Kia EV5, EV4 and EV3 first look: The future is now

For the first time he saw the worldKia EV5 electric SUV Back in March, it appeared in the form of a rendered design concept. It offers insight into Kia’s next phase in its foray into the electric vehicle market, as a mid-size SUV with reverse-hinged rear doors and slim headlight signatures; We doubt that the former will reach production… We are interested in the latter, which is more promising.

Then in August,We take a better look at the production EV5 As will be the case, on the production model we see – surprisingly – the doors return to their original appearance, but fortunately, the front end has been beautifully updated in the shape of a tiger face with a jewel-like bonnet, and the light sign has succeeded.

And now to today, Electric Vehicle Day, a celebration of Kia’s electric future in Seoul. Here we got our first proper look at the production version of the metallic EV5. Kia calls the mass-market EV5 a “millennial lifestyle car.” But there is an important question.

Which Americans will buy an EV5?

Kia has been coy about who will be able to buy an EV5. The Korean automaker is considering exporting the EV5 to North America but said it has “no plans to produce the EV5 in North America.”

Kia’s use of this specific language speaks volumes. After all, North America and the United States are not the same thing;Stricter rules under the Inflation Reduction Act This means that electric vehicles produced outside North America are not eligible for the credit. While Kia has a manufacturing facility in Georgia, Kia doesn’t plan to build the EV5 there (or anywhere else in the US). Kia will build the EV5 first in South Korea and China, then in Europe.

Reading between the lines, we wouldn’t be surprised if the EV5 isn’t intended for the US market, although Mexico and Canada are also possibilities. But there is no official news yet.

What we know about the Kia EV5

Anyway, enough of the assumptions, let’s talk about what we know. The EV5 will be based on the E-GMP platform, just like its EV6 and EV9 siblings as well as its Hyundai Ioniq 5, Hyundai Ioniq 6 and Genesis GV60 siblings.

Interestingly, the EV5-specific version of E-GMP will run with a modified electronic architecture at 400V, which is half the EV6 and EV9’s 800V super-fast charging capacity. We think Kia did this to cut costs.

Three different EV5s will be launched. Standard front-wheel drive models will have a 64-kWh battery powered by a 214-hp electric motor. During the testing cycle in China, the maximum range of this configuration should reach 329 miles. (EPA estimates not provided.)

The Long Range model with front-wheel drive and 88 kWh battery should be good for 447 miles under the same testing conditions. Finally, the long-range all-wheel drive model will have the same front motor plus an additional 70 kilowatt motor on the rear axle, for a total system power of 308 horsepower and a range of up to 404 miles.

All-wheel drive models will offer fast charging (although still slower than 800V E-GMP models), capable of charging from 30 to 80 percent in 27 minutes. This should be enough for most buyers, if not the exception.

Many of the brand’s great tech features will be integrated into the EV5, from the i-Pedal system for efficient regenerative braking and one-pedal driving, to the EV9’s enhanced “HVAC 2.0” controls (replacing the cumbersome system in the EV6). Press a button to switch between entertainment and control. In climate.

What a good looking guy

As we learned with the EV9, when Kia unveils a concept car, you have to pay attention because this is what the final production car will always look like. So it’s no surprise that not much has changed from the EV5 concept to this production car.

Kia’s design philosophy is ‘unity of opposites’, meaning that if you can take two contrasting materials, lines or even ideas and make them work together, you’ve created something new. This is one of the things that chief designer Karim Habib and his team took into account when designing the EV5. I’m usually on the fence about flashy design ideas, but in this case, I can see what they’re talking about. The EV5 is boxy, angular, middle-of-the-road, and at once masculine, cute and thoughtful in a strange way.

Internally, not much has changed since its launch in August. The middle section of the front seats looks more like an old-school bench, but it’s still less of a seating surface and more of a place to rest your legs or arms. There is no third seat belt at the front and there will only be one in the Chinese market.

We didn’t test that though – no touching! -The EV5’s interior combines interesting material colors with textural elements and includes a built-in refrigerator/food warmer, a nice touch for a car priced under $50,000. There are also second-row seats that fold completely flat so you can sleep in the car. you know,Millennial stuff.

Suddenly, the EV5 no longer feels like a design departure from the attractive EV6, but rather a statement of intent to fight back in the burgeoning electric vehicle space, which Kia believes is about to reach a tipping point. As a result, the EV5 fits easily into the lineup of its larger three-row sibling, inheriting its good looks while maintaining its own style.

Why EV5 is the key to dominance

The EV5 is designed to appeal to first-time electric vehicle buyers who want aspirational luxury and cutting-edge technology, but who may find the EV9 too large, or the EV6 too safe, for their tastes – hence the EV5 being marketed as a “millennial lifestyle car.”

The price of the EV5 reflects this strategy. The Kia EV5 will be priced between $35,000 and $50,000. Final production versions of the EV3 and EV4 will also be priced within this range, which Kia believes will be an ideal turning point for electric vehicle sales.

What we know about the Kia EV4 and EV3

In addition to the production EV5, we also previewed two new design concepts: the EV4 and EV3.

The Concept EV3 represents the brand’s vision of a compact electric CUV, which Kia claims will pack the technology and design of the EV9 into a small package – slightly larger than the Kona. The Concept EV3 features a smart folding rear seat that provides additional storage space, as well as an e-bike charging station. There’s also a fold-down table that replaces the front center armrest, giving all occupants a place to eat or work.

We later discovered that the table was more prefabricated than manufactured.Senior.Kia’s design team has been incorporating mycelium (the fungal roots that infect you and me) into its designs as part of the push toward more sustainable materials.

The EV4 concept, on the other hand, is a “new electric sedan” with a stylishly low nose and slender tail, with a spacious cabin in the middle.

Both the EV4 and EV3 are leather-free (a design shared across all Kia models starting with the EV9) and feature sneaker-inspired interior materials. In addition, the interior spaces have been carefully thought out, with bold colors and interesting textiles expected to enhance the interior experience.

Is it too early to get excited?

maybe. The good news is that all three products will be put into mass production. The EV3 and EV4 likely won’t debut in production form until this time next year, and in the meantime, expect at least one more Kia EV.

As for when the EV5 might be available (in some form) in North America, we currently don’t have any more concrete news than mid-2025. Although I have no doubt that Kia is ready to begin production of the EV5 immediately, it looks like There is still a lot to be determined.

However, Kia has shown a clear and dynamic path forward for its electric vehicles, and we’re excited to see the production vehicles that result from this batch, even if they won’t be sold in the United States.