Is this going to be the electric vehicle (EV) that Australian families finally embraces en-masse?
Looking all the world like a shrunken Kia EV9 full-sized SUV and displayed as the Concept EV5 at the brand’s “Chinese EV Day” back in March, the production version due out sometime next year as a 2025 model is set to be the next EV in the company’s growing armament of battery-powered vehicles.
While there’s very little to go on right now other than what you see, it is understood that the production EV5 will be heavily based on the super-successful EV6’s mechanicals.
This means it would ride on a variation of Hyundai/Kia’s E-GMP Electric Global Modular Platform, offering an 800-volt architecture for fast charging, a rear-mounted electric motor with rear-wheel drive (RWD) or an additional front motor for all-wheel drive, and battery packs ranging from about 55kWh to 100kWh or more as required.
To be positioned beneath the larger EV6 that currently starts from $72,590 before on-road costs for the base Air RWD, we could see the EV5 kick off from around $60,000 or even less, putting it within striking distance of the popular Toyota RAV4 Cruiser hybrid and other top-of-the-line medium SUV favourites.
Which is what could be the making of the EV5 as one of the most important new models that Kia releases for the rest of the decade, since it catapults the EV into the heart of the global new-car market – medium-sized SUVs.
Just to emphasise what this means, four of the 10 best-selling vehicles in the world according to JATO Dynamics figures last year are from that segment – the RAV4 at number one, the Tesla Model Y in third position, the Honda CR-V placed fourth and Toyota Corolla Cross at eight.
And it’s worth keeping in mind that, since all these and the many more just outside of the top-10 like the Mazda CX-5, Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage (the brand’s most popular model worldwide in 2022) were stymied by severe production shortages and massive waiting lists, their positions may have been even higher.
With EV demand in Australia and around the world skyrocketing, the EV5 is in the box seat to tap into this ever-rising pool of buyers.
“We’ve certainly put our hand up for it,” according to Kia Australia product planning boss, Roland Rivero. “It is still unconfirmed, but we’ve love to bring the EV5 to market in Australia given a chance.”
Whether the EV5 would eventually become cheap enough to chase Chinese-branded mid-sized EV SUVs like the BYD Atto 3 (from $51,011 before on-road costs) is unknown.
However, rather surprisingly, Rivero says that – for now at least – KAU would rather not jump straight back into the bottom end of any market, especially with EV models like the EV6 and Niro Electric that have catapulted the brand to new heights of consumer aspiration.
“I don’t know whether we want to be in that space – at least not (straight away),” he said.
“Right now, what our EV products represent is really the upper end of our range, the brand enhancement and halo of our range. And it’s having that effect of lifting not only the desirability of the Kia brand, but the desirability of just about every other product in the Kia range.
“Where EVs roles are at the moment are aspirational and inspirational product. But, maybe down the track, as that range gets bigger and bigger and we get better supply, we can look at something more affordable.
“But to say it will be an MG equivalent (isn’t what’s happening at the moment).”
Of course, as much of the world is expected to move to zero-emission new vehicles during the next decade or so, the EV5 or a version of it will likely eventually merge with or replace the best-selling Sportage.
And it all begins right here.
Watch this space as we bring more information in the production EV5 as it comes to hand.
Keyword: Is this Kia EV a future electric car of the year? Past form and present trends are indicating this could be a Tesla Model Y and Toyota bZ4X beater!