KIA MOTORS

Kia EV5 becomes electric Sportage alternative

Kia will soon take the next step in the EV story with the EV9, but of course it will not stop there. That large electric SUV gets a smaller brother, the EV5. An in-house alternative for both the Sportage and the EV6.

While one brand after another mainly came up with electric SUVs, Kia kicked off its EV label two years ago with the sturdy but still relatively low EV6. With the EV9, Kia is also joining the electric SUV madness this year and that is just the beginning. Next is the EV5, which you can briefly see as an EV9 that has been washed too hot. We do the EV5 a bit short with that, because Kia gives the EV5 its own design details. As the concept version already showed, the basic shapes inspired by the design language 'Opposites United' are in any case known from the EV9. So it will be a pretty chunky boy with a high and blunt nose, sharp folds and corners and minimalist 'Star Map' called front and rear lighting.

All in all, the EV5 will be quite a different appearance than the EV6, although, as its 'name' says, it is close to that with its market position. The Kia EV5 will also serve the middle class and that means it will come alongside the Sportage. You can only order a new generation SUV in 2021 as a plug-in hybrid at most, but with the EV5 there is something to choose from for those who want to drive fully electrically. An additional advantage of the electric powertrain is that the EV5 will undoubtedly be a bit more spacious inside than the Sportage, even if the EV5 would also be about 4.7 meters long. The EV5 is quite similar to the EV6 on the inside, because judging by the concept version, the EV5 also gets a relatively tidy dashboard with digital screens housed in one panel and a row of buttons centrally at the bottom of the dashboard. What is different: the EV5 will soon no longer be available with a black interior. And leather upholstery is conspicuous by its absence.

Room for more... The EV5 is on the same e-GMP basis as its brothers. This way we can already estimate what that means for performance. At least count on a battery pack with almost 60 kWh capacity, with an 80 kWh one on top. With the latter, a range of about 500 km should be possible. Whether the EV5 will also receive the battery pack of almost 100 kWh, just like the EV9, remains to be seen. Due to its size, it may be possible to accommodate a larger battery pack in the EV5 than in the EV6 and with that the EV5 may even be able to go about 600 km on a charge.

Logically, the engine range is very similar to that of the EV6 and you have a choice of rear and four-wheel drive and power ratings from 170 hp to 585 hp. Nearly 600 horsepower? Yes, there is a good chance that Kia will also prepare a lightning-fast GT version of the EV5. The Kia EV5 will not only be an electric alternative to the Sportage and a wider option next to the EV6, but also a direct competitor for the Skoda Enyaq iV, Ford Explorer and Nissan Ariya, among others. The advantage of appearing later is that Kia has a little longer to fill it with the latest innovations in the electrical field. It is certainly not inconceivable that there will be a shovel on top of the aforementioned specifications, especially in the battery and range area.

'China first'...When we all know for sure? Well, probably this year, because the Chinese market will already be introduced to the production version at the end of 2023. Count on it being our turn here in Europe a little less than a year later. After the EV5, the EV book is obviously not closed yet. There is a good chance that we will soon hear something about smaller electric Kias.

Joas Van Wingerden