Kia’s next EV, the five-seat EV5 could be here as early as June — and close to half the price of big brother the EV9.
That’s the word from Kia Australia’s Damien Meredith who said prices could start “in the 50s” — in other words less than $60,000.
The seven-seat EV9 is priced from $97,000 plus on roads.
Kia has been able to reduce the cost of producing the vehicle by using a cheaper, lithium iron phosphate battery (LFP) battery and by building the EV in China rather than its home market South Korea.
Because of their low cost, high safety, low toxicity, long cycle life and other factors, LFP batteries are finding a number of roles in vehicle use, utility-scale stationary applications and as backup power.
LFP batteries are also cobalt-free.
Chinese manufacturers currently hold a near monopoly on the production of LFP batteries.
The EV5 will be sold in Australia in a mix of variants, meeting the needs of a diverse range of customers and budgets.
It will initially be available in Air and Earth trims only, with the top GT-Line model arriving in the fourth quarter of the year.
Both standard and long-range batteries along with Front Wheel Drive (Single Motor) and All Wheel Drive (Dual Motor) drivetrains will be offered.
Application by variant will be announced closer to launch.
The Kia EV5 will be the first right hand drive product supplied by the Kia factory in China (Yancheng city, Jiangsu province).
Mr Meredith said Kia Australia is confident the EV5 will suit the needs of many new car buyers who now more than ever, are considering the move into a full battery electric vehicle.
“Sourcing Australia’s stock from the China factory allows us to launch earlier and secure supply of up to 850 per month which is needed to target mainstream appeal,” he said.
“The EV5 continues our commitment to growing Kia’s electric vehicle offering with a package that will appeal to both private and fleet buyers.”
The Kia EV5 will come with advanced active and passive safety features targeting a five-star safety rating along with the latest technology you would expect to see in a new Kia model.
He said Kia R&D centres in both China and Korea have left no stone unturned in ensuring the EV5 is developed just right for Australia with numerous engineering teams visiting and contributing to:
Kia Australia’s long established local Ride & Handling Program which has resulted in the EV5 offering excellent ride quality on both urban and rough country roads, confident handling and cornering balance, especially the AWD as to be expected.
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) tuning ensures the EV5 is calibrated for Australian roads, traffic conditions, lane markings, speed signs, parking spaces and other configurations.
Connected Car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC) testing and development of all features to ensure quality and reliability of Over the Air updates available across all EV5 variants.
Charging: Testing and developing for Australia’s public charging infrastructure across Greater Sydney and the ACT to ensure compatibility with EV5.
Full specifications, features and pricing will be announced closer to launch.
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