Kia’s EV5 has officially landed on home turf, at nearly double its Chinese price, but re-engineered from the ground up with expanded cabin space and enhanced safety features to meet the needs of Korean families.
Initially released in China in 2023, the model arrives in Korea as a “fundamentally different vehicle,” in Kia’s own words. A launch in Canada is expected sometime in 2026 with similar specs to Korea's, while no U.S. release is currently planned.
Measuring 4,610 millimeters (181.5 inches) in length, 1,875 millimeters in width and 1,675 millimeters in height, the electric SUV offers 1,041 millimeters of second-row legroom, delivering a spacious and comfortable rear cabin that Kia promotes as ideal for "family use."
Customers can also opt for a Disney-themed display, developed in collaboration with The Walt Disney Company, to appeal to families with children. Navigation screens and interface elements feature characters from “Mickey & Friends,” including Mickey and Minnie Mouse, while Disney animations also appear during vehicle startup and shutdown sequences, adding a touch of whimsical delight.
Notably, the second-row seats can fold flat, allowing users to extend the space seamlessly into the rear luggage area, ideal for both everyday use and outdoor activities.
Kia has also equipped the EV5’s second row with a sliding tray-style expandable center console, along with a sliding-cover armrest that doubles as a cup holder, enhancing practicality and comfort for rear passengers.
“It’s essentially a completely different vehicle from the EV5 that was launched in China in 2023,” said Sohn Yong-joon, head of Kia’s domestic product planning team, during a media event in southern Seoul on Tuesday. “We redeveloped the driving performance, crash safety and design entirely to meet the needs of the Korean market.”
The Korean-spec EV5 is equipped with an 81.4-kilowatt-hour nickel, cobalt and manganese battery developed by CATL, allowing for 460 kilometers (286 miles) on a single charge. The Chinese model was equipped with a lithium, iron and phosphate battery.
More critically, the Korean EV5 introduced an acceleration suppression assist system for the first time in any Hyundai and Kia car, which is designed to prevent unintended rapid acceleration during low-speed driving. When the vehicle is moving below 80 kilometers per hour and the driver presses the accelerator deeply and for an extended period, the system first issues a warning via a pop-up message, followed by a secondary audible alert before actively limiting further acceleration.
The EV5 is also installed with the Pedal Misapplication Prevention system, which alerts the driver with a warning sound and applies braking control when a driver mistakenly presses the accelerator instead of the brake if a vehicle or wall is detected within 1.5 meters (5 feet) in front or behind.
“These features were developed specifically to address a common type of accident frequently seen in Korea,” said Kim Jin-wook, senior research engineer at Kia, referring to claims of sudden unintended acceleration.
The sticker price starts at 48.55 million won ($35,000) in Korea. Applying government subsidies, the price is expected to drop to the low-40 million won range.
Still, the model remains significantly pricier than the Chinese version, which starts at 149,800 yuan ($21,000).
Orders begin Thursday, with deliveries scheduled to start within the fourth quarter. The vehicle will be manufactured at Kia’s plant in Gwangju, with a portion of the production volume destined for export to Europe and Canada.