KIA EV5 Review the Smart Middle-Child Electric SUV That’s Practical, Stylish, and Surprisingly Affordable

KIA EV5 Review the Smart Middle-Child Electric SUV That’s Practical, Stylish, and Surprisingly Affordable

Kia is not going to stop until there is an EV for every number, right? It's not a bad thing — a small number means a small car, a big number means a big car, and we all know where we stand. I think EV5 is in the middle. And that's a slot that can do well for a Korean company if the car is anything good. The EV5 is a medium-sized SUV, so it fits anywhere without much trouble and looks pretty good, too. It skips the EV6's swoopy feature, and the EV4's surprising outside look sticks to the more traditional two-box SUV layout. It's still very Kia, though, which means you get some funky light signatures to help it stand out from the other, less exciting boxes on offer.

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Kia's Digital Light signature is a big highlight here. The front and rear are massive, because they are in a big car, but the ramp does not overdo it or turn into a face. They easily help what visually boring cars can look cool. Being cool in the space of a family car is a hard thing to do, and Kia has just nailed it.

Specifications and Features

In the UK, that means there's an 81.4kWh battery lurking under the floor, supplying 214bhp and 218lb ft only to the front wheels. In the US, you're out of luck because the Chinese-made EV5 isn't heading in your direction. Kia says the UK specification manages 313 miles (503 kilometers, WLTP) on single charge, giving an average of 3.8 mi/kWh. Obviously, it was measured under test conditions, so your mileage will be different. Given the right charger, it takes up to 127kW on board, so you get 80-10% faster charging time in 30 minutes, a little slower than the time it takes for the EV6

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If you've ever been close to a Hyundai Kia, the EV5's infotainment system will be familiar to you. In favor of Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, there's a 12.3-inch touchscreen with a stunning array of options that you almost ignore. It said, its built-in GPS works well, giving clear instructions and providing up-to-date mapping and traffic information. It also shows where the nearest charging point is, how fast it is, and the number of charging points being used when set off. On only a handful of occasions it was needed, it worked perfectly.

Driving experience

KIA does a fine line with silly fast, dynamically capable GT spec cars, but the EV 5GT-Line S "see this" here to blow your socks off. It is designed to be a car for people who need a car. Don't expect ultra-flat cornering or track-ready performance here. In the city, it is smooth and comfortable, spine without the endless potholes can be absorbed easily and can ride. However, Car 4,612 pounds of Weight cannot be ignored. It is large and heavy vehicle, with large and heavy battery equipped with a nice suspension.

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There are three levels of regen to play, and above there is an i-pedal one-pedal drive mode. Passengers harsh project settings if you are not familiar with, they take some time to get used to. On the highway, I'll be fine Highway driving is boring at its best, and the EV5 handles it well. The seat is comfortable, the sound system is good, and the heated seat can be set to "pleasure". It rides on 19-inch wheels and is shaped like a stylized brick, so such a thing is expected.

And if you're in the mood there are a handful of drive modes to play with. In most cases, the normal setting is fine, but if you're worried about the range, you can set it to ECO, and the EV5 can give you extra miles here and there while blunting the throttle response. If you are in a hurry, you can activate the sport mode. If the mood takes you, you can enjoy it when things twist. The torque and power are supplied sharply and smoothly, and the steering is not sharp, but can be pushed enough to raise a smile.

Technology and charging

EV5 has not acquired the flashy 800-volt electrical architecture that its older brothers, the EV6 and EV9, are blessed with. Instead, it's 400 volts all the way. It means that charging is a bit slow and under the skin is not so advanced. The positive side of it is that the price is kept a little lower. The high-strength public charger of the EV5 will not be a hit, its promise will be 127kW fast charging. The ones are less than 40-50kW, others, Punchier 100kW. It's a bit frustrating. Household chargers are a widely debatable issue, but they also hope that cars will hit the advertising market.

When it comes to efficiency, it performed well given the WLTP-friendly temperatures that do not go along with the disastrous British weather. Kia's figure went well to 3.8 miles per kWh, and it managed around 3.3 more than hundreds of miles of mixed driving. It will probably do better in California, but in the real world, cars rarely hit WLTP numbers. If you're a fan of charging devices, you're well catered for. There's a handful of things in the center console, and there's a built-in USB-C charging port in the front seat so rear seat passengers can keep replenishing while on the move.

The active safety tech of the usual suite of Kia exists and is correct. When you press the turn signal, the road level of what is happening behind you on its side will not turn into a paste, because the wrong moped riders and cyclists will clearly see what is happening behind you, which is very useful when you try to get around town. The backup of the camera is also not clear. It has the necessary bings and bongs to alert you when you are exceeding the speed limit or straying out of your lane, too. They are not overly intrusive and you can turn them off if you want.

One thing that takes time to get used to is the gear selector. Twist the end of the stick attached to the column forward, forward and back, but if you are trying to pull out a tight reverse or parallel park, it is very easy to be overwhelmed and flick in the wrong way. This is almost certainly a matter of picnics, but you need to be careful when grabbing a car.

Price and Verdict

In the UK, the EV5 is £ 39,345 (at current exchange rate is $ 52,503) at the kick-off, and GT-Line S of the test specification is £ 47,145, with a decent range with 5-seater large SUV completely makes sense. Therefore, EV5 is not easy to recommend to you. On the other hand, it's a toy with lots of practical, handsome SUV, and you put your trust and can moderate efficiency. Comfortable, not too many around the family to get for. It is Kia who will be in this class something unadorned and make something closer to, it is usually in the style of doing so. It's firmly in the "It's a decent car" category and it's damn high among it.