2025 Kia EV5 price and specs: Cheaper than a Tesla Model Y electric SUV
10/11/2024 01:00 AM
The Kia EV5 is due in Australian showrooms imminently with a lower price than the Tesla Model Y – and other key Chinese rivals.
- 2025 Kia EV5 pricing and specifications
- Model Y-sized SUV finally arrives after extended delays
- Built in China on new electric-car platform
- Priced from $56,770 drive-away
The 2025 Kia EV5 electric SUV will be cheaper than a Tesla Model Y – and the first competitor to the top-selling SUV without a Chinese badge to be priced from less than $60,000 before on-road costs – when showroom arrivals begin imminently.
Originally due in June, the EV5 was delayed at the last minute – days before the first media test drives – due to undisclosed “wheel and software updates”.
The issues have now been resolved, and Kia is launching its new mid-size electric SUV in three model grades – the Air and Earth arriving now, ahead of the GT-Line in December.
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The cheapest EV5 – the Air Standard Range with a 400km claimed driving distance – is priced from $56,770 plus on-road costs, compared to $55,900 plus on-road costs for the most affordable Tesla Model Y.
However, once on-road costs are factored in, the Tesla is priced from $58,700 to $62,500 drive-away, while the Kia remains $56,770 drive-away – as the car maker subsidises the cost of stamp duty, registration and other government charges that make up ‘on-road costs’.
The Kia EV5 was earmarked to be cheaper than its key rival when the Model Y was priced from $60,900 plus on-roads – but it was thought aggressive price cuts by Tesla earlier this year would make that no longer possible.
The Air is available with a long-range battery for a $7220 (drive-away) up-charge, while the mid-grade Earth is priced from $68,990 to $69,990 drive-away depending on location.
MORE: 2024 Kia EV5 electric SUV targeting 10,000 annual sales (published April 2024)
In flagship long-range, all-wheel-drive GT-Line trim, the EV5 is priced from $75,990 to $77,990 drive-away, or $71,770 plus on-road costs – $820 less than the larger Kia EV6 Air ($72,590 before on-roads), which is expected to receive a price rise imminently as part of a facelift.
Kia’s new electric SUV is the brand’s first vehicle to be built in China for Australia, and is powered by lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries sourced from BYD, which will soon launch an EV5 competitor in Australia as the Sealion 7.
The EV5 has undergone extensive ride, handling and safety technology tuning on Australian roads – while its development in China has taken place in conjunction with Australian engineers on a proving ground said to be a copy-paste of Kia’s South Korean facilities.
A target of 10,000 annual sales has previously been set by Kia Australia for the EV5 – less than the 22,000 Model Ys that Tesla is on track to deliver locally this year, but enough to cement it as a Top Five seller on the electric-car charts.
Underpinning the EV5 is a 400-volt electric-car platform known as ‘N3 eK’, which is cheaper to produce than the 800-volt, high-tech ‘E-GMP’ chassis beneath the larger EV6 and EV9.
Powering the entry-level EV5 Air Standard Range is a 64.2kWh LFP battery matched with a 160kW/310Nm electric motor driving the front wheels, for a 400km claimed driving range in European WLTP testing.
An 88.1kWh Long Range battery is available with the Air, pushing driving range up to a claimed 555km – the longest in the model range.
The Earth and GT-Line upgrade to all-wheel drive – with 160kW front and 70kW rear motors for 230kW/480Nm combined – but claimed WLTP ranges drop to 500km and 470km respectively, due to the extra motor and larger alloy wheels.
Standard equipment in the base EV5 Air includes 18-inch alloy wheels, dual 12.3-inch screens, LED headlights, and cloth and leather-look seat trim.
More expensive model grades add full synthetic leather-look upholstery, blind-spot cameras, a power tailgate, and larger alloy wheels.
The 2025 Kia EV5 is due in Australian showrooms imminently.
2025 Kia EV5 price in Australia
- EV5 Air Standard Range FWD – $56,770 drive-away nationwide (or $56,770 plus on-road costs)
- EV5 Air Long Range FWD – $63,990 drive-away nationwide (or $61,170 plus on-road costs)
- EV5 Earth Long Range AWD – $69,990 drive-away in WA / $68,990 drive-away everywhere else ($64,770 plus on-road costs nationally)
- EV5 GT-Line Long Range FWD – $77,990 drive-away in WA / $75,990 drive-away everywhere else ($71,770 plus on-road costs nationally)
Further details of standard features are due in the coming weeks. Only top-line details have been announced so far.
2025 Kia EV5 Air standard features:
- Single-motor front-wheel drive (160kW) and choice of 64.2kWh or 88.1kWh BYD lithium iron phosphate batteries
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- LED headlights and tail-lights
- 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen with over-the-air updates
- 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
- 5.0-inch climate-control touch display
- Cloth and synthetic leather-look seat upholstery
- Kia Connect phone app support
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Adaptive cruise control
- Lane-keep assist
- Lane following assist
- Highway Driving Assist 2 (combines adaptive cruise and lane centring)
- Front-centre airbag
2025 Kia EV5 Earth adds (over Air):
- Dual-motor all-wheel drive (230kW) and long-range 88.1kWh BYD LFP battery
- 19-inch alloy wheels
- Power tailgate
- Synthetic leather-look seat upholstery (full, no cloth inserts) in black or brown
2025 Kia EV5 GT-Line adds (over Earth):
- 20-inch alloy wheels
- GT-Line exterior styling
- Augmented-reality head-up display
- Remote Smart Park Assist 2
- Blind-spot cameras
- White accents on seat upholstery
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