After making its first appearance in 2023, the Kia EV5 has finally received its official global launch. It’s slated to enter its home market of South Korea first, and then make its way to Europe in the coming months. Kia also announced that it will go on sale in Canada next year.
That leaves its Philippine debut up in the air, but we remain hopeful. After all, the EV5 did get its homologation papers last year. With the onslaught of affordable electric vehicles coming from China, Kia Philippines could be prompted to bring in its own fighter against the likes of the BYD Atto 3. The rise of Tesla’s popularity here in the Philippines could also motivate the Korean carmaker to lower the entry point to its electric vehicles.
Currently, that entry point stands at P3.788 million for the EV6 GT Line, and the only other fully electric option in Kia’s stable is the P5.938 million EV9.
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But let’s see what Kia’s electric compact crossover has to offer in 2025. Its performance remains unchanged, with a single 160kW motor, powered by an 81.4kWh battery, running the show. Driving range for the launched long-range 2WD variant is listed at 530km, but separate Standard and Long Range AWD versions are in the works.
The exterior is also unchanged, as it still looks similar to its concept design and the production model unveiled in Bangkok last year. Internally, the EV5 comes standard with Kia Sound 2.0, the carmaker’s software that simulates combustion performance. The latest version of Kia’s suite of advanced driver-assistance systems is also onboard, along with the latest highway and parking assist functions.
While this vehicle would make for an interesting addition to the local market, Kia also has the even smaller and more accessible EV3 and EV4 in the pipeline. While we aren’t sure if the EV5 will be officially launched here, there are several more possible vehicles coming in the near future.
