Kia’s continued push into electrification gives us the new 2027 EV5. It’s a mid-size family crossover EV that slots between the smaller EV4 and the … smaller EV6. That’s a bit of a weird numbering system but this is one EV that is not available to those of you reading this in the United States. Sorry.
Performance
Motors – The 2027 Kia EV5 is available as a single-motor FWD or a dual-motor AWD. The interesting part is that all trim levels, sans the base Light trim, are available as either FWD or AWD. For city dwellers, the FWD versions of the EV5 should be enough for your daily needs. The electric motor produces 214 hp and 218 lb-ft of torque (160 kW & 295 Nm). It doesn’t sound like much, but because it’s electric, the torque is instant. Sure, highway merges will require a bit more patience but at least you won’t hear the slow, agonizing drone of a 4-cylinder that’s mated to a CVT.
For those that live in parts of Canada where you see proper snow every year, and not the light dusting that we get here in Vancouver, the AWD versions pack a bit more punch. 261hp and 284lb-ft of torque (195 kW & 385 Nm). 0-100 km/h takes around 6 seconds which is plenty fast to spill your cup of double double.
Battery, Range, & Charging – Underneath the boxy exterior, the 2027 Kia EV5 uses the E-GMP platform which is shared with the EV4, 6, and 9. But to keep costs down, this EV5 doesn’t use the 800-Volt architecture of the EV6 and 9. Instead it’s 400-Volts.
That means that it won’t be able to charge up from 10% to 80% in 18 minutes. Instead, it takes about 30 minutes from 10% to 80% at a maximum rate of 150 kW. That is, for the larger 81.4 kWh battery pack that most trims of the EV5 have. The entry level EV5 has a 60.4 kWh battery pack that has a peak charge rate of 102 kW.
What does that mean for the driving range? Well, the entry level Light trim is estimated for up to 335 km (208 Miles). All the other trims should get between 440 km to 460 km (273 – 285 Miles) depending on whether you go for FWD or AWD. During my time with the EV5, I averaged 15.1 kWh/100km (4.11 Miles/kWh) of efficiency.
Braking – Kia, and Hyundai, provide one of the best regenerative braking experiences of any EV. The EV5 has levels 0 through 3 which range from no regen braking to a strong regen braking force. Of course, it has a one-pedal mode that will bring the car to a complete stop and it also has an Auto regen mode. This uses sensors to detect the vehicle ahead and automatically adjust the regen braking accordingly. If the car ahead slows down, more regen braking is applied. If it keeps a constant speed, no regen braking is applied.
The brakes themselves are catered to everyday driving. The pedal doesn’t move on its own like in the Nissan Ariya, nor does it have a strange feeling transition between regenerative braking and the physical brakes. It’s all smooth and very easy to drive.
Handling – To drive, the Kia EV5 is a typical family EV. It feels heavy, it has light steering, and it doesn’t encourage you to push it around corners. But because of its family focused demeanor, it’s comfortable to drive. It doesn’t feel tiring to drive over long distances or if you’re stuck in rush hour traffic.
Comfort
Ride Comfort – With its family focused characteristics, the Kia EV5’s suspension feels softer than something like the EV6. It irons out potholes with complete disdain. Over certain road undulations, the ride can feel a tad floaty but for the most part, it’s comfortable.
The front seats further add to the comfort equation. They are supportive and have enough padding on the bottom cushion to prevent your butt from going numb on those commutes to work.
Interior Space – Step inside and you’ll realize that the EV5 isn’t trying to be a sporty crossover. It’s perfectly adept at being a family crossover. For front occupants, there is a lot of space. Legroom and headroom are not an issue for my above average height of 6’4”. In the back seats, it’s not too bad behind my tall driving position. My knees are close to the back of the front seat but they do not touch. Headroom is equally good. If you need to carry 3 in the back, the middle person will have enough legroom because with this being an EV, there’s no transmission tunnel to worry about.
And finally, in the far back, the Kia EV5 has 805 L (28.4 cu-ft) behind the 2nd row seats. Fold them down, and the cargo capacity increases to a massive 2,080 L (73.4 cu-ft). Under the trunk floor, there are a few small item storage spaces along with a tire repair kit instead of a temporary spare wheel. But that’s par for the course with EVs. And finally in the front, the frunk can hold 44.4 L (1.57 cu-ft).
Noise, Vibration, & Harshness – With the EV5 being an EV, most cabin noises are those of the tires against the road. On highways, the cabin is about as quiet as that of a luxury SUV. So although the most prevalent noise is that of the tires, it’s not that loud. Wind noise is negligible and the powertrain doesn’t make any noise.
Odds and Ends
Pricing – The 2027 Kia EV5 starts at just $43,495 CAD for the FWD Light trim. It’s not bad for an EV that offers this much space and range. For this top spec GT-Line Limited, the price is $61,495 CAD.
Gadgets – Being a fully loaded Kia vehicle, the 2027 EV5 is packed with convenience features. These include heated seats in all four corners, ventilated front seats and a heated steering wheel, a panoramic sunroof, surround view cameras with blind view monitor, a head-up display, a 3-zone automatic climate control, a Harmon Kardon sound system, a wireless phone charging pad, ambient mood lighting and a hands-free power liftgate.
One cool gadget is the remote smart parking assist 2. This allows you to park the EV5 without you being in it. Simply pull up to a parking lot, turn on this function by holding onto the surround view cameras button for a couple of seconds, then slowly creep forward to let the car detect an empty spot. Once it detects a spot (either parallel or perpendicular), it’ll give you the option to park, or to allow you to get out of the car and then park. If you get out, you just have to hold onto the parking button on the key and the car will continue to perform the maneuver on its own. Of course, you can’t just walk away while it’s doing this. You have to be near the car. Once it’s done, simply lock it with the remote and then walk away.
The infotainment system is the same one that is used in all other current Kia models. It has widgets on the home screen that can be rearranged to your liking, it’s an easy system to navigate around, it has clear graphics, and it supports wireless CarPlay & Android Auto.
Interior Design – As for the interior design, it’s modern Kia. You get nearly 30-inches of screen which consists of a 12.3-inch driver display, a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, and a 5-inch HVAC display sandwiched between them. This little screen is quite difficult to see from the driver’s perspective because the steering wheel spoke blocks the view. Thankfully, you can set the climate to auto and then use the physical toggle switches on the dash to quickly and easily change the temperature.
Most other commonly used functions, such as the heated seat control or parking sensors, have their own dedicated buttons either on the door panel or the center console. No need to dig through an infotainment system. Unfortunately, there are some touch sensitive controls just underneath the infotainment touchscreen instead of physical controls.
The interior also has a lot of small item storage space. The center console can be a storage cubby or at the push of a button, the cup holders can deploy. There’s a bin in between the front seats, more large cubbies in the door panels, and there’s another cubby in the center console that can be accessed by the rear occupants.
Exterior Design – The EV5 is essentially an EV9 that has been put through a copier at 80% scale. It has the same overall shape but with new slim daytime running lights, new taillights, and new wheel designs. I think it’s a pretty good looking EV but, predictably, Kia gave it pop out door handles which may freeze shut during our cold Canadian Winters.
Safety – The 2027 Kia EV5 comes equipped with almost every safety & driver aid that is available on this car as standard. The only exceptions are Highway Driving Assist 2, Blind View Monitor, Surround view monitor, parking collision avoidance assist reverse, parking distance warning, and remote smart parking assist 2. All of these are available on the GT-Line Limited and GT.
Warranty – The 2026 Kia EV4 is covered by a 5 year / 100,000 km comprehensive and powertrain warranty with the EV components being covered by an 8 year / 150,000 km warranty. The battery is covered for 8 years or 160,000 km. For more information on Kia Canada warranty, click here.
Conclusion – So, what’s the verdict on the 2027 Kia EV5? It’s an electric box on wheels that’s actually quite stylish, it has enough range for most families, it’s far from the best driving EV on sale but that’s not the point of it, and it doesn’t require remortgaging your house to buy one. It’s a sensible, stylish, and affordable EV. But it’s not really setting my soul on fire. However, most EVs don’t do that anyways. For what it is, it’s a great family EV.
Thank you to Kia Canada for providing the 2027 EV5. www.Kia.ca
2027 Kia EV5 GT-Line Gallery
