Kia has unveiled the production version of its third “EV-“ series electric car, the Kia EV5. Drawing a large resemblance to the Kia EV9, the Kia EV5 is a compact SUV that the company says is “designed and engineered to meet the needs of millennial families”. We’ll explore what that means in a bit. The Kia EV5 will first debut in China this year, followed by selected global markets.
On the outside, the Kia EV sports the typical “Opposites United” design and a modern interpretation of the “Tiger mask” which has become synonymous with the brand. This isn’t exactly our first time looking at the Kia EV5 as its design has been pretty much previewed through the Kia Concept EV5. Essentially all the exterior design elements have been retained with exception for obvious items like the door handles and side mirrors.
Kia Global Design Centre Head and Executive Vice President, Karim Habib said, “The Kia EV5 was created to redefine the compact SUV genre with a form shaped by Kia’s unique design philosophy ‘Opposites United’. At every stage, Kia’s designers have worked closely with their engineering colleagues to create a holistic solution for sustainable mobility. As a result, the EV5 sets a new standard for design, performance and practicality while providing new levels of driver enjoyment and user experience.”
Inside is where things get interesting as Kia says that the EV5 has been “designed and engineered to meet the needs of millennial families”. What does this mean exactly? Well, research by Kia has revealed that millennial households now regard the interior of their EV SUV not just as a place to sit safely and comfortably when travelling from A to B, but as an additional ‘room’ to live their life in.
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And to cater to this, Kia’s interior designers have completely reimagined the vehicle’s interior space. Drawing additional inspiration from the recently launched larger EV9 SUV, they have endowed the EV5 with an extensive interior space that is closer in concept and execution to a home lounge than a traditional car cabin.
The EV5’s interior isn’t as bold as its concept version’s, but it does come equipped with variable mood lighting (across the front section of the crash pad as well as the front and rear door trims) which synchronizes with the vehicle’s drive modes, dims in low light conditions, and subtly alerts if the vehicle strays over the speed limit, thus enhancing driver engagement and awareness.
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Also in the cabin of the EV5 is the integration of elements such as the new generation connected car Navigation & Cockpit (ccNC) and heater controls. With this, occupants can select their preferred settings with the same ease as if they were sitting in their favorite chair at home.
Full details of the Kia EV5 will be revealed during the “Kia EV Day” set to take place in October this year.
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Kia EV5
Kia Concept EV5
