Kia will probably not bring EV5 to the USA
Kia presented the EV5 in the summer of 2023 and initially launched it on the market in China. The design of the electric SUV is based on the large EV9. Like the latter, the EV5 is also based on the E-GMP electric platform, but ‘only’ on the 400-volt version. In Europe, this drive is known from the smaller EV3; a European launch of the EV5 is not yet known.
Unfortunately, the EV5 does not appear to be coming onto the market in the USA either. Kia Canada has now announced the launch of the EV5 – “exclusively for the Canadian market in North America.” The EV5 is planned to be presented at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto from 14 to 23 February 2025, but the first deliveries are probably not planned until 2026 – and only north of the US-Canadian border.
Kia America has not yet issued a statement on the subject. However, it can be assumed that the official press release from Kia Canada is correct and has been coordinated with the company headquarters in South Korea. The reasons why the EV5 will not be offered in the USA are therefore not yet known but may have something to do with the tariffs the US government is considering implementing on trade with Canada.
So far, there is information on the technology: the South Korean version of the EV5 is offered in Canada, while the version built in China has slightly different technical data. This means that there are two battery sizes with 60.3 kWh in the standard version and 81.4 kWh in the long-range version. Front-wheel and all-wheel drive are planned. The EV5 for Canada will be equipped with the NACS as a charging port; as with the EV3, this is located on the passenger side between the front door and front wheel.
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