New Zealand’s one of the first countries outside of China to get their hands on this stylish SUV, and the pricing has just dropped. Let’s take a look at what you get for your money.
Long Range, Plenty of Power
It seems like Kiwis are only getting the long-range versions of the EV5. That means an 88.1 kWh battery pack promising a healthy 540 km (roughly 335 miles) on the WLTP cycle. Fast charging is part of the package too, with a 141 kW DC charging rate on offer.
At the entry-level, there’s the ‘Light’, starting at NZ$67,990 (£32,575) and boasting a front-wheel drive setup with a 160 kW motor. Smart cruise control, Kia’s advanced driver assistance tech, and parking sensors are all standard. If you fancy more bells and whistles, the ‘Light+’, priced at NZ$70,450 (£33,754), brings in a 360° camera, blind-spot monitoring, and even remote parking assistance.
Earth Trims and the Sporty GT
Moving up the range, we find the ‘Earth’ trims in both FWD (NZ$75,450)(£36,150) and AWD (NZ$80,450)(£38,545) configurations. The AWD, naturally, gets a second motor boosting output to 230 kW. You also score heated front seats, a heads-up display and Kia’s Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) tech, letting you power external devices from the car’s battery.
Finally, there’s the range-topping EV5 GT. This bad boy, priced at NZ$85,450 (£40,941), is expected to offer a stonking 313 hp and a 0-60 mph time of around 6.5 seconds.
What About the Rest of Us?
While this pricing is specifically for New Zealand, it gives us a good indication of what to expect in markets like Australia, Canada, US, Europe and Mexico. Keep your eyes peeled for official announcements in your region – the EV5 is sure to shake things up in the electric SUV space.
