Louth Motors: Kia EV5 is a masterclass in comfort, but a gamble on cost?

Who was the second best-selling electric car maker in Ireland last year? Well I guess from the headline you’ve figured it out and it was Kia. They have two cars in the top 10 best sellers with the EV3 & EV6 with the EV6 still selling strongly based on a superb reputation and its still super modern and futuristic looks.

The EV3 was their best seller finishing third in the rundown and you certainly see quite a lot of them out and about. Significantly, all-electric cars were the biggest sellers when it comes to power sources and that was 28.8%. When other forms of electric power are considered that takes their total to 64.4%. Which means 35.6% of their cars sold were either petrol or diesel. The Sportage accounts for 42% of these ICE sales with diesel models (there is no petrol-only model) again accounting for 42%.

What has all this to do with the new EV5? Well the Sportage is such a talismanic vehicle for Kia that its replacement has to be got right. Kia is not calling the EV5 its replacement but from a size and shape perspective, it is. It is longer, wider and taller than the Sportage but not by anything significant and is on par bootwise with a boot that's 566litres. You also get a frunk up front for cable storage that keeps the boot free for what it was intended.

They both have the “Opposites United” design language and if you filled in the grille on the Sportage they’d look quite similar at the front at least. From the back the EV5 creates its distinctiveness while at the same time identifying itself as a Kia with trademark rear light clusters. I drove the top spec GT Line model (€54,000) which was a black model with black privacy glass that had a real gangster/stealthy vibe about it.

Despite the fact I could never buy one in that shade due to an aversion to dirt and ding spotting, it really looked cool. My passengers also remarked this, impressed as they were by its agreeable looks. The EV5 has a claimed range of 540km which is also a key factor in retaining Sportage buyers if they are to migrate to all-electric.

The inside is also cool and modern. The materials have a good quality feel about them and the seats felt sumptuous too regardless of being in the front or the back. And when seated you can only be impressed by the amount of head, shoulder and legroom available.

There's digital dash and infotainment screens of course laden with menus and controls but for the main stuff there are a few welcome switches and buttons for ventilation and sound. On the doors of my models there's buttons for seat heat and cooling as well as the heated steering wheel. If you buy an EV5 there is a period of time where you’ll have to find where everything is and set your favourite buttons.

But you may simply end up as I did talking to the car to make adjustments. It’s a lot easier than menu hunting & examination and more importantly a lot, lot safer.

The driving experience in the EV5 is very pleasant for the passengers. They want comfort, stability and quietness and they won't be disappointed. I constantly marvel at how the bigger cars manage to move their bulk across tarmac a lot quieter than smaller cars.

The EV5 is up there with the best in terms of quietness and conversations between passengers and driver can be conducted library-like. For the driver, the car’s steering feels very light but at the same time predictable and will only be found wanting at limits beyond what most people are prepared to try every day driving the car. In other words, it's memorable for being forgetful.

Body roll, the enemy of an SUV is minimal and a big nod to the engineers there. I was dismayed that, for the money, it does not include the dash feature of cameras showing you what's to your right or left behind you when changing lanes. It’s in the new PV5 which was released later than the EV5 and is an economy that should have been avoided for a car at this price point.
Which neatly brings me to the issue I have with the EV5. Price.

I think it is overpriced when compared to the logical competitor the Tesla Model Y. The entry Model Y at €41,832 is significantly cheaper than the entry EV5 at €47,625 and the GT-Line costs the same as the Performance version of the Model Y - just check those stealthy delivery charges that are quite steep with Tesla. So price creep has been a significant leap if the EV5 is intended to replace the Sportage because it takes them deep into Model Y territory.

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Buyers do a lot of homework these days and it will become apparent that they could drive a Tesla for the price of the Kia EV5. Some will avoid the Tesla brand for non-motoring reasons whereas others will spot they can get an iPhone for Android money. All that said, the huge increase in Kia’s sales proves their popularity.

That will be attractive to buyers as will their legendary 7-year warranty and if you are an existing Kia owner it’ll be easy to stay with the brand when you bring in your old Sportage. With the EV5 Kia has a class car that I predict will collect a lot of awards and accolades.