ELECTRIC KIA EV5

The EV5 Light+ sits near the heart of Kia’s all-electric SUV range. We’ve already driven the excellent EV9 flagship and expect the smaller EV3 to follow soon. Light+ spec is a step up from the EV5 entry point and a full $10k cheaper than the all-wheel-drive Earth model. Highlights of the test car were the matte Iceberg Green paintwork, flush fitting door handles, seats upholstered in a mix of durable cloth and synthetic leather, and over 1700 litres of load space with the rear seats folded flat.

The dashboard design mimics that of the EV9 with a broad and very clear screen display. It’s supplemented by haptic shortcut buttons underneath while Kia’s Connect app enables remote functions including charge scheduling and pre-conditioning. Overall length is a very manageable 4.62m yet legroom for rear seat passengers is outstanding. Up front, driver comfort is helped by a full range of electric seat adjustment, including lumbar support, and a broad central armrest.

On the road, there’s no disguising the two-ton-plus weight but acceleration is typically smooth and brisk, your drive mode is easily changed via a steering wheel button, and you can tweak the regen level using the paddles at either side of the helm. The EV5 looks fine on 18-inch wheels and the tyres have a tallish profile to help preserve good ride quality.

Two things that leave a bit to de desired are steering feel and accuracy (although that’s a common complaint with other cars in this category) and the intrusion of driver assistance systems. We got into the habit of turning off some ADAS functions before each trip and were at times exasperated if we forgot to do so.

During our week, the car’s intriguing design attracted much interest and we greatly enjoyed the overall ease of use, comfort and practicality. Safety features are gold-standard stuff and you enjoy a strong sense of security on the road. Value for money is also an obvious EV5 strongpoint, Light+ specification seems more than adequate, and we suspect a range of 550-odd kilometres will be the clincher for many EV shoppers.