Kia shows their range of small to medium sized electric vehicles – the EV3 Concept, EV4 Concept and EV5.
Kia EV Day took place last week and the South Korean car company took the opportunity to show three new small-to-medium sized electric models – the EV3 Concept, EV4 Concept and EV5. Here’s a summary of what each of these vehicles is.
- EV3 Concept: a compact SUV in the style of the EV9
- EV4 Concept: an electric sedan with a striking design
- EV5: a compact SUV for millennial families
Of the three, only the EV5 is production-ready while the other two are still in concept guise, meaning there may be some changes necessary before they go into production. These smaller electric vehicles are priced between US$30,000 and US$50,000 and are part of Kia’s goal to sell a million electric vehicles a year by 2026 and then ramp that up to 1.6 million a year by 2030. These smaller EVs will be launched strategically in various markets but we can expect these ones to be aimed mostly at Europe.
The Kia EV5 SUV
The EV5 is the third production-ready electric vehicle from Kia that also sits on the E-GMP. It follows up from the EV6 and EV9 and brings a completely re-imagined interior that takes inspiration from a home lounge rather than a traditional car cabin.
Production will be done in China and Korea and there will be three variants – standard, long-range and long-range AWD.
- EV5 Standard : 64kWh battery, single 160kW motor, 530km range
- EV5 Long Range: 88kWh battery, single 160kW motor, 720km range
- EV5 Long Range AWD: 88kWh battery, 160kW front motor, 70kW rear motor, 650km range
The EV5 can charge from 30% to 80% in 27 minutes. It should be note that in Korea, these models have different specifications. A smaller 58kWh battery on the standard model, and a smaller 81kWh battery on the long-range models but an additional 70kW rear motor on the Long Range AWD model. A GT trim level is also being planned with more performance features.
The EV5 inherits the same heat pump system from the EV6 to manage battery temperature. Regenerative braking with the i-Pedal system is also standard. Inside, there’s a dual 12.3″ display system running the new Unified Graphical User Interface along with a 5″ digital climate control display and an optional heads-up display. Physical buttons are kept to a minimum with just 4 hidden hard keys for HVAC control instead of 17 on the previous system.
Updates to the EV5 are done over-the-air and there are additional features that can be purchased on the Kia Connect Store. The EV5 comes with 7 airbags, full ADAS, Highway Driving Assist 2 and Remote Smart Parking Assist 2. Being an E-GMP vehicle, it supports V2L and V2G functions.
Multiple seating configurations are available on the EV5. Eco-friendly materials are used in the upholstery. In the Chinese market, a bench-type seat is available in front. There arereclining seats, relaxation seats, comfort seats and safety seats available. The rear seats can also be configured with a full-flat folding second row camping seat.
The Kia Concept EV3
The Kia Concept EV3 shrinks down the EV9’s shape into a compact form and adds a wrap-around windscreen and disconnected C-pillar.
Inside, you get soft mood lighting, an ultra-clean shaped dashboard, an advanced ergonomic seat design and environmentally-friendly materials, mini tables, a folding bench-type rear seat and more.
The Kia Concept EV4
This would be Kia’s first electric sedan but it’s shape is still pretty innovative with confident geometric character line sand rich technical surfaces.
It still has the Kia EV family look but definitely stands out due to its proportions.
Inside, there are a few interesting decisions. The air conditioning control panel is stored in the center console when not in use. The air vents have a unique applied pin-style to them.
