Kia’s EV5 electric SUV has landed in the UK to do battle with the Tesla Model Y and Volkswagen ID.4.

The latest addition to the brand’s fast-growing EV line-up alongside the new EV4 hatchback and Fastback saloon, it’s priced from £39,295 and delivers up to 329 miles of range.

The midsize SUV is positioned as the “electric equivalent” of the Sportage, recently given a major overhaul, and means the brand’s family SUV spectrum now spans fully electric, plug-in hybrid, hybrid and pure internal combustion powertrains.

Although it sits alongside the new Sportage in Kia’s SUV line-up, the EV5 is 10mm wider, 70mm longer and 30mm taller than the Sportage, and equipped with a 70mm longer wheelbase.

Cargo capacity is broadly on a par with its Sportage brethren. With all seats upright, the EV5’s boot capacity is 566 litres, extending to 1,650 litres with the second row folded. It also has a 44-litre under-bonnet cargo compartment (aka a ‘frunk’) for the charging cable. By way of comparison, the Sportage has 587 litres of boot space, rising to 1,776 litres with the second-row seats folded.

The EV5 also comes with a boot opening width of just over 1,000mm and the boot floor is adjustable up and down by 100mm, either maximising storage space or creating a flat loading lip.

It’s built on Hyundai Motor Group’s dedicated Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) EV architecture with 400V technology that’s also used for the EV4 and EV3.

The trim line-up replicates the three grade set-up already used for the EV3, EV4, EV6 and EV9 and spans Air, GT-Line and GT-Line S models.

The powertrain features a 218hp front-mounted electric motor that delivers 295Nm of torque and a 0-62mph acceleration time of 8.4 seconds plus a top speed of 102mph. The EV5 also comes with an i-Pedal system for one-pedal driving.

As with its smaller EV3 and EV4 siblings, the EV5 will be offered in the UK with an 81.4kWh battery pack; in this case, delivering up to 329 miles of WLTP testing for the Baseline trim and 314 for the GT-Line, as per initial tests.

It’s able to power up from 10 to 80% in 30 minutes using a 150kW DC fast charger and from 10 to 100% in seven hours and 20 minutes on an 11kW AC charger. Higher-grade models also come with vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability and a heat pump is optional on the top trim.

Technology and connectivity features include Kia’s new Connected Car Navigation Cockpit, which is integrated into the dual 12.3-inch display and infotainment screens and provides wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a range of on-demand features. The EV5’s displays also integrate an additional 5.3-inch climate control touchscreen, accompanied by physical switches on the centre fascia for quick and easy control of heating and ventilation.

A customisable 12.3-inch head-up display is also offered on top-spec models and features integrated Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The EV5 is also one of the first Kia vehicles to integrate the brand’s AI Assistant, powered by ChatGPT. Already seen on EV3 models, the AI chat assistant can be used to interact with and control the vehicle’s features directly and intuitively. Activated by saying “Hey Kia”, the AI assistant can support travel planning, suggest stop-off points and POI information, and answer FAQs regarding the owner’s manual. It can also provide entertainment, such as music recommendations, voice games, jokes and trivia questions.

Every EV5 comes equipped with Kia CarPay and Plug & Charge as standard and free of charge. CarPay allows drives to locate and pay for parking through the vehicle’s central infotainment screen, while Plug & Charge streamlines the charging process. When the EV5 is connected to a Plug & Charge-compatible charge station, the charging session can be activated automatically with no need to authorise via charging card or app.

Kia will also offer four levels of Entertainment Packages on the EV5. When parked, these give customers access to music streaming via Amazon Music or Soundcloud, Netflix, Disney+, YouTube, casual games, and other entertainment services via the main infotainment screen. Services can be interacted with via the central infotainment screen.

Standard equipment across all models includes automatic headlights, heated rear window and rear spoiler, rain-sensing front wipers, heated front seats, automatic air conditioning and defog system, start/stop button with smart entry system, six-speaker audio system and the three-screen dashboard layout.

Driver safety systems include front and rear parking sensors with reversing camera system, Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist 2.0, Highway Driving Assist 2.0 with Hands-On Detection, Lane Keep Assist and Lane Follow Assist 2.0 with Hands-On Detection, Smart Cruise Control 2.0 with stop/go functionality and an Intelligent Speed Limit Assist with manual speed limiter.

The entry-level Air, from £39,295, also comes with 18-inch alloy wheels and body-coloured electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors with LED indicators, amongst other features.

Next up is the GT-Line, priced from £42,595 and introducing a bolder, sporty look. Typically Kia’s best-selling trim level across all models in the UK, it throws in ‘GT-Line’ exterior styling features, including 19-inch alloy wheels and gloss black garnishes, along with two-tone artificial leather upholstery, alloy pedals, wireless mobile phone charger, smart power tailgate, V2L capability and more.

The flagship GT-Line S variant, from £47,095, receives the same bold and sporty ‘GT’-inspired exterior and interior design and also gains goodies such as a sunroof with tilting/sliding function, front premium relaxation seats, V2L capability with adapter, eight-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system, Active Sound Design, customisable head-up display and digital key with fingerprint recognition.

Order books for the EV5 are open now, with customer deliveries starting later in 2025