New Kia EV5 2025 review: a good all-rounder, but lacks some sparkle

Verdict

There is little wrong with the new Kia EV5 in isolation, yet it struggles to stand out in an increasingly crowded class. Customers coming from the hybrid-powered Kia Sportage will revel in its familiarity, yet we can’t help but feel that an EV leader like Kia could have done more to offer something genuinely unique. The true test will come when we can get the newcomer alongside its key rivals on UK roads, soon.

The electric mid-size SUV segment has morphed into one of the most overpopulated areas of the new-car market. Almost every mainstream manufacturer has put a flag in the ground, with many now seeing strong conversion from their equivalent petrol, diesel or hybrid alternatives.

But, Kia – a brand widely considered a leader in electrification – has taken longer than most to stake its claim, and is only now bringing its hotly anticipated EV5 to market. It’s a rival to cars including the Skoda Enyaq, Volkswagen ID.4 and Tesla Model Y, but is it a case of too little, too late?

To get a taste of what customers can expect when deliveries commence later this year, we travelled to Korea to drive a top-spec, front-wheel-drive model – largely comparable to the plush GT-Line S that will be offered from launch. In 2026, this single-motor car will be joined by an all-wheel-drive model, plus a 302bhp flagship EV 5 GT.

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In terms of specs, the EV5 matches many of its rivals without really moving the game on in any way. It’s based on Kia’s E-GMP platform, but shares more with the smaller EV3 than it does the hi-tech EV6 or EV9. That means it uses the more affordable 400-volt electrical architecture, missing out on the 200kW-plus peak charging speeds offered on Kia’s top-end electric cars.

It’ll still hit 150kW when connected to a compatible charger, and go from 10 to 80 per cent in around 30 minutes – similar to its main rivals but nothing more. There’s just one 81.4kWh battery available, promising up to 329 miles of range – although the bigger wheels of our GT-Line S test car will probably peg that back a bit.

If you want a Kia right now, why not head over to our Buy a Car service. You can get your hands on a new Kia EV3 for less than £29,000 or a new Kia EV9 for just over £60,000.

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Yet on our test route, which blended a good mix of very heavy stop-start traffic, high-speed motorway runs and rural roads with significant elevation, we managed about 3.8mi/kWh – equivalent to some 300 miles of range. Granted, the warm-ish (22 to 23 degrees) weather will have helped, but it means similar efficiency won’t be out of the question in the summer months back in the UK. It’s worth noting that a heat pump is not standard fit, and can only be optioned on the GT-Line S for an extra £900. We reckon that’s a bit stingy.

Otherwise though, the EV5 comes pretty well equipped as standard. Every version – including the sub-£40k Air – gets at least 18-inch wheels, automatic LED lights and privacy glass, while inside there’s heated seats, automatic air-conditioning and a triple-screen infotainment system comprising two 12.3-inch read-outs for the instrument cluster and central display, plus another five-inch panel for the climate controls, nestled neatly in between. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto both feature, while we found the set of chunky, physical switches on the console allowed for easy adjustment of the temperature and fan speed.

Step up to GT-Line (from £42,595) and you get a different, 19-inch wheel design and specific exterior styling elements, as well as a powered tailgate, artificial leather upholstery, heated seats in the back and vehicle to load (V2L) capability with a three-pin plug to power external devices. If you can stomach the additional road tax – remember, even EVs have to pay the ‘luxury’ surcharge now – we think this version offers the best balance between initial cost and standard kit.

A GT-Line S car like ours is pricey, however. Starting at £47,095, it brings premium features such as an opening panoramic roof, ventilated front relaxation seats (that can recline and massage while charging), plus a Harman Kardon stereo, a head-up display and 360-degree cameras. It also comes with digital key functionality, plus a fingerprint reader on the centre stack. But we think most buyers will be best served by one of the two cheaper EV5s.

Yet while the EV5 might not scream ‘value’, it is at least pleasingly practical for a car in this class. There’s lots of storage up front, the back seats are impressively spacious both in terms of head and legroom, and there’s absolutely no hump in the floor, so you can even sit relatively comfortably in the middle seat. There are Isofix points on the outer rear seats, but rivals also offer mountings on the front-passenger chair; the Kia does not. 

A clever folding mechanism, whereby the seat bases and backs move in tandem, means that the rear bench goes completely flat – revealing a big, square and uninterrupted load bay. This allows the 566-litre boot to extend up to 1,650 litres, very nearly matching the spacious Enyaq for load-carrying capacity. But while the Skoda doesn’t offer any space under the nose, the EV5 boasts a 44-litre frunk – perfect for the charging cables, or in our case, a laptop bag.

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On the road, Kia’s entry into the mid-size electric SUV class is safe, predictable and almost entirely unremarkable. That might sound like we’re damning the car with faint praise, but such traits have never held the similarly sized Sportage back from topping the segment sales charts, and we doubt they’ll do the EV5 any harm either.

The steering is light, but precise, feeding more than enough shove to the front wheels, which never feel overwhelmed by your inputs. You can restrict power and boost range by selecting one of the lesser drive modes, and doing so doesn’t make the car feel overly lethargic. 

Flick it through to Sport mode and this entry point to EV5 ownership will do 0-62mph in 8.4 seconds – a task it performs with a subtle sci-fi soundtrack. It won’t transform this family SUV into a Hyundai Ioniq 5-rivalling hot hatch, but it adds a layer of engagement, and it’s not so annoying that you’ll be delving into the menus desperately trying to turn it off.

The car resists body roll just as well as you’d expect, and we found it to be quiet and comfortable on almost every South-Korean surface we encountered. Again, that feeling of familiarity is what shines through – mostly for the better. No nasty surprises, but not oozing with character either.

As on the PV5 we drove last week, an honorable mention goes to Kia’s expertly tuned, best-in-the-business regenerative braking system. It varies from a full coast mode to a strong one-pedal drive, plus an intuitively calibrated adaptive setting, and you can flick through the wide-ranging spectrum on the fly, via paddles on the steering wheel. We wonder why all car companies haven’t carbon-copied this feature; much like engine braking, it allows you to slow the car more efficiently – all the while feeding precious power back into the battery.

Circling back to value, it’s worth noting that like every Kia, the EV5 comes with a seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty – more than double what many of its European rivals can offer. If you plan to keep your car for longer than most, this kind of cover could pay for itself several times over.