New Kia EV5: Sportage-sized EV undercuts Tesla Model Y with sub-£40k price tag

Kia has revealed UK pricing for the EV5 SUV, kicking off at just £39,295. All models share the same powertrain, which combines an 81.4kWh battery pack with a single electric motor producing 214bhp. In entry guise, the Kia has a range of 329 miles.

The Sportage-sized Kia EV5 has been on sale in international markets for over 12 months now, and will finally reach UK customers by the end of this year, offering a package we think is likely to be hugely appealing to buyers.  

Although competing in a crowded marketplace, it has a  compelling set of figures when compared against key rivals. The Ford Explorer, for example, also starts at just below £40,000, but this will only get you the entry-level model with 233 miles of range. Upgrade to a bigger battery, and the price rises to nearer £45k. The Tesla Model Y, meanwhile, starts at £44,990 for the Single Motor variant, and comes with a 311-mile range. 

However, recent price changes to the Volkswagen ID.4 make it far more competitive against the Kia. An ID.4 Pro costs from just £36,995, and with its 77kWh battery will reach 351 miles on a charge. Stablemate Skoda’s Enyaq is arguably better than its VW twin, but costs from around £44,000 when specified with the same 77kWh battery pack. 

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How much will the Kia EV5 cost and what features do each model get?

That headline £39,295 price point is for the entry-level EV5 Air, but it’s still very well equipped with a raft of standard equipment. Highlights include LED exterior lights, privacy glass, 18-inch alloy wheels and rain-sensing wipers. Inside there are three displays made up from two 12.3-inch units in front of the driver and for the main touchscreen, plus an additional one mounted between to control the climate functions. 

Most buyers are expected to plump for the mid-range GT-Line, though, which costs from £42,595 – £3,300 more than the Air. This variant adds sportier exterior styling, with different front and rear bumpers and gloss black design elements. The wheels are also bigger at 19 inches, and it comes with automatic high beams on the LED headlights. 

There are further changes inside, including two-tone seat upholstery, plus more practical features such as electrically adjustable front seats, a wireless charging pad, heated rear seats and a powered tailgate. There’s also a useful vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability, so owners can use the car’s big battery to power appliances through a three-pin plug located under the rear bench.

Top-spec GT-Line S cars will get all the bells and whistles, starting with an openable panoramic sunroof, Harman 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

How fast is the new Kia EV5?

The EV5 sits on the 400V version of Kia’s E-GMP architecture that’s been designed specifically for all-electric vehicles. Its 81.4kWh battery powers a single electric motor that drives the front wheels. With 214bhp and 295Nm of torque on tap, the 0-62mph sprint takes 8.4 seconds, which should be plenty for day-to-day life. This is on par with the Kia’s rivals from Skoda and Ford. The EV5 will also 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’ll also feature 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. 

How much range does the Kia EV5 offer?

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 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’s the interior and exterior design like?

We’ve already had a look around the EV5 in a studio and instantly came away impressed. Despite this being a family-friendly, value-driven SUV, it has a cool and contemporary front end. It’s dominated by its large but super-slim ‘Star Map’ daytime running lights that wrap around onto the wings. Its actual headlight units are small, triangular units mounted low on the bonnet, and together with the heavily sculpted bonnet this makes for a distinctive, but not challenging design. 

The boxy shape and squared wheelarches are derived from the larger EV9’s, while at the rear is a rather large spoiler to help improve aerodynamics. A near full-width lightbar is unique to this car, and comes with vertical tail-lights at either end.

The interior is basically identical to that of the EV9 and EV3, but that isn’t a bad thing. As previously mentioned, every EV5 is 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.

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 elsewhere. 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 big is the Kia EV5?

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.

How safe is the Kia EV5?

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 did, and these use the same platform and technology.

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