Kia NZ is pretty upbeat about the prospects of its new EV5, arriving in local dealerships soon. That’s despite the market for EVs going colder than a mother inlaw’s kiss in recent months. But they say the EV5, which starts at a Tesla Model Y baiting $67,990, ‘represents a leap forward for mass market affordability for an EV in the medium SUV segment’. The right car at the right price they say. It’s not quite ready to roll out onto local roads yet however, arriving in dealerships in September.
The range kicks off with the Light at $67,990, while a better specified Light+ is $70,450. The Earth is $75,450, or $80,450 with AWD. The AWD GT Line (arriving late in the year) is $85,540. This has a slightly different look, wearing sportier styling. Kia expects more than three quarters of sales will be for the front drive models, the Light expected to be popular at the price point.
All models get the 88kWh battery with its LFP blade cell construction. Kia says the 2WD models are good for 555km WLTP, with the AWD capable of 500km. Max charge rates are 11kW AC and 141kW DC (10-80 per cent taking 40 mins).
Kia has engineered the EV5 with a front-drive orientated platform, the 2WD model with a 160kw/310Nm motor upfront, while the AWD models also get a 70kW/170Nm unit on the rear.
Size wise, it’s similar to Sportage in most key dimensions. It’s a little shorter overall with its abbreviated overhangs. The styling channels the big EV9 with a boxy outline, which is intentional to make the interior as roomy as possible. And there’s good space in the rear seats, and the boot for the size of the EV5. Kia NZ reckon it’ll be a good fit for those looking to downsize from Sorento even, providing they don’t require seven-seats.
Read our Kia Sportage hybrid review
Inside, the materials used aren’t quite as classy as the larger, more expensive EV9, at least the entry level models, but the design is sharp. And the screens are impressive. The seats too are comfy, and we like the cloth trim, the interior said to be made of more recycled bits and less oily plastics.
Safety is to the fore, with lots of active driver aids and the next generation of active cruise. A new addition is the Kia Connect App, which will be free for five years. Once you’re linked up, it’ll tell you where all the networked EV charge points are, and if they are in use. It also allows for a few remote functions like setting the climate control and remote locking. However, it’s not able to be a digital key at present. Other features include being able to send your sat nav destination to the vehicle, real time tracking and enabling SOS calls in case of emergency (it calls the Kia helpline). It can set the timer for your home charging.
While we’ve driven it, we can’t reveal anything about how it goes just yet. Check back later for our drive impressions of the Kia EV5.
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