Kia EV5 concept shown in China, another chunky CUV going on sale this year
We’re barely a week beyond the debut of the production version of the three-row Kia EV9. An unexpected follow-up just took place in China, where Kia hosted an EV day that debuted the two-row EV5 concept. If you’re a fan of the Ghost in the Shell looks of the EV9, the EV5 will tickle the same aesthetic receptors with a smaller electric baton. Kia’s not given us anything spec-wise to go on other than exterior images and renderings of the interior so we can’t make comparisons to anything on the market or in the pipeline, but if it helps, the EV5 sits on 21-inch wheels. All we have is the brief for Kia’s battery-electric push into China, the brand CEO saying, “Kia will enrich our customers’ lifestyles and enable them to pursue personal adventures by setting fresh standards for dynamic and efficient electric driving.”
We will eventually learn how upright, square styling sets new standards for efficient electric driving. A look at the EV5’s conceptual interior is all the explanation needed for enriching lifestyles. The interior design serves a three-pronged mission statement of “Healing, Caring, and Re-Charging.” For that, both rows of captain’s chairs swivel, making the most of the wide side apertures created by rear suicide doors. The cargo floor can turn into a coffee table that supports an integrated Bluetooth speaker and, for those so inclined, a plant. The speaker and plant pot look like they were designed to be integrated into the interior. Embedded solar panels in the panoramic sunroof ensure all occupants, including the plant, get the right amounts of light, air, and climate control.
Some suspect the EV5 could arrive in the U.S. as an electric equivalent of the Sportage, which is eight inches shorter than the Kia EV6 that the EV5 would slot under. Kia ended its press release about the coming crossover with, “The production model of the EV5 will be released first in the Chinese market later this year. Details regarding any future plans for the other global markets will be made in due course.” So now we wait.
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