Kia EV5 review

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New SUV aims to convert legions of Sportage fans to electric motoring

The Kia EV5 is the Korean manufacturer's vegan sausage roll.

Much like the pork-filled pastry, the combustion-engined Kia Sportage is a firm favourite of the British public: more than 45,000 have left showrooms across the UK this year, making it the nation's second-best selling new car. But the time has come for a more 'socially conscious' version, giving Kia a competitor in the burgeoning class of family-sized electric SUVs. 

The Sportage is a smash hit, accounting for almost half of Kia's annual sales in the UK. Only time will tell whether the EV5 can match that success, but it has the right ingredients.
Charlie Martin
Staff Writer

It's never going to break the mould like Kia's previous EVs, but it's here so that Kia can sell shedloads.

While early estimates are modest (Kia UK expects to sell around 6000 EV5s in 2026), it's set to come into its own as the market increasingly shifts toward electric powertrains.

New Kia EV5 cars in stock

 Kia EV5 81.4kWh Air Auto 5dr opens in a new tab
£37,795
 Kia EV5 81.4kWh GT-Line Auto 5dr opens in a new tab
£41,778
 Kia EV5 81.4kWh Air Auto 5dr opens in a new tab
£38,480
 Kia EV5 81.4kWh GT-Line Auto 5dr opens in a new tab
£41,780
 Kia EV5 81.4kWh Air Auto 5dr opens in a new tab
£38,480
 Kia EV5 81.4kWh GT-Line S Auto 5dr opens in a new tab
£46,280
 Kia EV5 81.4kWh GT-Line Auto 5dr opens in a new tab
£40,890
 Kia EV5 81.4kWh GT-Line S Auto 5dr opens in a new tab
£45,300
 Kia EV5 81.4kWh GT-Line S Auto 5dr opens in a new tab
£47,720
View all 18 cars

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DESIGN & STYLING

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There’s already a sense of familiarity about the EV5: it was revealed back in May 2023 and has been on sale, albeit with different technology and batteries, in China and various other countries in the Asia-Pacific region for the past two years.

The design adheres to Kia's now-familiar 'Opposites United' philosophy, with plenty of sharp creases and polygonal shapes. While it gets a new treatment of Kia’s ‘Tiger Face’ grille and narrow LED headlights, there is a sense of ‘nesting doll’ overfamiliarity working its way in.

The EV5 gets 18in or 19in wheels, depending on trim level, with exclusive alloy designs.
James Attwood
Associate editor

It's less bold than its predecessors, as if Kia has dialled down the spice to make it more palatable for a broader range of buyers. If you park it next to its smaller and larger siblings, you can spot the differences, but it feels like a downscaled EV9. That's a bit of a letdown from a brand that has pushed hard to give each of its models its own flavour in recent years.

The EV5 sits on the entry-level version of the well-established E-GMP platform that underpins the Kia EV3 and EV4, with MacPherson strut suspension up front and a multi-link rear. Here, the structure has been stretched to measure 4610mm long, 1875mm wide and 1675mm tall, making the EV5 marginally shorter than the Sportage. 

That results in a slightly smaller boot, at 550 litres compared with 591 litres, but this is made up for by the addition of a 44-litre frunk, best used for stowing the charging cable.

All versions have an 81.4kWh battery and a front-mounted motor producing 214bhp and 218lb of torque. More potent dual-motor AWD and GT models will follow.

INTERIOR

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Stepping inside, the first thing of note is a relatively low driving position for an SUV. The EV5’s high shoulder line and fairly long bonnet envelop you deep inside the cabin, which can make it hard to judge wiggle room in tight spaces. There’s plenty of adjustment in the driver’s seat (manual in entry-level Air trim, electric from GT-Line) and in the steering wheel, which helps, but it still feels slightly cumbersome around town or in the countryside.

The technological offering is, as we've come to expect from Kia, impressive. Infotainment and instrumentation are each provided by a 12.3in digital displays, with clear graphics that are easy to read at a glance. The two screens are split by another 5.3in unit that features the heating and ventilation controls. A row of switches below the screen give physical controls for changing the temperature or fan speed.

A new mode maintains the optimum interior temperature for a “comfortably, pet-friendly environment” while you've nipped out. Your dog will thank you for it.
James Attwood
Associate editor

The set-up generally works well and is intuitive, although the touch-sensitive shortcuts for the infotainment's home screen, sat-nav and such can be hard to identify and use while on the move. 

Using the central touchscreen, it’s easy to pair a phone through Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, although the latter software’s sidebar can be blocked by the steering wheel if it’s set high.

The EV5's interior materials feel plush without being posh. GT-Line and GT-Line S trims bring a different faux-leather finish for the steering wheel that’s much nicer to the touch than the plasticky stuff used in Air cars, which makes a notable difference to the driver’s sense of wellbeing. 

Lots of the materials feature recycled or eco-friendly elements, and there's even a QR code on the dash that points to a website telling you all about them.

Room in the back is palatial, which will please any passenger – as will the presence of USB-C charging ports in the plastic backs of the front seats. The rear seats fold totally flat to expand the boot capacity from 550 to 1650 litres. Moreover, there are plenty of storage bins to suit family life. 

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

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To drive, the EV5 is fine and not much more besides. To Kia’s credit, the throttle and brake pedals are very intuitive for an EV, with the latter effectively blending friction and regenerative retardation.

Every EV5 gets paddles mounted behind the steering wheel to adjust the strength of the regen, too, which provides a welcome boost to drivability. The second-from-lowest setting provides off-throttle deceleration similar to that of a combustion-engined SUV, which works well on faster roads, while dialling it up saves braking effort around town.

The smoothness of the EV5's power delivery is impressive. Even on cold, greasy roads, there isn't a hint of scrabbling from the front wheels when you put your foot down.
Charlie Martin
Staff Writer

The 214bhp and 218lb of torque yielded by the single front motor get this two-tonne SUV up to motorway speeds without fuss, although acceleration tails off after 60mph. The official 0-62mph time is 8.4sec and the EV5 will top out at 104mph.

Kia's electric motors deliver their power smoothly and effortlessly, and even thought it lacks the potency of some twin-motor models, the EV5's set-up offers everything you need in the real world. It cruises well at motorway speed and the motor is hushed and quiet.

RIDE & HANDLING

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The powertrain’s refinement is also reflected in the handling. The ride is balanced more toward stability than outright comfort: you get a sense of sure-footedness on particularly winding or undulating roads, as the body doesn't pitch all that far.

Bigger bumps such as potholes are ironed out nicely, too, and this isn't compromised by the larger 19in alloys that come with the GT-Line and GT-Line S trim levels.

There are a range of drive modes, and while Sport adds some dynamism, you will probably spend most of your time in Eco. There's even a Snow mode.
James Attwood
Associate editor

However, that stability brings rather a lot of head-toss for the driver and passengers, which compromises the sense of calm on board.

The steering is accurate and provides a whisper of feedback, although not enough for you to make natural adjustments to the car’s attitude mid-corner. It’s also quite heavy and geared fairly slowly, so you have to make a concerted effort to navigate tighter bends at speed.

You won’t find much in the way of dynamic reward, but the EV5 always feels secure. 

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

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According to official WLTP testing, the EV5 will do 329 miles between charges. Our Air test car 3.8mpkWh on an 11deg C morning (with the air conditioning set to 20deg C), which is actually slightly better than its official economy figure and should equate to a real-world range comfortably north of 250 miles.

That the EV5 sips electrons should also save some money when it comes time to recharge, which can be done at up to 150kW.

An efficiency-boosting heat pump is a £900 option or standard on range-topping GT-Line S trim.
James Attwood
Associate editor

All variants of the EV5 fall comfortably under £50,000 (the entry-level Air car is just under £40,000), so they aren't hit by the Expensive Car Supplement for vehicle excise duty that adds £425 to a car's annual tax bill in its first six years.

It is significantly more expensive than the similarly-positioned (but combustion-engined) Sportage, but competitive against rivals such as the Tesla Model Y, Skoda Enyaq and Peugeot e-3008. That said, it is slightly undercut by that new electric SUV from the latest weirdly named Chinese brand you had never heard of that launched in the UK last week.

Entry-level Air models are well-equipped with a raft of driver assistance features. Stepping up to GT-Line adds sporty styling details inside and out, while GT-Line S models feature remote smart parking, a blindspot monitor and a heat pump.

White Pearl is the standard paint colour, with the other premium options adding £650. Kia also offers the EV5 with its seven-year warranty, with eight years of cover for the battery pack and motor.

VERDICT

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On the whole, the EV5 is a decent car, but also one that fails to stand out. That shouldn’t bother the legions of buyers queuing up for such a thing. After all, vegan sausage rolls are hardly fine dining, yet Greggs sells thousands every day.

For the likes of Autocar readers, though, the EV5 is something of a disappointment, considering Kia’s recently garnered reputation for pushing boundaries. It could have been more distinctive in design, or have set itself apart from the competition with a more polished drive.

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If you don't necessarily care about what you're driving and want something to get you from A-to-B, this is a fine choice. But that also describes plenty of other cars in this class...
Charlie Martin
Staff Writer

That said, it sits at sharp end of the electric SUV market. It drives pretty blamelessly, has a practical interior and contains tech that’s easy to understand. Other than being a bit boring, it’s hard to knock.

If that sounds familiar, that’s because it’s exactly what we wrote about the latest Sportage recently. Which is, you suspect, exactly what Kia was hoping for.

Charlie Martin

Charlie Martin Autocar
Title: Staff Writer

As part of Autocar’s news desk, Charlie plays a key role in the title’s coverage of new car launches and industry events. He’s also a regular contributor to its social media channels, creating content for Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook and Twitter.

Charlie joined Autocar in July 2022 after a nine-month stint as an apprentice with sister publication What Car?, during which he acquired his gold-standard NCTJ diploma with the Press Association.

He is the proud owner of a Mk4 Mazda MX-5 but still feels pangs of guilt over selling his first car, a Fiat Panda 100HP.

James Attwood

James Attwood, digital editor
Title: Associate editor

James is Autocar’s associate editor, and has more than 20 years of experience of working in automotive and motorsport journalism. He has been in his current role since September 2024, and helps lead Autocar's features and new sections, while regularly interviewing some of the biggest names in the industry. Oh, and he once helped make Volkswagen currywurst. Really.

Before first joining Autocar in 2017, James spent more than a decade in motorsport journalist, working on Autosport, autosport.com, F1 Racing and Motorsport News, covering everything from club rallying to top-level international events. He also spent 18 months running Move Electric, Haymarket's e-mobility title, where he developed knowledge of the e-bike and e-scooter markets.