The 2027 Kia EV5 has broken cover in Australian Design Rule (ADR) certification documents, with subtle styling upgrades to be among a series of upgrades for the mid-size electric SUV.
Kia Australia has previously confirmed the facelifted EV5 will arrive locally in mid-2027.
The documents list carryover 64.2kWh and 88.1kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, but a power increase of 15kW for single-motor front-wheel drive variants (to 175kW) and 19kW for dual-motor all-wheel drive variants (to 249kW).
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Torque figures aren’t listed, but the current Australian-market EV5 uses a 160kW/310Nm front motor, joined by a 70kW/170Nm rear motor in all-wheel drive variants, which have a total system output of 230kW and 480Nm.
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There continues to be a choice of 18-, 19- or 20-inch alloy wheels depending on the variant, while tare weight is up by between 21kg and 52kg and braked towing capacity for the base Standard Range variant has been increased from 300kg to 750kg; it remains 1250kg for all other variants.
It’s unclear if range figures will change with the update. The current EV5 has a claimed 400km of range with the smaller of its two batteries, and between 470km and 555km with the Long Range battery.
CarExpert understands this facelift will also bring retuned suspension, with Kia Australia once again taking on the task of tuning the EV5’s ride and handling for Australian conditions.
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As before, the EV5 Air and Earth differ from the flagship GT-Line with their front and rear bumper treatments. The former still have chunky silver-coloured plastic elements, albeit no longer with slatted elements; the front air dam now features a diagonal pattern to its insert.
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In contrast, the GT-Line has moved away from a diagonal patterned insert, though it still differs from its lesser siblings with chunky body-coloured trim elements in its front and rear bumpers.
Overall, the updates bring the EV5 more in line with the new Seltos small SUV and the recently updated Stonic light SUV, though the changes are subtle and don’t appear to extend to the headlights or tail-lights, or other areas commonly tweaked with a mid-life update.
The updated GT-Line draws some influence from last year’s EV5 WKNDR concept, which features similarly chunky, angular design elements to its bumpers.
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While ADR documents don’t show the interior, the updated EV5’s cabin is also expected to draw from that of the EV5 WKNDR concept, which featured a 27-inch screen incorporating the infotainment touchscreen and a passenger display, plus a slim 10-inch digital instrument cluster. This setup is also employed in the Chinese-built version of the new second-generation Seltos.
The current EV5 features a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, bookending a small 5.0-inch climate display. Called the Integrated Panoramic Display, this setup can be found in a raft of Kia models including the new Korean-built Seltos.
The 2027 EV5 update takes Kia in a different direction, likely to appeal to Chinese buyers’ tastes. A conjoined infotainment and passenger display can already be found in the cabin of the related Hyundai Elexio electric SUV, which like the Australian-market EV5 is also built in China.
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It’s unclear if this technology update will also be applied to the Korean-built EV5 sold in markets such as Korea and Europe.
The EV5 is currently Kia Australia’s only Chinese-sourced model, with the rest of its lineup coming out of Korea.
To the end of September, Kia has delivered 4722 EV5s so far this year, up 21 per cent on the same period last year. While that puts it comfortably ahead of the Elexio, it’s less than the class-leading Tesla Model Y (35,930) and BYD Sealion 7 (19,964).
The EV5 arrived in Australia late in 2024 as a more affordable alternative to the sleeker EV6. The lineup opens at $56,770 before on-road costs for the Air Standard Range, which is currently being offered for $49,990 drive-away. The smaller EV3 opens at $47,600 plus on-roads (currently $46,990 drive-away), while the larger EV6 opens at $72,660 plus ORCs.
