The new energy market at the level of 150,000 to 200,000 is one of the most competitive segments. Consumers at this price point have high demands for space, power, design, range, and features. Any shortcomings in these aspects make it difficult to gain consumer approval. Due to excellent cost control, products at this level are mostly dominated by domestic brands. However, the Kia EV5 720 long-range version, launched in February this year, can be seen as a counterattack by joint venture brands in the pure electric market against domestic brands. With a starting price of only 18.48 million yuan, the new car not only continues the comprehensive product strength but also leads with a 720km range at the same price point. The 530km version starts at a low price of 14.98 million yuan. What surprises will this car bring to us in terms of static performance?
First, let’s look at the design. The new car adopts Kia’s “Opposites United” design concept. Unique front headlights and other details continue the distinctive style, with very high recognition.
The front end features a closed grille that complements the new energy identity, with LED daytime running lights that are exaggerated in size and shape, dominating the visual center of the front end. The headlights are designed in a split style, which is currently very popular, cleverly integrated with the daytime running lights, creating a cohesive front end. The grille below is three-dimensional, adding a sense of sportiness to the front end.
In terms of body size, the Kia EV5 measures 4615/1875/1715mm in length, width, and height respectively. Positioned as a compact SUV, the square lines of the new car make it visually larger than the data suggests. The side profile of the body is straight, with slightly protruding front and rear fenders giving it a muscular appearance.
The actual model is equipped with 19-inch aerodynamic wheels, which look very stylish and avant-garde. Kia EV5 still retains the black plastic wheel arches to prevent scratches when outdoors. The tires are Jinhu Shulechi series with a size of 235/55 R19, specially designed for electric vehicles, balancing wear and comfort.
The EV5’s charging port is designed on the passenger side fender, with fast charging speed. It only takes 27 minutes to charge from 30% to 80%, meaning higher efficiency in daily use. In addition, the new car also has the only V2L in the same class, providing power for camping, barbecue, hot pot, or trunk market.
The rear end design is very distinctive, especially the transition of the D-pillar. The tail lights adopt a semi-penetrating design, simple yet recognizable, similar in style to the front headlights. The design is more powerful and practical than the common sloping back design.
The car’s interior design features a modern style with excellent asymmetrical visual effects. The new car also has unique color combinations, with a sand and black dual-tone design in the actual shooting model. The low saturation sand color design looks very tough.
Two 12.3-inch full LCD instrument panels and a 12.3-inch multimedia screen form a connected screen. The new car also offers Kia Connect service, including remote control, vehicle connectivity, charging services, vehicle diagnostics, emergency rescue, etc. It supports F-OTA vehicle remote upgrades, always updated.
The center console retains physical and touch buttons, easy to operate. Four hidden buttons control vehicle start-stop, AVNT, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning for convenience.
The Kia EV5 supports both Baidu CarLife and Apple Wireless CarPlay to meet modern user needs.
Developed car WeChat, iQiyi, and over 30 practical apps, covering audio, video, games, life services, easily meeting diverse user car needs.
The 12.3-inch instrument design is simple, with clear display, but the vehicle information is concentrated in a small central area, which is less cool compared to many current models.
The air conditioning area is located between two 12.3-inch screens, with a separate 5-inch touch screen for easy operation, but the location is a bit inconvenient.
The new car is equipped with an 11.3-inch HUD head-up display, two 12.3-inch central control screens, and a 5-inch air conditioning control screen, creating an immersive driving experience with “four-screen linkage”.
The new car can be equipped with Kia’s first UWB digital key technology, which allows for unlocking when near, folding mirrors upon approach, starting the vehicle, smart tailgate, Bluetooth control, locking, remote start, and sharing keys with friends. It also has anti-relay attack function for added security and reliability.
The interior of the Kia EV5 is based on sustainable development principles, using 10 healthy and environmentally friendly materials such as unique regenerated polymers, benzene-free coatings, bio-based polymers, bio-based synthetic leather, recycled PET fabrics, bio-based synthetic foam, etc. The application of drying and antibacterial programs reduces air conditioning odors, ensuring fresh and healthy air inside the car. The texture and quality brought by the new materials are also good.
The steering wheel features a four-spoke design, combining sand-colored leather with cold gray piano lacquer panels for a visually appealing look. It is relatively large in size, lacking some sportiness.
We also found paddle shifters on the steering wheel, which is actually for adjusting the kinetic energy recovery system of Kia EV5, increasing on the left and decreasing on the right. The new car comes standard with a 5-level adjustable intelligent kinetic energy recovery system, which is still very rare.
The Kia EV5 is equipped with an L2+ level advanced driving assistance system. Additionally, features such as forward collision prevention assistance, highway driving assistance, blind spot collision prevention assistance, rear cross-traffic collision prevention assistance, fatigue driving reminder, safe exit assistance, and remote parking assistance are also available.
In terms of seating, the Kia EV5 front row is equipped with zero-gravity stress-relief seats for the driver, supporting 14-way power adjustment, including 8-way power adjustment, 4-way lumbar support, and 2-way leg support. In addition, features such as heating, ventilation, memory, massage, and one-touch zero-gravity mode are all available. It is worth mentioning that the new car also uses environmentally friendly seat materials, with seats made of plant leather fabric, which is very soft to the touch, providing a more comfortable riding experience, while reducing interior odors and creating a fresher and healthier riding environment.
The rear is equipped with a central drawer-type hot and cold insulation box, with a temperature range of 5 to 55 degrees Celsius, a capacity of 4.0L, which can warm food, heat tea or coffee, or store chilled drinks.
The actual interior space is quite good. Thanks to the 1715mm body height, a 184cm tall person can also have a decent headroom in the front row.
The rear head and legroom in the same class are excellent. The seats are wide, soft, and very comfortable.
In terms of trunk space, the volume reaches 513L in standard condition, easily handling daily use scenarios.
After folding down, the trunk space can expand to 1,718L, meeting various space needs like camping. The rear seats come standard with 0° flat-folding seats, ensuring a high level of flatness when folded down, with a depth of up to 2 meters, allowing for a completely flat surface.
The Kia EV5 front compartment also has a 67L capacity storage space, in addition to the trunk, making it very spacious.
In terms of power, the new car is equipped with a motor with a maximum power of 160kW and a peak torque of 310Nm. In addition, the optional e-AWD dual-motor four-wheel drive package increases the total motor power to 233kW, providing better acceleration performance. The transmission is a common single-speed reducer with a knob-style shift. The new car also retains the start button, integrated on the shift lever. In terms of endurance, the new car is equipped with an 88.1kWh battery, with a CLTC range of 720km. It is worth mentioning that the new car comes standard with an efficient heat pump system and a second-generation intelligent battery temperature control management system, which can provide more precise heat management for the battery, improving energy consumption. Even in harsh external conditions, the battery system will operate safely and stably.
In terms of chassis, the Kia EV5 uses front MacPherson independent suspension and rear five-link independent suspension, optimized with hydraulic bushings and shock springs to ensure optimal driving and riding performance. According to officials, with the optional four-wheel drive package, the EV5 720 long-range version has a best axle load ratio of 50:50, greatly improving vehicle handling performance.
The new car offers four different power modes to choose from, including the rare snow mode for safer driving on icy roads. Summary: Overall, the performance of the Kia EV5 can be considered quite versatile. In the fierce competition of the domestic new energy market, it is almost impossible to find a compact SUV with a range of over 700km. In addition, compared to the previous model with a range of 530km, the new car has excellent chassis quality, which is rare in the same class. With outstanding chassis, spacious interior, high configuration, and most importantly long range, would you choose the Kia EV5 long range version at a price of 200,000?