2025 Kia EV5 Air review

02/10/2025 09:00 AM

2025 Kia EV5 Air Standard Range

Medium SUVs are big business in Australia, so the 2025 Kia EV5 has plenty of opportunity to succeed.

Already home to big sellers like the Toyota RAV4, Mitsubishi Outlander, and Mazda CX-5, the EV5 is going to need to make an impact to encroach on those household names.

The EV5 is classified a little differently in Australia, though. Whereas those rivals are all 'mainstream', the starting price of the EV5 puts it in a sales class with premium SUVs like the Lexus NX, Mercedes-Benz GLC, and perhaps more crucially, the Tesla Model Y – which holds more than a third of this sales subsegment.

We spent a week with the new EV5 to determine where it really sits on Australia's medium SUV spectrum.

How much is a Kia EV5?

In case you weren't quite sure, the 2025 Kia EV5 is to electric vehicles as the Sportage is to internal combustion vehicles.

The EV5 is positioned as a medium SUV, just like the Sportage, but whereas the Sportage covers petrol, diesel, and hybrid models, the EV5 is a pure EV. And it's not just a Sportage in a new suit, the EV5 is built on a dedicated electric vehicle architecture.

Well, dedicated to a degree. The underpinnings of the EV5 are related to Kia and Hyundai models like the Sportage and Tucson, but different enough to rule out seeing a petrol or hybrid version of the EV5 down the track.

Other models, like the forthcoming Kia EV3, will also use this component set as their basis.

The cheapest way into the 2025 Kia EV5 is the model we have there, the EV5 Air Standard Range, priced from $56,770 drive-away. This specification is equipped with a single 160kW electric motor powering the front wheels, with a 64.2kWh battery providing up to 400km of WLTP range.

It is also possible to get an EV5 Air Long Range, which adds a larger 88.1kWh battery and up to 555km of range. It's priced from $63,990 drive-away.

The next higher grades, the EV5 Earth and EV5 GT-Line, both use the same 88.1kWh Long Range battery, but add a 70kW rear electric motor (for 230kW combined) but range drops to 500km and 470km respectively.

The EV5 is the first Kia vehicle in Australia to be built in China, and the battery technology comes from rival car maker BYD – which also makes batteries for other brands.

The EV5 Air comes equipped with LED head- and tail-lights, 18-inch alloy wheels, flush-fit exterior door handles, manually opened tailgate, fabric and faux-leather seat trim, bronze-coloured trim highlights, front seat heating, dual-zone climate control, and dual 12.3-inch infotainment and instrument displays. 

The Kia EV5 goes into battle against the Tesla Model Y, which alongside the blocky styling of the EV5 is almost the polar opposite in terms of design.

The entry-level Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive kicks off from $55,900 plus on-road costs, with a 455km claimed driving range, and a 194kW single electric motor. Tesla's minimalist interior approach sees the driver go without dedicated instruments, with a single 15-inch front display managing everything from vehicle stats to infotainment.

Toyota's entry into this segment is the bZ4X, with a more expensive $66,000 starting price (before on-road costs) and a 436km range claim. Power comes from a 150kW motor and basic spec highlights include 20-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, powered tailgate, and 12.3-inch infotainment with a 7.0-inch instrument display.

How big is a Kia EV5?

The boxy styling of the EV5 gives it real presence in the metal, but it is quite close in size to the Sportage. The EV5 is 45mm shorter nose-to-tail, 10mm wider, and 50mm taller. It also rides on a slightly shorter (just 5mm less) wheelbase.

While the external dimensions are similar, the interior feels significantly more airy. That's not to say the Sportage is compact, far from it, but the open design of the EV5 goes further still.

The dash design features some sharply angled elements, and has a touch of brutalism to it. The main control elements, with the dual screens, climate display panel, and the bank of physical buttons live together high in the dash.

A bag hook on the passenger's side can be deployed to hold a light shopping bag or handbag upright and keep it from sliding around.

The centre console is an interesting design. The main console that usually divides the front occupants is much lower in the EV5. It contains a low, open storage tray and a pair of cupholders.

In place of the kind of lidded armrest storage you'd usually expect to find, the EV5 has a flip-up armrest with no storage, and an extension to the passenger seat that flows over the console. It looks like a bench seat, but can’t be used as one. Instead, there's a little fabric-lined pouch you can tuck your phone or wallet into.

Maybe I'm overthinking it, but with no easy way to clean it or wipe it out, this feels like a hotbed of bacteria. Perhaps not the ideal spot for kids toys.

The front seats are firmly padded, but I found them comfy on a longer drive. There's not much bolstering on the seat base, so it's easy to slide in and out, but the backrest offers a bit more support to help keep you in place.

Seat adjustment is powered for the driver but manual for the passenger. Both front seats are headed, and the driver gets a very basic massage function via the lumbar support air bladders in the seat.

Power to the front seats is via two USB-C ports ahead of the cupholders. In the rear, there are two more, one in the back of each front seat.

The rear seats offer fixed bases (with no slide function) but have a reclining backrest to help passengers find a comfy seat. The step-in height is comfortable, and the floor isn’t as high as some EVs, though you do still sit slightly knees-up.

Passenger space is plentiful in every direction. Rear leg room is not quite limo-like but should offer most tall occupants enough space to travel long distances.

The floor is flat across the rear, which is helpful, but the centre position is firmer and a touch higher than the outboard seats. There's a fold-down armrest with cupholders in the middle too, along with rear air vents tucked into the B-pillars.

The boot is an interesting exercise in alternative storage. The boot floor has two lift-up sections, there's storage underneath, and a shelf higher up to slot the floor into to create a two-layered boot shelf.

The floor is flat with the floor in place, and level with the boot aperture, making it easy to slide heavy items in and out. Instead of fixed bag hooks, the EV5 has relocatable bag hangers that can be moved fore and aft.

There is no cargo blind, however, no provision to fit one, which feels like a big omission. Boot space itself is 513 litres with the rear seats up, compared to 453L in the bZ4X or 586L in a Sportage.

Does the Kia EV5 have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?

The Kia EV5 takes a very tech-forward look with a pair of 12.3-inch displays, one for instruments and the other for infotainment, separated by a 5.0-inch climate-control interface.

The infotainment system is well catered for with both wired and wireless access to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, inbuilt satellite navigation, AM/FM/DAB radio, Bluetooth connectivity, and a six-speaker stereo.

The audio reproduction is fine at low- to mid-volume, but starts to deteriorate at higher volumes, lacking punch and offering mediocre clarity.

Kia also includes some more quirky features like Sounds of Nature, inbuilt audio files of ambient sounds, I guess to help you relax when stopped, or help stay calm in grinding traffic maybe?

The system also features over-the-air updates, and Kia Connect services that can offer vehicle location info, remote lock/unlock, cabin preconditioning, and more. Access is included for seven years.

The driver instruments offer clear, at-a-glance information, but not a huge range of customisation options. The climate display, which isn't a full monitor-style display, gives easy access to climate functions, but is almost entirely blocked by the steering wheel rim.

It's not the most user-friendly solution, but temperature, fan speed, and air level controls are also located on the row of buttons under the vents for quicker access.

Is the Kia EV5 a safe car?

The Kia EV5 comes with a five-star safety rating, based on 2024 results tested to ANCAP’s current (and most stringent) assessment criteria. The EV5 was rated 88 per cent for adult occupant protection, 86 per cent for child occupant protection, 74 per cent for vulnerable road user protection (pedestrian and cyclist), and 82 per cent for safety assist technology.

What safety technology does the Kia EV5 have?

The Kia EV5 Air includes a long list of standard safety equipment with autonomous emergency braking (including car, bicycle, pedestrian and junction detection), lane-keeping assist with lane centring, blind-spot monitoring and avoidance, rear cross-traffic alert and avoidance, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality, speed limit warning and a driver attention monitoring camera.

The EV5 also comes with seven airbags, with dual front, front-seat side, and full-length curtain airbags alongside a centre airbag to reduce the risk of a head-clash between occupants in a severe side impact.

On the road, you soon discover that Kia's experience compared to some other brands shows in the driving behaviour and integration of driver assist systems. The adaptive cruise is smooth and quick to register cars that cut in, or leave a lane ahead.

The system was largely free of false alerts, but the road sign recognition might be a little too good. It can detect signs even at an angle, which means it logs side road signs and exit ramp speed zones as applicable to the driver – which may not always be the case.

As a result, the over-speed chime can sound when it's not required. There's no easy way to mute this – the system is either fully on, or fully off, but Kia has promised an over-the-air update to come to make this system more user-friendly.

How much does the Kia EV5 cost to run?

Following the lead set by other Kia models, the EV5 is backed by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, with the high-voltage EV battery covered for seven years or 150,000km.

Kia offers service plans for its electric vehicle range. The EV5 plans are priced at $980 for three years, $1535 for five years, or $2431 for seven years. Service intervals are set at 12 months or 15,000km.

Insurance premiums are reasonable for the EV5 Air. We were quoted $1731 per year for comprehensive cover, using a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

For the same driver, a Tesla Model Y was quoted at $2536, a Toyota bZ4X came to $1967, while a Sportage GT-Line hybrid would be $1645.

What is the range of a Kia EV5?

As the shortest-range version of the EV5, the Air Standard Range has a claimed driving range tested to WLTP standard of 400km.

Kia also provides a 18.2 kilowatt hours per 100 kilometres energy consumption rate. A little on the high side for a medium SUV, where a bZ4X 2WD claims 16.9kWh/100km and Model 3 RWD  is rated at 15.7kWh/100km.

After a week spent dragging through urban commuter traffic, plus some more flowing-road stretches at 80–110km/h, the figure we returned sat at 16.2kWh/100km – ahead of the claimed figure.

From the 64.2kWh lithium iron phosphate battery that suggests a maximum driving range of 396km (and if you were wondering WLTP's claimed consumption and range estimates are based on slightly different consumption). More realistically you could run from 100 per cent charge to 10 per cent with over 350km between top-ups.

Home charging on a a dedicated AC wallbox is limited by the EV5 Air's 6.6kW onboard charger. Other EV5 variants can utilise 11kW charging. A 10 to 100 per cent charge is claimed at around nine hours and 43 minutes.

Faster DC charging can run up to 102kW, again not the fastest you'll find but still reasonable at 36 minutes for a 10 to 80 per cent fill.

What is the Kia EV5 like to drive?

While it might sound contrary to what you've been used to hearing from electric vehicle reviews, the EV5 isn't all about fast 0–100km/h times and brisk urban acceleration. It's much more mild-mannered, and truly no worse for it.

From behind the wheel, acceleration feels much like what you might expect from a Sportage. The only difference being no off-the-line hesitations, and no gear changes to interrupt the flow.

With the front-mounted electric motor developing 160kW and 310Nm, the outputs are about what you'd expect for a vehicle in this class – petrol or electric.

Like the larger Kia electric models, the EV5 offers shift paddles to adjust brake regeneration settings through four stages, plus a fourth one-pedal driving mode that will bring the car to a complete stop.

Coupled with Eco, Normal, Sport and Snow drive modes, plus normal and sport brake settings, there's a range of options to get the driving experience to best match your needs.

As with other models in the Kia range in Australia, the EV5 has been treated to specific suspension and steering tuning to match local road conditions and the demands of Aussie drivers.

For me, the EV5 misses the mark here. Where cars like the Sportage and Sorento feel comfortable and accomplished across a variety of surfaces, the EV5 isn't as well set up.

On urban surfaces, the myriad tarmac patch-ups, expansion joints, and road imperfections tend to jolt their way into the cabin, and the car isn't as settled and quick to recover as other Kia models. Away from town, the ride does get better, though, and in 80–110km/h zones the Kia EV5 feels more confident.

Steering too is lacking in resistance and feels just a touch too light to be truly settled on the open road. Some may prefer that lightness in city scenarios, though. 

The steering gains a little extra weight in sport mode, but the fairly numb feedback through the steering only ever gives a vague feel for the road beneath.

Road noise is well suppressed at speed, and there's only minimal tyre roar and wind rustle.

Can a Kia EV5 tow?

The Kia EV5 Air Standard Range is rated to tow, but the 300kg braked and unbraked towing capacity and 50kg ball weight limits mean this works for things like bike carriers rather than full-fledged towing. If you did need something more substantial, the EV5 Air Long Range, Earth, and GT-Line models all move up to a 1250kg capacity.

The EV5 Air Standard Range has a 430kg payload, which should be enough for an average family with their gear on board. Four adults plus luggage may start to run close to the EV5’s maximum carrying capacity, though, so it may pay to run the numbers before loading up for a long weekend away.

Should I buy a Kia EV5?

The Kia EV5 is not unlike the brand's electric vehicles before it. The EV6 and EV9 are fine examples of what's possible from a dedicated electric vehicle.

The EV5 delivers space, comfort, and a design that's sure to be a talking point. Unlike the much more dynamic EV6, though, the EV5 feels just a half-step off the ride and handling benchmarks the brand usually sets for itself.

While decent for passengers, the packaging falls down a little when it comes to cargo – especially up front. Kia has opted for a slick seat design trend and forgotten that families often need to pack a lot of odds and ends in with them.

It feels like Kia has ever so slightly missed the mark with the EV5 Air Standard Range – if the pricing for the Long Range version fell below $60K, it would be a far better option. The Standard Range asks just a little too much on price and falls a touch short on both driving range and driving finesse.

How do I buy a Kia EV5? The next steps.

The Kia EV5 is worth a look, whether you’re lured by the design or looking to make the most of the space it offers. The 400km range of the Standard Range model will be more than enough for most urban families, but buyers who live a little further out of town or cover longer distances more frequently may want to check out one of the Long Range models.

As stock starts to flow into dealers, you may be able to cut a deal, but you can browse the full range of Kia cars for sale at Drive Marketplace.

With some internal pressure from cars like the Sportage hybrid, the EV5 may not be the only Kia SUV worth looking at. You can check them out side-by-side at a Kia dealer near you.

With new and updated info on the Kia range all the time, you can find the latest Kia news here.

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