Kia EV5 Concept Revealed as the EV9's Compact-SUV Sibling

Kia has revealed the EV5 concept, which previews a future electric compact SUV.The EV5 has similar styling as the EV9, which is a three-row EV SUV slated to go on sale soon.Kia says that the production EV5 will go on sale in China initially, but we expect it to come to the U.S. too.

If you like the look of the new Kia EV9 three-row electric SUV, you’ll be equally dazzled by its new little sibling, the EV5. Revealed in concept form, this smaller EV crossover shares its blocky, modern styling with the EV9 and previews a production model that will go on sale in China later this year. Kia hasn’t yet announced plans for the U.S., but we expect the EV5 to reach our market at some point in the near future.

In these images, the EV5 doesn’t look all that much smaller than the EV9, and Kia has yet to reveal dimensions for this model. Its wheelbase does look shorter and it has two rows of seats compared with the EV9’s three-row layout. Nomenclature-wise, the EV5 name also suggests that it will slot in below the EV6, which is a mid-size crossover with a more low-slung profile, in terms of size and price.

Specifications aren’t out yet, but we’re assuming that the EV5 rides on the same E-GMP platform as Kia’s other new EV models. This should enable fast charging thanks to its 800-volt electrical architecture, and multiple battery-pack options and single- and dual-motor configurations may be offered.

The EV5 concept’s futuristic interior will likely be toned down for production, as it features wide-opening rear-hinged rear doors, a highly minimalistic dashboard layout, and wild-looking front and rear seats. The cargo area features a useful-looking platform that can serve as a table for tailgating, and the seats also swivel in a multitude of ways. This may be more than a flight of fancy, however, as the production EV9 does have swiveling rear seat and something of the sort could make its way into the final version of the EV5 as well.

We should learn more about the EV5 in the coming months as Kia prepares the production model for the Chinese market. Kia’s announcement says that details for other global markets will come “in due course” so a U.S. announcement may be on the horizon as well.

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Senior Editor

Despite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City.