The interior has been designed around the idea that “millennial households now regard the interior of their EV SUV not just as a place to sit safely and comfortably when travelling from A to B, but as an additional ‘room’ to live life in”.
The dashboard, steering wheel and infotainment suite look to be largely carried over from the EV9, with a wraparound digital panel housing the driver display and central touchscreen, and a raft of physical buttons and switches retained for core functions. As with other new Kia models, the EV5 will be kept fresh after launch through over-the-air system updates, and owners will be able to activate features on demand, as required.
It is said to be much roomier than a traditional car cabin, but Kia has yet to reveal exact dimensions. For now, it highlights stand-out features like the 64-colour ambient lighting with dimming function, easy-access infotainment and climate controls and the broad array of upholstery colours, patterns and materials.
The swivelling seats from the concept are gone, as are the reverse-opening rear doors – but notably the EV5 does have a bench-style front seat arrangement, with the passenger’s seat base extending out over the centre console in place of a traditional armrest – though there is no third seatbelt up front.
The rear seats, meanwhile, fold completely flat to give a cavernous loadbay, complete with hidden under-seat storage cubbies.
Kia has offered no technical details of the EV5 yet, but widely reported specifications uncovered by Chinese media reveal that it will launch with a rear-mounted single motor producing 215bhp and 229lb ft. No details of its battery capacity have yet surfaced, but reports suggest it will use a 400V wiring architecture instead of the EV9’s 800V system, in a bid to keep its entry price down.
The brand has promised every entrant into the ‘EV’ family of electric cars will ultimately be offered with a hot GT range-topper, which means a suitably potent, 4WD version of the EV5 is on the cards for a debut soon after the standard car.
With a UK launch anticipated to be at least a year away, it is early to speculate on pricing, but landing at around the £50,000 mark would line it up neatly against its direct rivals.
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