New Kia EV5 preview: 2025 electric SUV aims to max-out on value

After being on sale in China for nearly two years, the new Kia EV5 is finally making its way to our shores, and the fully electric family SUV is focused on delivering serious bang for your buck in order to top its key rivals such as the Skoda Enyaq, Ford Explorer and Tesla Model Y.

As you may have guessed from its name, the EV5 will bridge the gap in Kia’s pure-electric range between the award-winning Kia EV3 compact SUV, and the Kia EV9 flagship seven-seater. It will also act as the all-electric alternative to the best-selling, recently refreshed Kia Sportage, because the two mid-size SUVs are very similar in size.

Orders will open later this year, with prices expected to start from a little over £38,000, which is less than a lot of its competition. For instance, the entry-level Enyaq, Explorer and Nissan Ariya start from around £39,000, while the cheapest Model Y costs nearly £45,000.

Yet simply being cheaper than the competition isn’t what’s impressive about the EV5’s price; it’s the fact that every model will feature a whopping 81.4kWh battery that Kia says will provide up to 329 miles of range. That’s about 100 miles more than the base Explorer is good for. It’s also not too far off bigger-battery versions of its key rivals, such as the Enyaq, which can cover up to 359 miles at most. 

As well as offering just a single powertrain, the EV5 will be available in a simple selection of three trim levels: Air, GT-Line and GT-Line S. While specifications are still being finalised, every model should get dual 12.3-inch displays, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a separate 5.3-inch touchscreen for the climate controls, LED headlights, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, keyless entry, three-zone climate control, reversing camera, adaptive cruise control, numerous other bits of driver-assistance tech and Kia’s renowned seven-year/100,000-mile warranty.

What powertrain options and performance can we expect?

The EV5 will use its 81.4kWh battery to power a single electric motor that drives the front wheels. With 214bhp and 295Nm of torque on tap, the 0-62mph sprint should take 8.4 seconds, which should be plenty for day-to-day life, and once again is on par with the Kia’s rivals from Skoda and Ford. Plus the EV5 will offer one-pedal driving, with paddles behind the steering wheel to adjust the strength of the regenerative braking on the move.

Kia has confirmed a hot EV5 GT is coming, but the only detail the firm has shared so far is that it’ll ride on 20-inch wheels. We expect this version to get dual-motors for all-wheel drive and more than 300bhp at least, in order to match the Skoda Enyaq vRS. It’s also likely to get the virtual gearbox and synthesised combustion engine soundtrack that was recently added to the Kia EV6 GT, to help create a more engaging driving experience. 

What do we know about the efficiency and running costs? 

The entry-level EV5 Air is set to go the furthest on a single charge (329 miles), while GT-Line models get an estimated 314-mile range, likely due to their larger 19-inch wheels. The car’s maximum charging speed of 130kW means a 10 to 80 per cent top-up will take half an hour. Kia has also added a new heating and cooling function for the battery to help preserve the driving range in colder temperatures, and make warming the cabin more efficient.

What is the exterior and interior design like?

We’re still a few months away from taking the EV5 on the open road, but we have had the opportunity to take a look around, and inside, the car in a studio. Despite this being a family-friendly, value-driven SUV, it has a surprisingly aggressive front end, with its large but super-slim ‘Star Map’ daytime running lights that wrap around onto the wings, vertical headlight units, heavily sculpted bonnet and a similar interpretation of Kia’s ‘Tiger Nose’ design to the EV3 and EV9. 

The boxy shape and squared wheelarches are very similar to the EV9’s as well, while at the rear is a rather large spoiler to help improve aerodynamics, a nearly full-width lightbar that’s unique to this car with vertical tail-lights at either end.

Air models will also come with 18-inch alloy wheels and cloth seats, while GT-Line trim – which is expected to be the most popular – adds snazzier 19-inch rims plus a sportier look, thanks to new bumper designs and extra gloss-black trim, two-tone artificial leather upholstery, a three-spoke steering wheel and ambient lighting.

The interior is basically identical to the EV9 and EV3’s, but that isn’t a bad thing. Every EV5 will be equipped with a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display, 5.3-inch climate control display and 12.3-inch touchscreen all housed in a single unit. There are haptic shortcut buttons on the dashboard, but further down are a proper physical volume wheel and chunky toggle switches for controlling cabin temperature and fan speed. 

In other markets, the EV5 features a bench seat in the front, but the European version gets regular seats and a proper centre console that offers extra storage, retractable cup-holders, an armrest, space for the wireless charging pad, and even a fingerprint scanner on top-flight models that drivers can use to quickly access their personal profile for the car.

What do we know about the infotainment system? 

Kia’s latest infotainment system was already slick and almost overflowing with features, including wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but a dedicated ‘Pet Mode’ will be introduced on the EV5. This makes sure your dog or cat is comfortable inside the car if you have to pop into a shop or something. It will maintain the cabin temperature, and prevent furry friends unlocking the car by accident, while also displaying a message on the screen letting passers-by know they needn’t worry.

Customers will also be offered different ‘entertainment packages’ so they can stream YouTube, Netflix or Disney+ through the big touchscreen, or play games, while charging. Plus the generative AI chatbot ChatGPT has now been integrated into Kia’s voice assistant, so it can understand more natural commands, suggest points to stop nearby and even make jokes to keep passengers entertained.

How practical is the new Kia EV5 and how big is the boot space?

Measuring 4,610mm long, 1,875mm wide and 1,675mm tall, the EV5 is slightly larger in every dimension than the latest Sportage. Its 2,750mm wheelbase is longer, too, and this, combined with the boxy silhouette and tall roofline, means it provides considerably more knee and headroom for rear passengers than its combustion-powered counterpart. There’s plenty of space for passengers’ feet under the front seats, too, plus a completely flat floor.

There are two sets of ISOFIX child-seat mounting points in the back, a small drawer that slides out of the centre console, and USB-C charging points in the backs of the front seats. This is a familiar Kia feature and ensures there’ll be no squabbling over who can charge their device. 

The 566-litre boot is similar to what you get in the pure-petrol Sportage, and when you need to load larger items, the EV5’s rear seat folds down completely flat, providing 1,650 litres of space to play with. Meanwhile, the 44-litre ‘frunk’ under the bonnet is perfect for allowing quick and easy access to the charging cables.

What safety tech does the new Kia EV5 have? 

Every EV5 will come with a host of safety and driver-assistance features, including a reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors, Safe Exit Warning, Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist 2.0, Highway Driving Assist 2.0 with Hands-On Detection, lane-keep assist and smart cruise control. 

The Kia EV5 hasn’t been awarded a Euro NCAP crash-safety score yet, but we’re expecting it to receive the maximum five stars. Both the EV3 and EV9 both did, and these use the same platform and technology.

What will the new Kia EV5 price be?

Prices for the Kia EV5 are expected to range from around £38,000 for the entry-level Air model, to somewhere under £45,000 for the range-topping GT-Line S. As we mentioned at the start, every model will feature a larger 81.4kWh battery and come generously equipped.

GT-Line will offer even sharper looks, but also more practical features like electrically adjustable front seats, a wireless charging pad, heated rear seats, a smart powered tailgate and vehicle-to-load (V2L) capabilities, so owners can use the car’s big battery to power appliances through a three-pin plug located under the rear bench.

Finally, top-spec GT-Line S cars will get all the bells and whistles, starting with an openable panoramic sunroof, Harmon Kardon sound system, a 12.3-inch head-up display, 360-degree parking camera set-up, blind-spot view monitor, and ‘Premium Relaxation’ front seats that are ventilated and can fully recline backwards, if you fancy a nap while charging the car. An energy-saving heat pump will also be available as an optional extra – but only with this trim

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