Kia EV5 Review 2025

Car manufacturers often refer to their most expensive products as ‘halo models’ – the idea being they attract the curious into showrooms who, after looking at them in wonder, settle for another model that's within their budget. This is most effective when the less costly car has obvious visual similarities to the pricier one, which could see the new Kia EV5 being especially popular.

That’s right, that the EV5 looks rather like an 80% scale version of the flagship Kia EV9 is wholly deliberate and not indicative of a paucity of ideas. Pleasingly, its sheer surfaced, angular bodywork still looks purposeful in this moderately sized form.

They also serve an additional purpose within the Korean brand’s expansive SUV line-up my giving the electric-only EV5 a distinct identity from that of the combustion-engined Kia Sportage. The battery powered newbie has very similar dimensions to its well-established and very popular sibling.

Not that the Kia EV5 will only have in-house competition in the family-friendly SUV market, particularly with a growing number of electric alternatives from a whole host of rivals. Among prestige models in Kia’s sights are the BMW iX1 and the similarly sharp-suited Volvo EX40.

Expect the EV5 to undercut those, but be under no illusions that it’ll be inexpensive – good value, yes, but cheap? No. We wouldn’t be surprised if the Kia feels like more car for your money than the Ford Explorer, although the recently facelifted Skoda Enyaq will likely prove to be a more spacious choice as should the Renault Scenic E-Tech.

Underneath the EV5’s perpendicular body is another iteration of the E-GMP platform that’s shared with others in the same manufacturing group including its intriguing-looking Kia EV4 sibling. As per that model, the electric motor is mounted at the front powering those wheels, rather than under the boot floor driving the rears, as is the case with the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Genesis GV60.

This may well pay dividends by allowing Kia to maximise space in the back of the EV5 for people and luggage. All-wheel drive models do have a second motor at the back but it's far less powerful – and likely more space efficient – than the front one.

Front-wheel drive Kia EV5s will arrive first, boasting an output of 217PS, while the 2026-expected all-wheel drive versions will increase that to 306PS. Performance and WLTP combined cycle driving range figures for the front-drive EV5s are provisional for the time being with a 0-62mph time quoted at 8.4 seconds and a driving range of up to 329 miles from the Long Range 81.4kWh battery (the GT-Line can manage 314 miles due to its big wheels).

It's possible that Kia may also offer the entry-level EV5 with a Standard Range battery with a 58kWh capacity paired with the 217PS front-wheel drive motor arrangement at some point in the future. That should be more than sufficient for at around 250 miles of range.

Practicality-wise, the EV 5 has a 566-litre boot with all seats up, 1650 litres with the 60:40-split second row folded and a 44-litre frunk. The boot floor is height-adjustable by 100mm.

Kia will sell the EV5 in three of its familiar trim levels from the outset – Air, GT-Line and GT-Line S. All versions feature dark-tinted rear privacy windows, LED head and tail lights, heated front seats and steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, plus wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone connectivity.

A pair of 12.3-inch screens dominate the Kia EV5’s dashboard and while the sleek, minimalist look is very of the moment, the low tally of physical buttons is disappointing. At least there looks to be a toggle for adjusting the climate control temperature without flicking through a series of touchscreen menus.

It’s likely to have a spacious cabin for five people, although the curious front passenger seat with its elevated side extension forming what appears to be an armrest won’t be swapped over for right-hand drive versions of the EV5 sold in the UK.

Orders for the Kia EV5 opened in September 2025 with first customer deliveries due before the end of the year. Prices start at £39,295 for the Kia EV5 Air, rising to £42,595 for the GT-Line model. For all the bells and whistles of the Kia EV5 GT-Line S there's a sharp increase to £47,095.

Model-for-model those prices are broadly £3000 more expensive than the smaller-but-still-spacious Kia EV3.

Keep this page bookmarked to for updated news and details about this electric SUV ahead of our comprehensive full Kia EV5 review being published in the weeks ahead.