By: Aoun Syed
November 3, 2026
The 2027 Kia EV5 is the electric midsize SUV you didn’t see coming, but we’re glad it exists. Its impressive range, equally impressive suite of technology and extensive utility exceeded expectations during our week with it.
Similar to its larger EV9 sibling, this smaller SUV carries a very boxy shape with a flat roofline that favours function. The large LED headlights and taillights are different enough to keep the EV5 from feeling like a simple copy-and-paste job, while providing smooth, uniform lighting and turn signals that demand attention from other road users. When parked next to a more conventionally sized SUV, it becomes clear that the EV5 sits a bit higher and taller than some pictures suggest.
Unlock the EV5 and the door handles pop out to provide easy access to an interior that feels a little more premium than its price suggests. The two-tone synthetic leather seating provides a good amount of comfort, with adjustable lumbar support you can actually feel, along with heated and ventilated front seats in our GT-Line Limited tester. Rear occupants are also in for a treat, with available tri-zone climate control, heated rear seats and a very spacious back seat. Add the reclining seatbacks and road trips should be comfortable for everyone on board.
Storage is also not an issue with the EV5. Up front, the floating centre console provides a small amount of enclosed storage but compensates with additional space below the cupholders, enough to fit a briefcase or purse. The rear seats fold perfectly flat and lock in place, providing plenty of room for trips to the furniture store. The glovebox offers a decent amount of space even with the vehicle’s instruction manual inside. Unlike some other EVs on the market, the EV5 even provides a useful frunk for storing smaller items such as the charging cable.
Step back into the driver’s seat, press the on/off button on the gear selector and, after a brief light show from the LED strips running along the dashboard, the EV5 is ready to drive. Our tester was equipped with a single-motor front-wheel-drive powertrain that still delivers considerably more than enough power, even when you need to get up to highway speeds quickly. Accelerator response is immediate without feeling unnecessarily aggressive.
The available i-Pedal mode allows for adjustable regenerative braking all the way up to full one-pedal driving, although during our test we found that some brake pressure was still required to nudge the EV5 to a complete stop. There is also the option to put the regenerative braking into Auto mode, allowing the system to automatically adjust regeneration when it detects a stopped vehicle ahead or changing road conditions. During our test, however, we found it would occasionally apply an aggressive amount of regeneration prematurely, even when the stopped vehicle ahead was still a considerable distance away.
Road manners are another area where the EV5 exceeded expectations. The suspension provides a well-damped ride with some body roll, but not enough to make on-ramps feel like a roller coaster. The steering feels about as heavy as you would expect from an SUV of this size without becoming overly cumbersome. The brakes are quick to respond, with a strong initial bite followed by plenty of additional stopping power as you press further into the pedal.
Despite its size, the EV5 also displayed an impressive 511 kilometres of estimated range during our week-long test. That meant we were able to keep charging stops to a minimum despite making little effort to maximize efficiency through regenerative braking or other EV range-extending techniques.
The native NACS charging port is also a welcome addition, and at compatible Superchargers we saw charging speeds of around 120 kW. Charging with the included Level 1 charger provided a useful boost as well, taking the battery from 68 per cent to full in about 12 hours. It is important to make sure the charger’s amperage is set appropriately to get the best possible charging speed from the outlet being used.
The EV5’s driver-assistance features are equally impressive. Highway Driving Assist 2 can manage steering, acceleration and braking on the highway, accompanied by a neat visual on the gauge cluster and head-up display showing surrounding vehicles and lane markings detected by the system. It can also assist with lane changes after a light tap of the turn signal stalk, although the way it performs the manoeuvre can feel a little overeager, as if it is in a rush to get into the next lane.
Remote Smart Parking Assist 2 allows the EV5 to manoeuvre itself into tight parking spaces while the driver stands outside the vehicle, as long as you remain within the system’s acceptable operating range.
The technology doesn’t stop there. The 360-degree camera provides a seemingly endless selection of viewing angles, while the parking sensor distance indicators move dynamically in real time to point out even minute changes in distance. It makes placing the EV5 in tight spaces much easier than its boxy dimensions might initially suggest.
The Harman Kardon audio system provides clear sound throughout the cabin, although we noticed some distortion at higher volumes. Thankfully, much of it could be tuned out with some adjustments to the audio settings.
Pricing for the 2027 Kia EV5 starts at $43,495 before freight and fees for the entry-level Light FWD. Our GT-Line Limited FWD tester carries a $58,995 MSRP and came to $61,495 before taxes with freight, its premium paint charge and A/C tax included.
The 2027 Kia EV5 provides the kind of refined EV experience many competitors aspire to deliver but do not always achieve. Its extensive usable range, abundance of technology, practical interior and impressive passenger comfort make it an excellent choice for buyers looking for an electric SUV without many of the compromises they may expect.
More importantly, the EV5 is one of the closest examples yet of an electric SUV that simply feels like a conventional midsize SUV, only one that happens to run on electricity.
