Kia EV5 Stands Tall While Being Middle of the Road

The mid-sized sport utility vehicle's cabin compares well with models half a size bigger due to its high roof

- Christopher Tan

Chinese cars are bulldozing their way up the sales chart, leaving many an incumbent heaving and wheezing in their wake. From my armchair, it appears the only ones who can stand up to the Sino onslaught in the long run are the South Koreans.

In terms of design, functionality and user experience, electric cars from Hyundai and sister brand Kia are a notch above most European brands. And they are a tad less fastidious than the Chinese, while offering nearly as good value for money.

Their superiority is not reflected in sales numbers, but this has little to do with the products themselves. Take the first Singapore-assembled Kia, the EV5, which was launched in late May but had low media visibility, unlike when Tesla unveiled its Model Y Juniper or BYD its Sealion sport utility vehicle (SUV).

Pity, because the EV5 is a viable contender in the space occupied by the Model Y, Sealion and more. The car measures 4,615mm long, 1,875mm wide and 1,715mm tall with a 2,750mm wheelbase.

The dimensions make the EV5 similar in size to cars such as the Toyota RAV4 and Mercedes-Benz EQB. But in the metal, the Kia looks more imposing, primarily because of its strong, angular front section and high roof. It comes across as a proper SUV.

The same goes for its interior. For a mid-sized SUV, the EV5's cabin compares well with models half a size bigger. Again, its elevated ceiling helps, as does the fact that rear-seat occupants can tuck their feet under the front seats.