Kia continues to expand its range of electric vehicles: in China, as part of the Kia EV Day event, the premiere of the EV5 concept crossover, which will become serial already this year, and other electrical innovations have been announced.
Kia last updated its electrification plan a year ago, when the Korean brand promised to introduce 14 new electric models by 2027, including two pickup trucks. Last week, Kia showed the production version of the flagship EV9 electric crossover, and today its younger brother with the EV5 index debuted in China as a concept — it will be the first Kia electric car of the new wave (on the E-GMP modular platform), which will appear first in China, and then other markets. The start of sales of the Kia EV5 in China is scheduled for November, which means that the crossover in serial design will be shown in the coming months. No release dates for the Kia EV5 have been announced yet.
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Kia has not given any technical details about the EV5, not even the dimensions, it is only known that the range on a single charge on the Chinese CLTC cycle will exceed 700 km. Judging by the eye, the Kia EV5 can be called a compact or mid-size crossover with a fairly simple interior that fits three rows of seats. The overall style inside and out is about the same as the Kia EV9. Typical features of the concept include overly sculpted furniture-type seats, no B-pillars, cameras instead of mirrors, no exterior door handles, and a flattened octagonal steering wheel.
1/4 2/4 3/4 4/4 < p>The concept emphasizes the Kia EV5's adaptability to outdoor recreation: the seats of the first and second rows can be rotated 90 degrees towards the street, open the doors and put a picnic table at the threshold. A folding luggage stand is also paired with a folding table, so you can arrange a full-fledged buffet. The large transparent roof has a longitudinal rather than a transverse lintel. In general, the design of the EV5 came out to be an amateur and, let's be honest, it would be very difficult to guess that this crossover belongs to the Korean brand without Kia logos.
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Together with the EV5 concept, the Korean brand introduced in China the EV6 crossover, which is already well known in South Korea, the USA and Europe – it will enter the Chinese market next summer. The Chinese debut of the Kia EV9 flagship crossover is scheduled for 2024, Kia will launch a relatively inexpensive entry-level electric crossover in China in 2025, a flagship electric passenger car (sedan or liftback) in 2026, and an electric mid-size crossover in 2027.
In the Kia EV Day presentation slide, there is also a seventh, yet unmarked novelty (the last on the right) — it is logical to assume that this is a minivan, because cars of this type are now in great demand in China.