Kia EV5 2026 Review

Exterior Design

Kia's range of EVs looks decidedly futuristic from the outside – and the EV5 is no exception.

It has razor-thin LED lights that droop down at the sides, cutting into the otherwise blank bodywork, while the lower grille is cut from a rectangle beneath.

Curves are in short supply, with the EV5 featuring a very boxy, straightened appearance that extends down the sides, a large indentation in the lower part of the doors, and thick cladding that enhances its SUV credentials above the wheels.

It's a similar story at the back, too, with plenty of blank space. At the same time, a thin light bar extends across the width of the tailgate, thinning out further in the middle to accommodate the KIA badge beneath it.

We'd be hard-pressed to call it pretty – it mimics the flagship large SUV, the EV9, but it looks suited to a futuristic world and fits in with all-electric competitors nicely.

Interior Comfort

If you like smart interiors, then you’ll be pleased when you step inside the EV5.

It has an attractive layout, with a distinctly decluttered cabin, and everything feels solidly screwed together, with no cheap materials.

There’s plenty of plush, soft-to-the-touch surfaces, especially in the top two trims, which swap out the cloth upholstery for a nicer two-tone artificial leather. Even those opting for the entry-level ‘Air’ model won’t feel short-changed.

Visibility is good out of the front, helped by a reasonably high driving position, though the triangular shape of the rearmost side windows and a much thicker rear windscreen pillar limit your over-the-shoulder view.

The latter is helped by the inclusion of parking sensors and a rear-view camera, both of which are standard across the range, as are the front sensors.

Our GT-Line S test car also gets sensors at the sides and upgrades the camera to 360 degrees – these features mean you can manoeuvre the EV5 in and out of parking spaces from the key fob, even if you’re not sat in the car.

There’s plenty of room inside the cabin, too, and the rear legroom is a real highlight, while there’s lots of under-thigh support because the floor isn’t as raised as it is in some electric cars.

One slight nitpick is that the steering wheel adjustment isn't as generous as we expected, but it shouldn't be a deal-breaker.

There are also plenty of storage spaces inside the cabin, especially around the centre console and the front armrest.

Storage and Load Carrying

Boot space measures 566 litres, which isn't bad but not class-leading, while 1,650 litres is available when the rear seats are dropped in a 60:40 split.

The boot floor is adjustable, and there's a 44-litre ‘frunk' under the bonnet.

One feature that really makes the EV5’s cabin look appealing is the 12.3-inch infotainment screen, which sits alongside the identically sized digital driver display in one unit, as if they are a single ultrawide screen.

It looks even wider as they sit either side of a 5.3-inch touchscreen that controls the air conditioning system – and, while still not as convenient as physical buttons, it’s at least preferable to digging your way through lots of sub-menus to turn it on.

Mind you, the climate control screen is obstructed by the steering wheel, which makes it a little tricky to see when on the move, though adjusting the temperature is done by pressing switches beneath the screen.

The infotainment system offers sharp, attractive graphics on a modern interface, and the screen responds to swipes and taps.

It also offers an intuitive, largely uncomplicated menu layout that doesn't take long to get used to.

Likewise, the digital driver display is easy to use, informative, and offers plenty of clarity, as well as various visual themes that can be customised.

Performance and Driving

With only one powertrain to pick from in the EV5, you’ll get no power advantage choosing our GT-Line S model over the two lower trim levels.

More powerful variants will join the range during 2026, notably a dual-motor all-wheel-drive version with around 265PS and a more performance-focused GT model with over 300PS.

For now, though, there’s only one, so 0-62mph takes 8.4 seconds, but this still gives the EV5 satisfactory performance that's more than adequate.

The handling is similar – sufficient, but that’s about it.

There's plenty of grip around bends, but while body lean in the corners is well controlled, given its 2.1-tonne kerb weight, there’s nothing about the driving experience that offers any entertainment.

It feels assured to drive, but unexciting – though, in fairness, that's by design, given that Kia offers the sportier, handling-focused EV6 as an alternative.

Ride comfort is decent, though some foes can do better, and the EV5 can sometimes feel unsettled over poorer and rougher road surfaces.

At speed on a smooth road, it feels well planted, but it doesn’t take much to disturb its consistency.

Nevertheless, the EV5 is easy, predictable and fairly relaxing to drive, with light steering making easy work of turning around tighter bends in town centres despite its large-ish size. At the same time, it's even easier to drive on motorways.

Highway Driving Assist is included on all models, utilising radar-guided cruise control to maintain the gap to the car in front, keeping you in your lane and then changing lanes automatically (when safe to do so) when you use the indicators.

This makes it serene to drive on a steady cruise, and it feels relatively hushed at higher speeds.

Speaking of which, road and wind noise are well contained.

The regenerative braking in the EV5 is excellent, offering smooth, predictable braking at each level and adjustable via the paddle shifters behind the steering wheel – it’s arguably a class-leading system that outshines rivals for refinement.

Multiple driving modes can be toggled, and while Sport mode certainly adds a degree of engagement and sharpens the responsiveness of your foot on the accelerator pedal, it isn’t transformative, and this mode limits range.

More eco-friendly modes help provide a better balance between performance and efficiency.

Anyone who has driven a Sportage – Kia's petrol-powered equivalent – will likely find making the switch to an EV5 still brings plenty of familiarity, despite the lack of an engine note.

Range and Charging

The EV5 has a claimed range of 329 miles, though expect less than that in the real world, where ambient temperature and driving style are just two factors that can significantly impact how far you can go between charges.

And, while 329 miles is competitive, it’s still not quite as far as some of its main rivals.

A battery capacity of 81.4kWh (78kWh usable) is also competitive for long-range versions of family SUVs.

Charging can be performed at a maximum rate of 130kW (DC), taking half an hour to top up to 10-80%. The EV5 uses 400V technology, whereas its performance-focused sibling, the EV6, uses 800V tech, so it can charge quicker.

An 11kW home charger will take 7.25 hours to replenish the battery from 10% to 100%.

Running Costs

Kia’s EV5 will be cheap to run, especially if you can charge up at home and avoid public charging points, which are much more expensive.

Since April 2025, electric cars have been required to pay to use the UK's roads, so you'll pay £195 a year (subject to annual increases), though the first year will only cost you £10.

Kia also has an excellent reputation for reliability, one it has maintained for many years.

That gives the South Korean brand the confidence to offer its still industry-leading seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty cover, with the battery covered for eight years.

Technically, some manufacturers offer longer cover, including Toyota and Lexus, which provide a decade-long warranty, but those require you to have your vehicle serviced at a main dealer.

Safety

The EV5 earned a full five-star rating when tested by Euro NCAP in 2025, scoring 83% for adults, 85% for children and 80% for safety assists.

That'll be a relief for Kia, given that its smaller siblings, the EV3 and EV4, both earned a four-star rating as standard (though an optional safety pack was enough to achieve five stars in both cases).

On the EV5, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot collision-avoidance assist, lane-follow assist, and highway driving assist are among the safety technologies offered on all models as standard.

Our top-spec test car, the GT-Line S, adds parking collision avoidance assist.