Meet the 2024 Kia EV5 - is this the game-changing mid-size electric SUV you've been waiting for? And how does it stack up against the Tesla Model Y, Toyota bZ4X and more

Kia has shared details of its key EV5 mid-size SUV at its global reveal event in Seoul.

The EV5 is more a traditional mid-size SUV in terms of its dimensions compared to the EV6, being similar in shape and size to the Sportage but wearing the futuristic styling of its larger EV9 sibling.

Kia executives also confirmed that the EV5 will be the first Kia model for the Australian market to be sourced from a production facility in China, following in the footsteps of Volvo and BMW before it.

It is also the first Kia built on the e-GMP platform to be primarily front-wheel drive. In confirmed specifications for the Chinese-built vehicles, the base 2WD versions will be powered by a 160kW/310Nm electric motor, while an all-wheel-drive version outputs 230kW thanks to an additional 70kW motor on the rear axle.

The EV5 is offered with a choice of either a 64kWh battery or an 88kWh battery good for driving ranges starting at 520km, reaching to a whopping 720km for the 2WD long-range option. However, these range figures are calculated to the much more lenient CLTC testing cycle, and will be significantly lower when calculated to the more widely accepted WLTP standard in Australia.

Still, with its large 88kWh capacity, the long-range version looks to have one of the longest cruising ranges in the segment. In terms of rivals, the EV5 will face-off against the Tesla Model Y, Volkswagen ID.4, Toyota bZ4X and Subaru Solterra when it arrives some time in 2024.

Interestingly the battery packs for Australian-sourced cars will use LFP chemistry - the more affordable but less powerful cells which are also used in BYDs and entry-level versions of the Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2, compared to the more widely-used NCM cells which are higher power but more expensive. The EV5 will also be the first car on the e-GMP platform to be 400-volt, as executives say the higher-power 800-volt architecture used in the EV6 and EV9 was not required.

Charging was said to have a peak speed “over 120kW” (less than half of what is available in the 800v vehicles) with the long-range battery pack charging from 30 - 90 per cent in a claimed 27 minutes.

Strictly a five-seater, the EV5’s interior is a bit more open-plan in its concept, which the brand’s designers say is to make it feel more like a lounge room. The theme is guided by the brand’s ‘opposites unite’ principle - in this case the merging of modern architecture and nature.

To that end, the EV5 utilises more environmentally friendly materials in its construction, including seaweed extracts, recycled PET bottles in the construction of the seats, doors, dashboard, and headliner, and it avoids using animal leathers.

Some features - like the large dual screens for the digital instrument cluster and multimedia screen are quite familiar, but there’s an unusual bench design to both the front and rear seats (the front seat sliding bench is said to be a China-market exclusive item), a more subtle tray-style console area, and the same tough-looking new steering wheel as also seen in the EV9. The rear boot area features versatile storage zones as well as a relatively large overall volume.

A new software suite will debut in the EV5, with more advanced features than the existing system that's found in the current range of Kia vehicles. It will also support a new all-encompassing app that will replace the current Kia Connect app, offering deeper functionality. For now it is unclear if this tech will debut alongside the EV5 in the Australian market.

The EV5 will also feature the ability to make the rear seats fold completely flat, and feature a refrigerated compartment. The EV5 is also confirmed to feature both vehicle-to-load (V2L) - the ability to power external devices via its charging port, as well as vehicle-to-grid (V2G) - the ability for the car to feed power into your home or sell energy back to the grid, although Kia executives said the V2G function would only be made available in certain markets for the EV5’s launch.

The EV5 will be followed up by the EV3 small SUV - set to break cover in production form in 2024 - as well as the EV4 which is pitched as a re-interpretation of a sedan, set to break cover in production form in 2025.

These will be followed by the even smaller and more affordable EV2, although this model is yet to be revealed.