Kia EV5 Makes An Impact Down Under – CleanTechnica

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Trying to catch up with all the new electric vehicles hitting the market, we dropped into the local Kia dealership to check out the Kia EV5 — which has only been on the market in Australia for the past few months. During that time, it appears the car has made an impact. In January 2025, 289 were sold, making it the third best seller in the country’s EV market behind the Tesla Model Y and the SAIC MG4. That’s more units than its little brother – the EV6. I am finding the nomenclature used by some vehicle manufacturers a little confusing. The Polestar 3 is bigger than the Polestar 4 and the EV5 is bigger than the EV6. [Editor’s note: for clarification, the EV6 is longer and slightly wider than the EV5, but the EV5 is notably taller.]

Our visit to the dealership turned out to be ill timed, as the staff were very busy doing deliveries. They tried their best to accommodate us and were most courteous, but in the end, we decided to come back on a quieter day to have our questions answered. We did, however, do an extended test drive and got some great photos.

On our first visit, we learned that all staff are trained in all drivetrains. After my experience visiting many dealerships, I wonder if it would be better to have a specialist on site with an in-depth knowledge of electrified drivetrains. It’s a lot of new information to hold in your head. Like most legacy brands, Kia is selling on its well-deserved reputation for reliability and … the Kia EV5 sells for AU$57, 000 (US$36,000).

On the test drive, Majella took the wheel, put the car in “Sport” mode, and made these observations: The car felt heavy, with slower than expected acceleration. “This is in Sports mode, imagine what it would be like in eco!” Majella had difficulty working out how to set the regen braking. This latter issue was resolved during the drive.

At the stop lights, she had to leave her foot on the brake, the car would not come to a complete stop. Were we missing something here? I sometimes wonder whether you need to have an EV for a week to understand the tech.

She felt that there were too many buttons on the steering wheel. As a counterpoint, the sales rep thought there were only a few. We are getting too used to our minimalist Tesla Model 3. Majella: “That’s a lot of buttons.” Sales rep: “That’s what you need to drive the car.” It was interesting to note how enthusiastic the young salesperson was about features that we have come to see as standard across the EVs we have driven. Like the touchscreen.

She particularly liked the easy clean screen mode. It turns the screen dark so it can be wiped without changing any settings. I was impressed, but Majella told me later that Tesla has had that for years. I wouldn’t know. Obviously, I don’t clean the car. Don’t get upset — I actually have a wife who likes cleaning.

I was pleased to note that the salespeople we spoke to were aware of the competition, specifically mentioning Tesla & Leapmotor.

We returned a few days later to the relative calm of a dealership not in delivery mode and I was able to ask more questions. This time we spoke with a more experienced sales rep who was very generous with his time and information.

He told us that customers come into the dealership to shop for a Kia, not necessarily for an electric vehicle. By asking judicious questions, he is able to advise them of a suitable purchase. If the customer is only driving short distances in the metropolitan environment, he suggests an EV. I challenged this, and told him about our trips to Winton and Victoria, both of which were over 1500 km. Majella showed him PlugShare which really opened his eyes. He was not aware of all the charging options.

The EV5 Air has a range of 400 km, and the long range version soon to be available will have 505 km. That’s plenty in the tank to get between charging stations even in Australia.

A few of his customers arrive with a deep understanding of EVs. The questions they ask are around range, how to charge, and battery life. He opined, “They are definitely the future.” He then said something which I found quite odd. “Korean tech is almost as good as Japanese.” I begged to differ — I feel it’s better — and yet the new Chinese vehicles appear to be even better than that. I told him that in the EV world, Japanese automakers are not held up as tech leaders. He was most surprised.

“What were people trading for their new Kia EV5?” I asked. A whole range — diesel, petrol, hybrids, even other EVs. They have had a Tesla traded in on the new EV5; older electric Niros and Konas, also. “What about deprecation?” Too early to tell, he admits. He says that Kias hold their value well. But the value of second-hand EV6s is declining lately due to “fierce competition.” He himself has sold five EV5s.

He sees demand increasing, as customers read more and have family who purchase and share information. “It’s getting easier to charge, with more chargers available. There is high demand now and by 2030 there will be lots of EVs.” The Kia EV5 comes with a phone app. Of course, Majella had to compare it to the Tesla app, and for a few moments it was like a duel. The Kia app will allow you to turn on the air conditioning, open the doors, flash the headlights, check the tyre pressure, track the car, schedule charging and servicing. It even has summon.

The Kia EV5 proximity sensors linked to cameras, and it had a 360-degree view for reversing into tight spots. The car comes with an electronic key and an on/off button.

We discussed price parity with petrol and it appears there is still some way to go. The salesperson said that a comparable vehicle in petrol would be the Sportage, which retails at about AU$40, 000 — that’s 30% cheaper than the EV. Those of us with experience would talk about total cost of ownership (Majella and I would make up the difference in fours with the amount of driving that we do), but the average consumer is transfixed by the upfront cost.

I reached out to the Kia EV5’s Australian Facebook community. The comments were all positive and one poster accepted my request to share his story. Thank you, John.

John has been driving Kias for the past 7 years and found them to be reliable and cost effective compared to other cars. He has owned and driven:

• 2018–2021 — KIA Ceed [Ireland]
• 2021–2024 — KIA Stonic [Australia]
• 2024–Present — KIA EV5 [Australia]

He compared the Kia EV5 with a Tesla Model 3 and Model Y. “I really liked the car but the basic controls are positioned in the User Interface which I feel is not reliable and handy.” He made his final choice based on finance and lease options provided by his Kia dealer. She was very informative about EVs and the buying experience was a “surprisingly pleasant experience.” John lives in the Australian Capital Territory, which has the highest concentration of EVs in Australia — over 20% of new car sales.

The EV5 is a larger car than the Stonic, and he and his family appreciates the extra room and comfort of the SUV. “The Smart Cruise Control is one of the best features of the car. Automatic speed control based on the posted speed is amazing and accurate,” he tells me.

I asked him to list the pros and cons:

Pros:

• Build quality and appearance
• Boot space [front and back]
• Priced low compared to Tesla Model Y. I got this for around $57,000 [with accessories like DashCam, window tintings, UV protection, and mats]
• Physical switch to set a different one pedal driving mode [iPedal]. I use the one pedal driving mode and my wife doesn’t, so it’s more comfortable and customizable for different driving styles.
• Smart Cruise Control
• Free KIA Connect [networked] app for 7 years [no extra charges/subscriptions]

Cons:

• I got the KIA EV5 Air Standard Range Model [White]. Range is around 400km [I am getting around 350–380km based on the AirCon usage]. I haven’t really tested with a long drive yet. Planning for a Sydney trip to check its range.
• No spare wheel [instead got a tyre repair kit].
• No sunglass holder for a car this big.
• Range/charging anxiety. Always having a feeling about the battery range and charging process. [This may be due to the fact that I am charging the car only in public EV charging locations]. Since we are renting an apartment on Level 2 with underground garage parking, it’s really hard to use the home charging solution.
• No Apple Watch App for KIA Connect Application

In general, John and his family are happy with this car. No big complaints.

For those who want a technical review, have a look here. It is also worth looking at the global context, where Hyundai Motor Group is successfully transitioning to electric. In the meantime, the Kia EV5 is a welcome addition to the growing number of battery electric vehicles on Australian roads.