Mercedes-Benz G-Class vs Kia EV5

What's the difference?

As per the 1979 original, the current G-Class is produced by Magna Steyr in Arnie’s home town of Graz in Austria. And many fundamental things haven’t changed since then. But clearly this EV monster’s exotic electric powertrain is a huge departure.

It retains impressive off-road ability and straight-line speed. But will it hit the mark with top-end luxury 4WDers? Short story, this thing is wild, and it will be irresistible for a likely narrow band of tech-focused ‘must have the latest and greatest’ buyers. Nothing like impressing friends and family with a tank turn.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

The size is right, the price is right and the drive is right – three things that make the Kia EV5 a pretty formidable foe, and the kind of vehicle that might finally be able to break through the wall of the temple of Tesla in Australia.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.

Okay, so Mercedes-Benz says, with a straight face, that “with the aim of optimising the vehicle’s aerodynamics” classic G-Class elements have been revised, including the reprofiled bonnet, ‘air curtain’ vents in the flares over the rear wheel arches, A-pillar cladding and the small spoiler on the edge of the roof.

At the same time, the 20-inch wheels are also claimed to be "aerodynamically optimised” and underneath, a 26mm underbody casing made from a mix of materials, including carbon-fibre (attached to the ladder frame with more than 50 steel screws), protects the battery from dust, dirt and rocks.

In ticking off the Edition One, car-spotters should look for black rims with blue brake callipers behind them, blue inserts in the exterior protective strips as well as black door handles and a new rectangular design box on the rear door for storing items such as charging cables, tools or snow chains. If you want a spare wheel, choose the standard model.

An optional black-panel radiator grille ($3800) features tinted lighting units as well as an animated LED light band and chrome surround. The light band can be activated as a running light or an animation when locking and unlocking the vehicle.

And it’s worth noting Mercedes-Benz and the car’s contracted manufacturer, Magna Steyr, have invested much time and many Euros in retaining the car’s classic handle and door lock design. G-Wagen owners will recognise its sound from several kilometres away.

Inside the G580 it’s clear this is one area where the G-Class has progressed enormously over the decades. It’s still quite upright in terms of the dash design, but you’re confronted by twin 12.3-inch screens, supporting the Mercedes-Benz user interface. 

All very high-tech, but that’s balanced by an old-school grab-handle for the front passenger to latch onto during off-road work. 

The signature turbine-style air vents are located within squared-off panels, and in the limited Edition One you have a blue fleck running through carbon-fibre inserts on the centre console, door cards and that front grab handle. In the standard car it’s a (very attractive) walnut open-pore wood rather than carbon.

A luxurious interior for sure.

If you’re familiar with any of Kia’s EV designs, and specifically the EV9, you’ll already know the Kia EV5, which looks a lot like a shrunken version of the company’s biggest electric 4WD.

But this one looks a bit smaller, a bit more familiar looking, and maybe a bit more accessible than the hyper-modern EV9.

Honestly, it looks like a contemporary, mid-size SUV that could be powered by anything.

There are a couple of EV5 design elements I really like. The first is the combination of hard edges and subtle curves, which combine really well. I also love the lighting treatment up front, which gives the EV5 a bold and unique light signature, especially at night.

Inside, it’s another story of familiarity, with a clean, high-tech cabin and Kia’s common twin-screen set-up. Actually, it’s more a triple screen, with two 12.3-inch screens, and a 5.0-inch climate monitor between them.

The materials are all nice, and they look great, but they don’t exactly melt under the touch, and that gives the EV5’s cabin a hard edge I don’t love.

I do, however, love the inclusion of some physical buttons, so you’re not pawing through the screen to access every in-car function.

And one final design quirk. I know it looks like it has an old-school bench front seat, but you can’t use it as a third seat in front. Kia says it’s just a design flourish. But it is also somewhere safe to pop your phone or other small valuables to stop them sliding about when you're on the road.

For the record, the G63 is just over 4.6m long and a little more than 1.9m wide with a 2890mm wheelbase. So, not huge, but its close to 2.0m height is hard to ignore. 

In the front there’s lots of breathing space, and in terms of storage you have generous bins in the doors with plenty of room for big bottles. Then there’s a centre armrest, which doubles as the top of a deep storage box housing a USB-C port inside. 

A sliding roller cover in the centre console reveals two cupholders, another two USB-C sockets, a 12-volt outlet and a wireless charging pad. Add in a big glove box and you’ve got plenty of options in terms of storage, power and connectivity. 

In the back, sitting behind the driver’s seat set for my 183cm position I’ve got tons of foot and legroom and, no surprise, lots of headroom.

There’s a fair bit of sculpting in the rear seat, which is as nice as it is unusual (makers often avoid bolsters on the rear seat as it makes the backrest harder to fold flat). And in terms of three-abreast accommodation, a smaller adult will be okay in the centre spot for shorter journeys. Three up to mid-teenage kids will be swimming in it.

Then, for practicality you again have generous bins in the doors. And if you need even more capacity, fold down the centre armrest which houses two different size cupholders. 

In the rear of the centre console you’ve got two USB-Cs, a 12-volt power outlet, individual climate control and directional vents.

There are map rockets on the front seatbacks and more air vents in the B-pillar. So, when it comes to comfort, powering up devices and storing ‘things’ you’re well taken care of.

The side-opening tailgate door opens from right to left, which isn’t ideal when parallel parked on the left hand side of the road, but boot volume is over 600 litres (VDA) with all seats upright, expanding to nearly 2000 litres with the 60/40 split-folding rear seat lowered.

There are multiple tie-down hooks, a netted pocket, two lights, a 12-volt outlet as well as a ‘ski-port’ door and sliding cargo cover to enhance practicality and security.

As mentioned earlier, the full-size spare in the standard model, but the Design Box replaces it on the Edition One, although Mercedes-Benz says it’s aiming to make a spare available as an option later in the year.

At 4615mm in length, 1875mm in width, 1715mm in height, and with a wheelbase of 2750mm, the Kia EV5 is roughly the same size as a Tesla Model Y, so if you’re ever sat in the back of the Tesla, you’ll have a fair idea of what to expect here.

Sitting behind my own 175cm driving position, I found I had a heap of knee room, more than enough headroom, and I reckon you could fit three adults across the back seat pretty easily, too.

There are a couple of design flourishes I really like, too. The pull-down divider that separates the backseat is home to two cupholders, which isn’t unusual, but what is new to me is the unique positioning of the USB charge ports, which are in the middle-back of the front seats, right above the storage pocket, so you have somewhere to pop your phone and cable when you're charging.

There is also a deep storage draw between the two front seats. It’s just for extra storage in the Air and Earth, but in the GT-Line it’s heated and cooled, which means hot pies or cold drinks when you’re on the move.

The EV5 might be an all-electric vehicle, but it’s still a mid-size SUV, which means there are certain standards it has to hit to be taken seriously, and one of those is boot space.

Up front there’s 67 litres of space in the fruit, or frunk, while the boot holds 513L with the rear seats in place – that number obviously growing as you begin folding them flat.

It is also a hugely customisable space. There’s heaps of under-floor storage below the removable panels. There’s also vehicle-to-load capability, which takes the form of a standard power point in the boot that can use the vehicle’s battery to power pretty much whatever you want.

Finally, there are adjustable luggage hooks, so you can carry bigger or smaller bags as you wish.

The cheapest EV5, the Air, arrives in two guises, Standard Range or Long Range, and the former is something of a bargain.

It’s the only EV5 to get included on-road costs, and Kia is asking $56,770, on the road. That puts it well below the Tesla Model Y. As of right now, the single-motor Tesla is $60,868, on the road, in NSW.

Next is the Air Long Range, which lists at $61,170, before on-road costs. The EV5 Earth occupies the middle rung, at $64,770, before on-roads, while the yet-to-arrive flagship, the GT-Line, is a considerable $71,770, before on-road costs.

Air models get 18-inch alloys, LED lighting all around, roof racks and power mirrors, while inside there are cloth and synthetic leather seats, with a massage function for the driver, along with a synthetic leather steering wheel and LED interior lighting.

Tech is covered by twin 12.3-inch screens, with a smaller 5.0-inch climate screen sandwiched between them, and there’s in-built nav, a six-speaker stereo and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The Earth then adds 19-inch alloys, gloss black exterior design flourishes and privacy glass, while inside, the seats are now entirely synthetic leather. You also get a second V2L connection, as well as a powered tailgate.

Finally, the GT-Line gets pretty much everything Kia could throw at it, including 20-inch alloys, auto-flush door handles, a panoramic sunroof, two-tone seats which are now billed as offering "premium relaxation", wireless phone charging, fingerprint recognition, a heated steering wheel and an augmented-reality head-up display.

The G580 is powered by four permanently excited synchronous motors, each delivering around a CLA200’s worth of power and torque to each wheel for overall outputs in excess of 432kW/1164Nm.

Each motor has its own two-stage transmission and power electronics for almost infinite fine-tuning of the direction and amount of drive sent to individual wheels. Merc calls it ‘individual-wheel drive’.

The entry-level EV5 Air is available in Standard Range or Long Range guises, both powered by a single front-mounted electric motor, producing 160kW and 310Nm. 

The Standard Range will clip 0-100km/h in 8.5 seconds, while the extra weight of the bigger battery slows down the sprint in the Long Range, taking around 8.9 seconds. 

The Earth is a twin-motor AWD offering, with a motor at each axle, lifting outputs to 230kW and 480Nm, dropping the sprint to a brisk-feeling 6.1 seconds. The incoming GT-Line gets the same powertrain.

Housed in a torsion-resistant casing and embedded low down in its ladder-frame chassis, the G580’s 116kWh two-tier, liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery pack delivers a WLTP-rated range of 473km, or 567km on the more lenient NEDC scale.

‘Eco Assistant’ and ‘Range Monitoring’ functions provide continuous information on battery status, energy consumption and estimated range.

Maximum system capacity is 400 volts which enables 200kW DC charging, meaning a 10 to 80 per cent fill in as little as 32 minutes. Maximum AC charging capacity is 11kW.

Claimed energy use is 23.1kWh/100km, and we saw an average of 28.6kWh across urban and highway running on the launch drive program.

Not exactly a ‘green’ EV choice, then, but it’s worth noting a one-year Chargefox subscription is included to off-set the car’s energy appetite.

The Air Standard Range gets a 64.2 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery, weighing in at a hefty 428kg, which delivers a claimed driving range of 400km. The Air Long Range, the Earth and the incoming GT-Line all share the same 88.1kWh battery, upping the range to 555km, 500km and 470km, respectively.

So, if driving range is at the very top of your must-have list, the Air Long Range is the car for you.

All cars can take 7.0kW home AC charging, while the dual-motor versions are set up for 11kW AC charging. Fast charging. When it comes to fast charging, all models can plug into a 350kW charger, taking them from 10 percent to 80 per cent in less than 40minutes.

So, with 432kW and around 1160Nm, even though the G580 weighs in at around three tonnes, you’re talking 0-100 km/h in 4.7 seconds. And this car gets up and goes… like a beast.

What you don’t get is that traditional Merc-AMG G63 V8 rumble, because, of course, no engine. 

But you do get what Mercedes calls ‘G-Roar’, essentially a sound bar at the front of the car also using the audio system inside to give it what is not exactly an engine noise but some sense of the car progressing. And you can turn it off for completely silent running.

‘Electric Dynamic Select’ changes the parameters of the motors, transmission, suspension, ESP and steering as required. On-road that means ‘Comfort’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Individual’ modes, with off-road comprising ‘Trail’ and ‘Rock’. In the Comfort setting drive flows primarily to one axle for optimum energy efficiency.

Suspension is by double wishbones at the front and a De Dion-style live (rigid) axle at the rear. You’ve got the same adaptive-type set-up as per other G-Class models, so ‘Comfort’ and ‘Sport’ modes and of the many traditional G-Class traits this car exhibits, ride quality is one of them.

Even in Comfort you’ll find even little bumps and thumps making their way up into the seat of the pants and the cabin. It is after all a body-on-frame, ladder-chassis type vehicle and that’s not unusual.  

In terms of steering, it’s accurate and road feel is good. You’ve got 275-wide Falken Azenis FK520 tyres that are more on- than off-road focused. The car feels stable and nicely planted on the road.

The physical brakes are by ventilated discs front and rear, and the big rotors are the same size (353mm) all around. They work nicely and feel like a conventional set-up.

Regenerative braking kicks in as soon as you lift off the accelerator pedal. The powertrain is harvesting energy as the car decelerates and there are four levels you can adjust with the steering wheel paddles up to a quite aggressive level - not quite, but close to a single-pedal set-up.

Off-road, the G580’s ‘G-Steering’ system allows the wheels to turn at different speeds to induce slight ‘drift-like’ oversteer and tighten the turning circle. It works beautifully and the car’s fording depth is 850mm, a full 150mm more than internal-combustion G-Class models.

A three-speed off-road crawl function is adjustable to speeds as low as 2.0km/h, and the car is claimed to remain stable on sideways slopes up to 35 degrees. 

Torque vectoring is used to create ‘virtual diff locks’ and there’s a ‘low-range’ setting. Switch to the ‘Offroad Cockpit’ and data including gradient, lateral inclination, compass readings, tyre pressures and the selected G-Mode appear.

A ‘Transparent Bonnet’ function creates a virtual view of what’s approaching and passing under the front wheels to help the driver pick their way through steep ascents or declines.

For the record, the G580’s approach angle is 32 degrees, departure is 30.7, breakover is 20.3 and ground-clearance is 250mm.

And of course, with the wheels independently powered, the G580’s signature move is what Mercedes-Benz calls a ‘G-Turn’ but the rest of the world calls a tank turn.

If you encounter an obstacle that makes forward progress impossible, the system spins the left- and right-hand wheels in opposite directions so this brute can turn on the spot like an M1 Abrams. You can’t help but crack up laughing when executing this extreme party trick!

In terms of miscellaneous observations around ergonomics and the car in general, it has a 13.6-metre conventional turning circle. So if you’re not using the G Turn function in the car park be ready for a sizeable turning arc.

Also, those aero tweaks here and there seem to have had an effect. Wind noise, especially for such an upright, squared-off design is surprisingly modest. And overall, from a build point of view, this car feels as though it’s been carved from a solid piece of metal. In every aspect it presents as a quality item.

First things first – I spend most of my time behind the wheel of the EV5 Earth, which though it shares its dual-motor powertrain with the GT-Line, is actually the fastest of the lot owing to the extra weight of Kia's flagship.

That means zero to 100km/h in just over six seconds, and trust me when I say this, that is more than fast enough. I know you read about EVs knocking off the sprint to 100km/h in supercar-besting times, but you don't need that sort of crazy acceleration in a family-focused mid-size SUV.

Actually, forget needing, you don't want it. The EV5 feels more than punchy enough, without shaving years off your life every time you plant your foot.

Fit for purpose, then, which is exactly how I'd describe the rest of the EV5's very good drive experience. Kia's Australian ride and handling wizards have once again had their way with the EV5, and the result is an EV that handles most everything Australian road surfaces can throw it at it with ease.

Surprisingly, it's maybe not quite as dynamically sharp as the bigger EV9, but it's always comfortable, without feeling floaty or disconnected, and it will happily grip its way around tighter corners without tipping from side to side, either.

There are a couple of small quirks, though. The first is the steering, which is definitely responsive and confidence inspiring, but it also has a kind of artificial weight or heaviness at times that feels a bit disconnected from what's happening beneath the tyres. And the cabin can be a little noisy through wind, too.

But these are small beans, really. The EV5 is comfortable and capable, and without the harsh ride or too-sharp steering that can be found in some of its rivals.

We drove it for hours across all sorts of road surfaces, and in all sorts of conditions, and found very, very little to complain about.

Every EV5 gets a comprehensive safety offering, including 'Advanced AEB' that includes junction crossing, lane oncoming and lane changing alerts. There’s rear-cross-traffic alert, semi-autonomous highway cruising and a whole heap more.

If you want a blind-spot view monitor, surround-view monitor or remote park assist, you’ll need to spring for the GT-Line.

The EV5 hasn’t been crash-tested yet, but Kia will be shooting for the maximum five-star ANCAP rating.

The G580 is covered by Mercedes-Benz Australia’s five-year/unlimited-km warranty, which remains the standard offering in the premium part of the market and an eight-year/160,000km drive battery warranty.

Service intervals are every 12 months or 20,000km with service plan pricing available over three ($2645), four ($3980) and five ($4670) years. In approximate terms, each workshop visit will cost ‘around’ $900. Not exactly cheap, especially for an EV, but this is no ordinary electric vehicle.

The EV5 is covered by Kia’s seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, and you can prepay your servicing costs, too.

Three years will set you back $980, five years is $1535 and the full seven years will set you back $2431 ($347 per workshop visit), which is category competitive.