Kia Motors New Zealand has confirmed base pricing for the all-new EV5 electric SUV ahead of its official launch in the middle of the year, hinting at where the new model might sit in the Australian market.
The 2025 Kia EV5 will start from NZ$67,990, which at current exchange rates equates to A$62,403. Perhaps more interesting is the fact that New Zealand is only getting the long-range battery with over 500km of range.
Kia Australia, meanwhile, has confirmed both standard- and long-range versions of the EV5 will be offered Down Under, indicating the brand’s new Tesla Model Y fighter could dip in under the $60,000 bracket in base specification.
For reference, the base Model Y RWD is NZ$65,900 (A$60,530) with 455km of claimed range, while the Long Range lists for NZ$75,900 (A$69,620).
As a guide, Hyundai Australia charges $4000 for the Kona Electric Extended Range over the Standard Range, and while Kia Australia doesn’t offer the EV6 Standard Range in Australia, in New Zealand it’s NZ$3000 (A$2753) cheaper than the equivalent Long Range version we get as standard locally.
Kia’s local division won’t release full pricing and specification details until closer to launch, but we know the first Chinese-sourced model for the Korean brand will offer Standard and Long Range batteries and be available initially in basic Air and mid-spec Earth trim levels from June.
Further, single-motor (FWD) and dual-motor (AWD) drivetrains will be available depending on variant, though it’s unclear whether both batteries will be offered with both motor setups.
A sportier GT-Line model will be added to the Australian range during the fourth quarter of 2024.
The EV5 rides on Kia’s new dedicated EV platform called N3 eK, which the company describes as a “modularised front and rear chassis”. All batteries in the EV5 will use a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery chemistry, sourced from Chinese giant BYD.
In China, the single-motor variant produces 160kW and is paired with a choice of 64kWh or 88kWh lithium iron phosphate battery packs, offering 530km to 720km of driving range in lenient CLTC lab testing, respectively.
The all-wheel drive EV5 gains a 70kW electric motor on the rear axle, increasing its combined outputs to 230kW. This drivetrain is powered by a 70kWh battery, enabling up to 650km of driving range in the same CLTC tests.
As with other local Kia models, the EV5 will benefit from a suspension tune developed by the brand’s Australian ride and handling team, in a bid to ensure it doesn’t feel out of place on local roads.
Additional Australian-specific calibrations have been made to the EV5’s safety systems to cope with local traffic conditions, lane markings, speed signs and parking spaces, while it has also been tested on EV chargers in Sydney and Canberra – which explains recent photos of a test vehicle in New South Wales.
According to Kia Australia, it aims to import up to 850 EV5s every month – a figure which could put it on track to challenge the BYD Atto 3, which last year averaged 920 sales per month.
If Kia Australia brings in 850 EV5s each month, it could sell 10,200 EV5s annually. For context, it sold just 1000 Niro EVs in 2023.
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