Kia EV5 Concept Previews Smaller Electric SUV With More Swivel Seats
The Kia EV5 Concept will precede a production model heading to China later this year, although something like this will likely show up in the U.S. too.
Kia’s frenzied electric crossovers are coming thick and fast. Less than a week after the 2024 Kia EV9 was shown off, the automaker took the wraps off its EV5 Concept crossover in China. The name alone should likely give away where the EV5 would land when a production version arrives, but in case you haven’t yet picked up what Kia’s put down: The EV5 Concept is a smaller electric SUV than the EV9, although Kia didn’t specify any dimensions.
Like the EV9 Concept, the EV5 Concept has swiveling chairs—something that actually appears in the production EV9. The all-electric powertrain isn’t detailed either, but Kia says the EV5 Concept will precede a model on sale in China later this year. That means we won’t have to wait long to hear more production details, at least for that market. What we can guess for the U.S. is that it’ll ride on the E-GMP platform with other Kia makes, including the EV6, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, and Genesis GV60. That offers both single- and dual-motor configurations with power outputs ranging from 168 horsepower all the way up to 577 horsepower. The battery sizes on that platform vary from 58 kWh to 77.4 kWh, although an estimated range may be a little tougher to guess.
The EV5 Concept throws at us all the “concept car” tricks such as comically big wheels, razor-sharp sideview mirrors, rear-hinged doors, and a chic cabin barely fit for human use. Instead, the broader strokes of the EV5 Concept like its interpretation of the corporate “Digital Tiger Nose” grille, wide panoramic central touchscreen, and a panoramic moonroof are all likely to carry through to the production version. The swivel seats, which were featured in the EV9 Concept and then the EV9 production version, may also make it into production somehow. The rear jump seat and table? Nah.
Kia unveiled the EV5 Concept in China and said it points to a model going on sale in that country soon, although it’s likely that Kia ports something like the EV5 into the States in the near future, too. We asked Kia for confirmation, but haven’t yet heard back.
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