Meet the electric Kia Sportage: new EV5 revealed
It swaps the Chinese model's lithium-iron-phosphate pack for the 81.4kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt unit that is also offered in the smaller EV3 and EV4. This is claimed to yield a range of up to 329 miles.
It can be charged at up to 120kW on a DC connection, which enables a 10-80% refill in half an hour.
The battery also has vehicle-to-load and vehicle-to-grid capabilities, allowing it to power external devices or the wider electrical grid.
The European EV5 will be offered with only one powertrain at launch: a single front-mounted motor with outputs of 215bhp and 218lb ft. This allows it to cover 0-62mph in 8.4sec.
The 302bhp four-wheel-drive set-up available in China will not be offered at launch.
It is possible that Kia will also offer a GT version with more power, a firmer suspension set-up and simulated gearchanges in due course. The EV6 and EV9 have already received this treatment and the EV4 is likely to be next in line.
Inside, it gets 12.3in displays for instruments and infotainment, as well as a 5.3in climate control touch panel. The bench-style front seats in the Chinese EV5 are swapped for a more conventional two-seat arrangement with a larger centre console.
European-market EV5s will be built in Korea, rather than China, sidestepping the European Union's tariffs on Chinese-built EVs.
The first EV5s will arrive in the UK this winter. Prices have yet to be confirmed but the EV4 Long Range starts from £37,695 and the EV6 Long Range is priced from £45,585, which suggests it could start just below the £40,000 mark. That would position it as a rival for the likes of the Audi Q4 E-tron, Nissan Ariya and Hyundai Ioniq 5.
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