our Facebook page

Or email us at 

editor@carsales.com.au