Kia has unveiled the design of the production version of its new EV5 electric model at the Chengdu Motor Show in China. The electric SUV is to be offered globally after its premiere in China.

However, the South Korean company is still holding back on the details of the drive technology.

After the EV6 and EV9, the compact SUV is the third Kia model based on the Hyundai Group’s E-GMP electric platform – so it will be a pure 800-volt electric vehicle.

In its PR strategy, Kia is following the example of the EV9: here, too, the brand first revealed the series design after a few appearances of the concept, before giving details of the exact drive configurations at the actual “world premiere”.

In the case of the EV5, the details of the technology will only be revealed at the Kia EV Day in October. At the trade fair in Chengdu, the focus will therefore be on the design, which does not deviate greatly from the concept presented in March.

In principle, the production model remains true to the line, the EV5 could pass as a small EV9 in many respects – in detail, however, it brings its own elements, for example in the design of the front headlights or the rear lights that are pulled far inwards. However, the LEDs integrated into the front of the EV9 are not offered on the more affordable EV5.

The basic structure and proportions, on the other hand, were taken from Kia’s largest electric SUV: The front is very steep, the design rather angular and the rising line at the D-pillar and the steep rear window are also familiar from the EV9.

According to Kia, every feature of the EV5 has been designed “to provide the flexibility modern families need and enhance their driving pleasure”.

Although Kia already lists the nine gloss paints and one matt paint individually in the press release, the exact dimensions of the EV5 are not even mentioned.

According to the number in the model designation, it should be slightly shorter than the 4.68-metre-long EV6. However, due to its steeper rear window and higher body, it should offer a bit more utility.

For the interior design, Kia has relied on its own research, according to which “Millennial households now view the interior of their electric SUV not only as a safe and comfortable place to sit when travelling from A to B, but also as an additional ‘room’ in which they can spend their lives”, as explained in the press release.

Therefore, as in the EV9, they have not designed a classic car interior, but a spacious interior that is “more reminiscent of a domestic lounge”.

The EV5 will first be launched in China in the second half of 2023, before global markets are served. It will also be produced in China, specifically at the Yancheng plant.

Pricing and an approximate market launch in the rest of the world are not yet mentioned. We will provide the technical data after the Kia EV Day in October.