2026 Kia EV5 Review – Air, Earth and GT-Line driven

The mid-size all electric SUV segment has seen the number of new entrants rise quicker than any other category in the last year or two. It is now no longer a sub-class of the mid-size SUV segment but a new class altogether, made up of heavyweights like the Tesla Model Y and BYD Sealion 7, as well as newer players Toyota bZ4X, Nissan Ariya, Hyundai Elexio and Mazda CX-6e.

There is one other model from a brand that isn’t shy of EVs that’s been a frequent topic at barbecue gatherings and dinner parties – the Kia EV5. It’s by far the boldest looking model amongst the competition brought to us by the same company that builds the EV9, a large fully electric three-row SUV that looks absolutely amazing but priced way out of reach for most mainstream buyers.

Fortunately, the EV5’s pricing makes a lot more sense than that of its larger sibling. Still priced at the pointy end of the market, the EV5 aims to sway a few buyers away from the Tesla and BYD camps with a more comprehensive model line-up that better caters to varying buyer needs. A total of 4 variants are available, encompassing front and all-wheel drive, standard and long range models across 3 trim levels. It’s the largest line-up in the segment.

Kia EV5 line-up and pricing (excludes on-road costs):

• Kia EV5 Air Standard Range FWD – $56,770
• Kia EV5 Air Long Range FWD – $61,170
• Kia EV5 Earth AWD – $64,770
• Kia EV5 GT-Line AWD – $71,770

Kia currently has some of the most stylish EVs on the market and the EV5 is no exception. Its contemporary, confident and original design is unlike any mid-size SUV we have seen on the road – electric or not. As such, it’s quite head-turning everywhere it goes. If you want your EV to standout from the crowd, the EV5 will do very well in that regard.

It is just as fresh on the inside, with cool, modern vibes radiating throughout while being calm and inviting at the same time. Build quality is top notch, too, with flawless panel alignment and tight gaps. Material choices are respectable as well, with even the base-spec Air trim getting half leather / fabric seat upholstery that still looks pretty good. If you opt for the tan interior as was fitted to our mid-spec Earth test car, you’ll get some subtle copper-look trim inserts which are pretty nice touches.

A couple of quirks become immediately evident the moment you hop in. The first is the front passenger seat. While there’s nothing wrong with the seat itself, look at the base of the seat and you’ll see that it extends into and over the centre console, almost joining the driver seat. Lift and tilt the centre armrest back and voila it looks like that space has just been transformed into a front middle seat, with the now upright centre armrest acting as a seat back, except that it isn’t (and Kia is pretty serious about this). The idea of it is to create a front ‘lounge’ seat so that the front passengers, especially couples, can get closer together when the car is stationary. How romantic were the designers!

The second unusual design is the digital display panel. It is made up of 3 separate screens. The one ahead of the driver is the instrumentation display while the one on the opposite far end is the infotainment touchscreen. While there’s nothing unusual about these 2 displays, the third smaller display sandwiched in the middle between these 2 larger displays is blocked by the steering wheel rim when viewed from the driver seat. This touchscreen display operates the climate control and as the driver you always have to tilt your head slightly to the left in order to view or operate it. It is a minor inconvenience but Kia could do a bit better here.

Those aside, the EV5 cabin is a class act, especially when it comes to passenger space. This is one of the roomiest cabins not just in the 5-seater electric SUV space but also in the wider segment. There is a heap of space for all occupants to relax and stretch out, no matter where they’re seated. The rear seat space is by far the most generous we’ve seen in awhile in a mid-size SUV, with plenty of leg and knee room, made better by a completely flat floor. It is all thanks to the upright and boxy proportion plus that flat roof line.

There is more space further back, so much that it could easily fit another pair of seats to form a 5 plus 2 seater SUV. With the rear seats up, there’s 513 litres of cargo capacity and with the seats folded the space expands to a voluminous 1714 litres. The boot floor is completely flat, making loading and moving stuff around the boot easy. There are storage buckets located on either side of the boot for the odd items. Lift the boot floor cover and it doesn’t just reveal some more storage underneath but also forms a bench. With a powerpoint conveniently fitted to the boot, you could use the bench top to place a coffee machine or sandwich maker, even a projector for those avid campers. For more storage, there’s a second boot under the bonnet which will come in handy for carrying light groceries.

The entire EV5 line-up is pretty well specified, with even the base Air trim getting quite a lot of standard equipment. Most families probably won’t need anything higher spec than the EV5 Air. The standard 6-speaker sound system is also pretty good quality already in the Air. For those with deeper pockets the GT-Line is spec’ed to the brim with almost everything you could think of in a family SUV. It feels like a premium luxury lounge inside with all the creature comfort features.

Kia EV5 specification:

EV5 Air:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• LED headlights, daytime running lights and tail lights
• Automatic high-beam assist
• Cloth / synthetic leather upholstery
• 8-way power driver’s seat with massage function and heating
• 12.3-inch digital instrumentation cluster
• 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• 5.0-inch climate control touchscreen display
• Wireless Apple CarPlay
• Wireless Android Auto
• 6-speaker sound system with AM/FM/DAB Radio
• V2L interior power socket

EV5 Earth adds:

• 19-inch alloy wheels
• Gloss black exterior trim
• Full synthetic leather upholstery
• Powered tailgate
• V2L exterior power socket

EV5 GT-Line adds:

• 20-inch alloy wheels
• Dynamic LED indicators
• Two-tone genuine leather upholstery
• Driver “relaxation seat” with ottoman
• Driver memory seat function
• 4-way power front passenger’s seat with massage function
• Ventilated front seats
• Heated second row outboard seats
• Wireless phone charger
• Head-up display
• Warmed / chilled rear sliding storage compartment
• Ambient mode lighting
• 8-speaker Harman Kardon premium surround sound system

The infotainment touchscreen is super high-res and very responsive to the touch. However, as most people naturally rest their thumb or palm on a platform below the touchscreen when operating the display, doing so in the EV5 will often cause accidental pressing on the row of touch sensitive buttons located just below the display. It is a minor annoyance that takes a bit of getting used to.

In contrast to the infotainment screen, the driving instrumentation display looks a little bland with very few customisation options. It is also not capable of displaying the map when navigation is active, unlike many modern cars these days.

For those who loathe touchscreen embedded controls, they’ll be glad to find physical buttons for climate adjustment, a somewhat odd to use volume scrolling wheel and the aforementioned touch sensitive shortcut buttons. Not a major inconvenience but physical controls for the media player are nowhere to be found as they’re embedded in the touchscreen (except for those on the steering wheel).

Other notable practicality shortcomings include a lack of front quarter visibility from the driver seat due to those thick A pillar bases and the absence of front quarter windows, thin door pockets that struggle to fit a standard size water bottle and cumbersome exterior flushed door handles as they’re a tad too big for the smaller hands of little ones. For the driver specifically, the steering column mounted drive selector stalk operates by rotating up to drive and rotating down to reverse, we prefer it to be the opposite.

On the topic of driving, the EV5 is swift, effortless and refined as expected from an EV. It impresses with good traction, more so for AWD models. It is composed and taut around corners with a steering that is direct and precise. The sharp dynamics do mean that the ride is firmer than we’d like for a family-oriented car like this. It just feels a tad too busy on rougher surfaces. That is not to say it’s uncomfortable, far from it, but the harshness just needs to be better damped and isolated from the cabin.

The EV5 has a myriad of driving assist functions including adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, front and rear cross traffic alert, automatic emergency braking and speed sign recognition. Calibrating them to work perfectly has always been tricky and Kia seemed to have struggled with the AEB and speed sign recognition.

The AEB is way too sensitive at times, for instance when pulling out of street parking and a vehicle passes by, the AEB activates as expected but tends to remain engaged for a while even after the vehicle has long gone. The speed sign recognition needs even more improvement. There is no speed limit offset adjustment so the beeping annoyingly comes on even at 1km/h over the detected speed limit. Unlike in a Hyundai, it cannot be muted via the mute button on the steering wheel. The feature can only be deactivated through the touchscreen but it never sticks and reactivates on start up.

It is also worth mentioning that the driver attention warning can be overly sensitive occasionally, triggering even when you look away briefly. The active steering system (when lane keep assist is engaged) also isn’t particularly smooth, with steering corrections that feel more stepped than gradual.

In terms of efficiency, the EV5’s onboard electronics and entertainment systems seem to consume quite a lot of power based on the reported data in the energy usage screen. Inherently, this reduces driving range. The AWD variants’ as tested real-world consumption hovers around 19-20kWh/100km while the 2WD Air version is more economical at around 16kWh/100km. Surprisingly, both figures are better than those on paper, which are 20.1kWh/100km and 18.2kWh/100km respectively. That is not the case for driving range, though, with it not anywhere close to claimed figures. Expect about 30km less than advertised.

Kia EV5 driving range (WLTP) and charging rate:

• Kia EV5 Air Standard Range FWD – 400km, AC charging at 7kW, DC charging up to 350kW
• Kia EV5 Air Long Range FWD – 555km, AC charging at 11kW, DC charging up to 350kW
• Kia EV5 Earth AWD – 500km, AC charging at 11kW, DC charging up to 350kW
• Kia EV5 GT-Line AWD – 470km, AC charging at 11kW, DC charging up to 350kW

The EV5 comes standard with a 7-year unlimited km warranty which is one of the best in the business. Servicing interval is 12 months or 15,000km.

Verdict

2026 Kia EV5 Pricing and Specification

Price (Excl. on-road costs):	EV5 Air Standard Range FWD – $56,770 EV5 Air Long Range FWD – $61,170 EV5 Earth AWD – $64,770 EV5 GT-Line AWD – $71,770
Warranty:	7 years/unlimited km
Country of Origin:	South Korea; Manufactured in China
Service Intervals:	12 months/15,000km
Power unit:	Single electric motor (FWD), 160kW/310Nm (Air) Dual electric motor (AWD), 160kW/310Nm (Earth) Dual electric motor (AWD), 230kW/480Nm (GT-Line)
Transmission:	Reduction gear
Drivetrain:	Front / All-wheel drive
Body:	5-door SUV, 5 seats
Dimensions (L/W/H/W-B) mm:	4,615/1,875/1,715/2,750
Kerb Weight (kg):	1,876 – 2,192