Owner Verdict · Mid-size electric SUV

Kia EV5

Name: Kia EV5 Owner Verdict
Item: Kia EV5
Rating: 6.6

One reviewer drives a car for a week. We read what owners and long-term testers say after living with it, in Australia.

6.6/10

Owner Verdict score

Practical family box with a great warranty. Clumsy to drive.

Editorial score from 6 owner and expert sources (how we score). Not a statistical average. October 2026. Provisional: few long-term owner reports yet. Kia has confirmed a facelift with suspension and steering fixes.

Score breakdown

Practicality8.5

513 L boot, flat rear floor, frunk and V2L

Warranty & dealers8.5

7 years unlimited km, capped servicing, big dealer network

Safety & driver assist8.0

5-star ANCAP; accurate adaptive cruise; some alarms irritating

Comfort6.5

Good rear room; seats lack support; road and wind noise

Real-world range6.5

About 440 km for the Earth AWD against 500 km claimed

Charging5.5

10–80% took 38 minutes, about half the EV6's speed

Ride & handling4.5

Lumpy ride, heavy steering, loose body control

Equipment for the price5.5

No wireless charging or auto rear windows on Earth

What owners love

Family spaceBig boot, frunk and a usable middle rear seat.

Smart Cruise ControlAn owner calls it one of the best features.

Warranty and networkSeven years unlimited km and plenty of dealers.

Physical buttonsOne-pedal switch and climate controls you can feel.

V2LUp to 3.6 kW for appliances and camping.

What owners complain about

Ride and handling"Lumpy" and "pattery"; Kia executives admit it's not up to scratch.

Charging speedSlow by Hyundai-Kia standards.

NoiseWind and road noise, especially from the back seat.

Value gapsMissing features at the price; paint finish not up to usual Kia standard.

No spare wheelOnly a repair kit.

Real range vs the brochure

Earth Long Range AWD (88.1 kWh). Claimed WLTP range is 500 km.

Claimed (WLTP)

500 km

100%

RACV mixed test, 17.7 kWh/100 km

475 km

95%

Chasing Cars test, ~20 kWh/100 km

440 km

88%

Highway 100 km/h, A/C on (est.)

400 km

80%

RACV figure is 1300EV's calculation on ~84 kWh usable. Highway row uses EV.care's reported 18–25% shortfall (20%). An Air Standard Range owner gets 350–380 km against about 400 km claimed.

Known issues & fixes

Loose, lumpy ride and heavy steeringMedium

All current cars

Facelift with re-tuned suspension and steering confirmed.

Intrusive lane-keep and speed alertsLow

Common

Can be switched off without losing the core safety systems.

Touchscreen lag in early monthsFixed

Early cars

OTA update, per EV.care.

Highway range shortfallMedium

Common

Plan highway stops; precondition before fast charging.

Doesn't fully stop in one-pedal modeLow

Design

Use the brake at lights.

Owners in their own lives

Summarised in our words from the reports listed below.

Owner · Air Standard Range

Apartment dweller on public chargers. Gets 350–380 km with A/C on; loves the build, space and smart cruise. "No big complaints."

RACV tester · Sydney to Bowral

17.7 kWh/100 km mixed; praises local ride tuning and safety suite, criticises wind noise and paint finish.

Chasing Cars tester

About 440 km real range; scores it 5/10 and suggests an EV3 or used EV6 instead.

CleanTechnica testers

Felt heavy and slower than expected in Sport mode; too many steering-wheel buttons.

What it costs to drive 100 km

Using the EV5 Air Standard Range's official energy use of 16.1 kWh/100 km and today's Melbourne prices.

Home, standard rateiSource: Essential Services Commission – Victorian Default Offer 2026–27 (flat rates 26–32c/kWh across Melbourne networks) · checked 31 Oct 2026$4.51per 100 km at 28c/kWh

Home, overnight off-peakiSource: Essential Services Commission – Victorian Default Offer 2026–27 time-of-use off-peak (9pm–11am, 21–23c/kWh) · checked 31 Oct 2026$3.54per 100 km at 22c/kWh

Public fast chargeriSource: Canberra Times – cost of fast charging (Chargefox, Evie, NRMA, Tesla, BP Pulse: 59–79c/kWh, July 2026) · checked 31 Oct 2026$12.08per 100 km at 75c/kWh

Compared with petrol, hybrid and diesel

Kia EV5 · home chargingElectric · charged at home

$4.51

Toyota RAV4 Hybrid (2WD)Hybrid SUV · 4.5 L/100 kmiSource: CarsGuide – 2026 RAV4 hybrid official fuel use

$10.71

Mazda CX-5 G25Petrol SUV · 7.4 L/100 kmiSource: Cars24 – 2026 Mazda CX-5 price and specs

$17.60

Toyota HiLux SR5 2.8 dieselDiesel ute · 7.2 L/100 kmiSource: CarExpert – 2026 HiLux SR5 price and specs

$20.15

Your yearly fuel bill

Kilometres a year Your electricity (c/kWh) Petrol price (c/L)

This EV$676

Petrol SUV$2,641

Hybrid SUV$1,606

You save vs petrol$1,964$9,822 over 5 years

Electricity: Victorian Default Offer 2026–27iSource: Essential Services Commission – Victorian Default Offer 2026–27 (flat rates 26–32c/kWh across Melbourne networks) · checked 31 Oct 2026. Public charging: typical network pricesiSource: Canberra Times – cost of fast charging (Chargefox, Evie, NRMA, Tesla, BP Pulse: 59–79c/kWh, July 2026) · checked 31 Oct 2026. Fuel: Melbourne median prices, 29 Oct 2026iSource: FuelCrisis.com.au – Greater Melbourne median unleaded 91, 29 Oct 2026 · checked 31 Oct 2026. Energy and fuel use are official laboratory figures (WLTP for EVs, ADR 81/02 for petrol, hybrid and diesel). Real-world use is usually higher for every car, and EVs also lose a little energy while charging. Solar or an EV electricity plan can cost much less. Checked 31 Oct 2026.

Buy it if…

You need family space and a big boot
Warranty and dealer access matter most
You mostly drive around town and suburbs
You can wait for the facelift or buy at a discount

Think twice if…

You enjoy driving or tackle twisty roads
You road-trip often (slow charging)
You want lots of equipment for the money
A quiet cabin is a priority

Sources (6)

Every claim on this page comes from these reports. AI-assisted research, checked by a human editor. We don't accept payment for verdicts.

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