The Kia EV5 electric SUV’s local launch has been delayed as the Korean brand works to resolve some issues at the 11th hour.
“Due to unexpected wheel and software updates, we are unfortunately delaying the media launch of the EV5,” a Kia Australia spokesperson said in a statement.
“We are working closely with the factory to remedy these challenges to ensure we have sufficient supply and variants across the dealer network for the rescheduled launch, the date for which will be announced as soon as possible.
“Some inconsistencies were noted with wheel weights/balance, which we are working to resolve.”
Kia Australia hasn’t confirmed updated timing, but it’s expected to be a delay of around a month.
The company had previously confirmed a June launch for the Air and Earth variants, with the GT-Line to follow in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Kia had scheduled a media launch event for the the EV5 on June 25-26, which has now been postponed.
Some EV5s are already in Australia for both testing and promotional purposes.
The EV5 will be the first Chinese-sourced vehicle Kia Australia will offer.
The company says there have been plenty of benefits in sourcing the EV5 from China, among them that we’re still set to get the EV5 several months ahead of the UK market. Kia UK is sourcing its EV5s from Korea, and the SUV won’t launch there until 2025.
Kia Australia says it worked closely with the Chinese team to get the vehicle to market promptly and to ensure the vehicle is suitable for our market.
To that end, the EV5 has also received a suspension tune developed for our market.
Kia has previously confirmed it expects to be able to bring in up to 850 EV5s monthly, which could see it sell 10,200 EV5s annually. For context, it sold just 1000 Korean-built electric Niros in 2023.
This could also see the EV5 challenge the hot-selling BYD Atto 3, also built in China, which last year averaged 920 sales per month.
Unlike the larger, E-GMP-based EV6 and EV9, Kia says the EV5 is underpinned by a separate dedicated EV platform called N3 eK.
Though it hasn’t confirmed specifications for the local range, Kia Australia says both standard and long-range batteries will be offered, as well as single-motor front-wheel drive and dual-motor all-wheel drive layouts.
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.
Kia Australia has yet to announce pricing and final specifications for the EV5, though it’s understood to be closely priced with the smaller Niro EV, which is priced from $66,590 before on-road costs.
MORE: Everything Kia EV5
