Kia EV9 gets smaller brother EV5

The KIA EV5 will normally be revealed at China’s AutoChengdu on August 25, but as usual, the very first official pictures of the production version are already leaked via the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), picked up by CarNewsChina.

Pictures of the final version show that the newcomer is very similar to the concept car unveiled in March, with only minor changes: traditional mirrors, flush door handles, smaller wheels (18- or 19-inch instead of 21), and slightly revised head- and taillights.

Despite Kia initially making it clear that the EV5 will be a Chinese-only model with options to be sold in additional countries in the future, Kia’s CEO Song Ho-Seong now turned around and said, “We will also sell EV5 in South Korea and overseas.”

EV9’s smaller brother

From a design standpoint, the EV5 is closer to the Kia EV9 than the EV6, adopting an upright SUV body style instead of a raised hatchback look like the EV6. It looks like a downsized version of the EV9, which in many ways, it is.

Both models use the E-GMP EV-dedicated platform, but the EV5 is smaller, accommodating five passengers on two rows of seats instead of seven on three rows. According to information shared on MIIT’s website, the Kia EV5 is 4 615 mm long, 1 875 mm wide, and 1 715 high, with a wheelbase of 2 750 mm.

This makes it roughly as long and wide as the Kia EV6, although it’s significantly higher, and it has a 150 mm shorter wheelbase. The photos do not show the interior, but the production model’s cabin is likely less futuristic than what we saw in the concept.

Different batteries

The MIIT filing also reveals that the Kia EV5 features an LFP (lithium-iron-phosphate) Blade battery from BYD subsidiary Xiangyang Fudi Battery Co (FinDreams), which powers a rear-mounted electric motor rated at 160 kW (215 hp). No details about a dual-motor AWD variant have been released, but it’s difficult to imagine Kia wouldn’t offer it later.

It’s worth noting that the overseas version of the Kia EV5 may not feature an LFP battery; a Korean website previously reported that the EV5 would get an 82 kWh NMC pack (Nickel Manganese Cobalt) outside China, which would enable up to 600 km of range.

Another piece of information revealed regards the charging system that, this time, will be based on a 400 V instead of an 800 V system used on the rest of the dedicated EVs from Hyundai Motor Group. Kia apparently has decided to go with a 400 V system to make it cheaper to buy.

Around €40 000?

Kia recently confirmed the vehicle price range. The EV5 for sale in South Korea with a normal range (and smaller battery capacity) will be set at around 50 million won ($38 000/€35 000),  and the long-range at 57 million won ($43 800/€40 000). Normally, the cars with the NMC battery pack will be more expensive, but it’s unclear which versions will be sold in South Korea yet.

The Kia EV5 will be produced in China by the Kia-Yueda joint venture at its plant in Yancheng. Vehicles made there will be sold in China and exported; as Kia-Yueda previously said, the EV5 is its first China-made global EV.