Kia EV5 Arrives As A Mini Version of The EV9 Flagship SUV

After several teasers and accidentally being unveiled earlier this month, the much-anticipated Kia EV5 has finally made its global debut today at the Chengdu Motor Show. Similar to its concept twin, this compact EV SUV boasts similar styling to Kia’s flagship EV SUV model, the Kia EV9.

From a visual standpoint, the Kia EV5 stood as a smaller version of the EV9 SUV

Positioned under the EV6, the Kia EV5 measures 4,615 MM long, 1,975 MM wide, 1,715 MM tall, with a wheelbase spanning 2,750 MM – making it somewhat similar to the marque’s current ICE-powered compact SUV, the Kia Sportage. Aside from that, the EV5 gets similar styling cues as the EV9, including the sharp ‘Tiger Nose’ front fascia, boxy SUV silhouette with prominent underbody cladding, as well as kinked rear beltline.

Apart from its size, the only two notable differences between the EV5 and EV9 are the pushed-back D-pillars to allow roomier cabin and cargo space, as well as the snazzy wheels the EV5 rides on, featuring unique geometrical spoke design which are partially enclosed for better aerodynamics.

The EV5 minimalist cabin design looks somewhat similar to the one we saw on the EV9

On board, the EV5 cabin has been minimalistically designed, providing a cleaner and roomier look to the overall cabin. Up front lies the front dash layout which looks somewhat similar to the EV9, featuring sleek steering wheel and dual display layout consisting of the digital instrument cluster and the central infotainment display.

Below the screen lies several control buttons for both the infotainment and climate controls, while the central console is not raised and has been kept clean, with only the cup holders, wireless charging pad and several driving-related controls present here. Other tech amenities present here include the panoramic sunroof, as well as a 64-colour ambient lighting system.

Unfortunately, the swivel back seats we saw on the EV5 concept are gone, replaced by the more conventional foldable ones. The back seats are fully-foldable, allowing better flexibility for users to load up bulkier items on their EV5. Plus, the boot space also comes with extra hidden storage under the cover, boasting enough room to store your charging cables and whatnots.

While the global specs of the EV5 has yet to be disclosed by Kia, numerous sources indicated that the China-spec EV5 will be exclusively powered by a single, rear-mounted (RWD) electric motor setup rated at 215 HP (160 kW) and 310 NM. While the EV5 underpins the same E-GMP platform as the EV9, it only gets a 400-volt battery architecture instead of the 800-volt one.

However, Kia has promised that the EV5 will come in a hotter GT variant, which sees it getting a peppier dual-motor all-wheel drive (AWD) setup, plus a slew of cosmetic touches inside out.

Bulk of the global-spec Kia EV5 will be manufactured in Kia's assembly plant in China

As we reported earlier, China will be the main manufacturing hub for the global versions of the Kia EV5. As for the market availability, Kia promises more details pertaining to this matter at an upcoming event taking place later in Oct this year.

So folks, what do you think of the new Kia EV5? Would you be keen to see local Kia importer Dinamikjaya Motors (Bermaz) bringing this new compact EV SUV into our market in near future? As always, don’t forget to leave your thoughts in the comments down below…