Order books for the new EV5 electric SUV are now open with prices starting at less than £40,000.

The new Kia EV5 is essentially an electric alternative to the Kia Sportage, seating five. All versions will have a sizeable 81.4kWh battery with up to 329 miles of range, which beats the entry-level offerings of most rivals, and comes close to the top-spec models of some.

The new Kia EV5 will share the cutting-edge styling cues already seen in the EV3, the EV4, the EV6 and the of the Kia EV9, which should make it a guaranteed head-turner. A performance-focused EV5 GT will follow down the line, but details of that haven't yet been released.

Three trim levels have been confirmed – Air, GT-Line and GT-Line S – mirroring much of the rest of the Kia range.

In terms of rivals, the new Kia EV5 will take on the likes of the Ford Explorer, Audi Q4 E-tron and Hyundai Ioniq 5, plus the popular Skoda Enyaq iV, the Volkswagen ID.4, the Tesla Model Y and the Nissan Ariya. 

New 2025 Kia EV5 price and release date

Prices for the new Kia EV5 start at £39,295 for the entry-level EV5 Air, rising to £42,5295 for the EV5 GT-Line and topping out at £47,095 for the top-spec EV5 GT-Line S. The order books are open now with the first deliveries due before the end of the year.

New 2025 Kia EV5: exterior and interior

The Kia EV5 gets an exterior design very much in the mould of other electric Kias, with eye-catching, sculpted, boxy lines, slim daytime running lights, a rear lightbar that ties into the taillights, and square wheel arches. Standard features include 18-inch alloy wheels, but higher GT-Line and GT-Line S trim levels will get 19s, as well as more aggressive bumper designs.

Dimensions-wise, the EV5 is 4610mm long, 1875mm wide and 1675mm tall, with a ground clearance of 176mm. Kia promises a 566-litre boot, expandable to 1650 with the back seats folded, and a 44.4-litre frunk under the bonnet. Kia says the back seats fold almost flat – useful, the firm says, for "overnight stays".

Anyone that's been in an EV3 or EV9 will be instantly at home in the cabin, with the same 12.3-inch touchscreen, a driver display of the same size and a 5.3-inch climate control display, all housed within a single panoramic element on top of the dashboard. The are touch-sensitive haptic shortcut buttopns to skip between features, as well as a physical dial for the volume and controls to adjust the three-zone air-con system.

The infotainment features navigation with live map updates and traffic data. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is standard across the trim levels. Other infotainment features include a ChatGPT voice assistant, and an on-demand entertainment package with Netflix, Disney+, YouTube and Amazon Music, as well as casual games – although these require one of three subscription options costing £7, £8 or £18 a month (12-month subscriptions are also available for £74, £84 or £179).

The EV5 will also be available with a Pet Mode that maintains the interior temperature for animals when the car is locked, although that's not yet been confirmed for the UK.

New 2025 Kia EV5: motor and battery

Unusually, just one powertrain will be available in the EV5, at least to start with. It uses a long-range 81.4kWh battery, giving up to 329 miles of range on a single charge (dropping to 314 on the GT-Line models). All versions support fast charging, topping up from 10% to 80% in as little as 30 minutes at a suitable charger. An 11kW onboard charger is included, and GT-Line and GT-Line S models get Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) capability, which lets you power appliances from the car battery using a regular three-pin plug.

The battery drives the front wheels through a 218PS electric motor with 295Nm of torque. That translates to a 0-62mph time of 8.4 seconds. The EV5 can tow a payload of up to 1200kg.

New 2025 Kia EV5: trim levels

There are three trim options on the new EV5 – Air, GT-Line and GT-Line S. 

The entry-level Kia EV5 Air rides on 18-inch alloy wheels and features LED headlights, daytime running lights and rear fog lights. Inside, there’s black cloth upholstery with manual seat adjustment, heated front seats and a heated, manually adjustable steering wheel. Other touches include an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, automatic air conditioning, and White Pearl paint as standard, with four premium colour options available for £675.

Stepping up to the GT-Line adds a sportier design with 19-inch alloy wheels, gloss-black body trim, automatic flush door handles, and LED headlights with an adaptive driving beam function. The cabin gets  two-tone synthetic leather upholstery, power-adjustable front seats with lumbar support and memory function, and heated outer rear seats. There’s also ambient interior lighting, alloy pedals, a smart power tailgate, and a wireless phone charger. This version also introduces V2L capability with an interior three-pin power socket.

Topping the range, the GT-Line S features a tilting and sliding sunroof, ventilated front “relaxation” seats, and an eight-speaker Harman Kardon sound system. It also adds a customisable 12.3-inch head-up display, a digital key, and fingerprint recognition for secure access. On the safety front, the GT-Line S features front, side and rear parking sensors, Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist, Remote Smart Parking Assist 2.0, a 360-degree surround-view camera, and a Blind-Spot View Monitor. A heat pump is available as a £900 option, and a V2L adapter is included as standard.