A new choice for a 150,000-class family SUV? Test drive Kia EV5

NetEase Auto reported on December 2 that the family SUV market has always been one of the most competitive segments, especially in the 150,000-level segment. At the Guangzhou Auto Show in November, Kia officially brought the Kia EV5 to the market, and with a price starting at 149,800 yuan, it entered the most competitive market and became a new choice for joint venture pure electric vehicles. As a global car developed, launched and manufactured in China, the EV5 is undoubtedly an important work of Kia's transformation. Can Korean pure electric SUVs occupy a place in the Chinese market?

01The appearance design is elegant and concise, showing a sense of future technology

The Kia EV5 adopts the new design concept of "Opposites United" and is dominated by the core element of "Bold for Nature", which is basically consistent with the design of the concept car.

The front of the vehicle adopts a new digital tiger roar front face, which is a modern interpretation of Kia's iconic tiger roar front face. The partially closed grille is matched with a through-type light strip, which is more modern.

The headlights are very distinctive, inspired by the constellation map, and incorporate a lot of curved designs to highlight the recognition. Similar lines are also used in other parts of the car body to form an echo. When the owner approaches the vehicle, the eye-catching dynamic lighting welcome light will automatically light up to welcome the owner.

From the side, the Kia EV5 has a body size of 4615/1875/1715mm in length, width and height, and a wheelbase of 2750mm, and is positioned as a compact SUV. The straight lines outline a full and three-dimensional body posture, and the segmented waistline forms a strong contrast with the smooth body curve, which further highlights the square and powerful body posture.

The Kia EV5 uses hidden door handles, and the charging port is located on the front fender. The details are also embellished with silver trims, which is stylish and simple.

The Kia EV5 is also equipped with a new 18-inch geometric wind blade low-drag wheel. The geometric shape is simple and highly technological; the low-drag design further reduces noise and energy consumption, further balancing aesthetics and practicality.

The rear part of the car continues the design style of the front part, highlighting the capable and broad visual image with simple elements. At the same time, the taillights on both sides are outlined with lines and geometric shapes, which are highly recognizable when lit.

02Innovative interior details create a healthy and safe cabin

The interior of the Kia EV5 also adopts a relatively simple design style, and the interior colors are elegant and clean, making the visual effect more transparent and the space appear larger.

The Kia EV5 adopts a hand-gear design, and the steering wheel integrates functions such as switching driving modes and turning on assisted driving. The long-range version will also be equipped with a 12-inch head-up display (HUD).

The EV5 is equipped with a 27-inch integrated triple screen, which includes a 12.3-inch colorful LCD instrument panel, a 5-inch air-conditioning touch screen and a 12.3-inch multimedia touch screen from left to right. It is also equipped with Kia's latest generation ccNC smart interconnected entertainment system, which is used for the first time in China.

Below the central control screen, there is also a touch screen control area, which can quickly link to the car home page, map, media, system settings and other entrances. However, when using it, especially when you put your hand under the central control screen to operate the screen, you may accidentally touch it.

Four physical buttons below the air-conditioning outlet control vehicle start and stop, as well as AVNT, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) control functions, making use more convenient.

The peninsula-style center console is equipped with a cup holder and charging function, and the storage compartment below also provides more storage space in the front row.

In terms of seats, Kia EV5 is equipped with environmentally friendly recycled PET fabric and bio-based PU leather as seat finishes, with moderate wrapping. The long-range version will also be equipped with a zero-gravity pressure relief seat for the driver's seat, which can be adjusted in up to 14 directions, has a leg rest, and supports 6-point pneumatic massage (with 4 modes and 3 intensities), ventilation, heating (three-stage), four lumbar supports and memory functions.

Between the front seats, after lifting the armrest box, the driver and the front passenger can realize the romantic seat function of unobstructed connection, and a storage function has been added to the connected part to place easy-to-lose items.

Both the driver and front passenger seats support electric adjustment and are equipped with front seat heating function, and the adjustment buttons are set on the doors.

The rear floor is designed to be flat, which further increases the comfort of the rear seats. The rear seats also support multi-angle adjustment.

The rear charging port is designed behind the front seats, at a moderate height, making it more convenient to use. The rear air conditioning vents have also been moved to the side.

03Build a healthy cabin with large space for mothers and babies to meet the needs of Chinese families

The Kia EV5 is designed with multiple storage spaces throughout the car, and has many thoughtful little designs to make daily family travel more convenient.

There is a hidden storage compartment under the rear armrest box to increase the rear storage space. The long-range version will also be equipped with a central drawer-type cold and warm insulation box with a temperature range of 5 to 55 degrees Celsius and a capacity of 4.0L, which can be used to warm up food, heat tea or coffee, or store iced drinks.

At the same time, the long-range version will also be equipped with a folding table to place tablets, children's toys and other items.

After the rear seats are folded down, the trunk can be made 0° flat and 2 meters deep, providing a large 1718L space and the freedom to lie down.

The trunk partition can be pulled up to form a partition storage rack. The trunk is also equipped with a V2L external power supply function, which is more suitable for family camping and self-driving tours.

At the same time, the Kia EV5 is also equipped with a 67L ultra-large front trunk at the front of the car, further increasing the storage space of the entire vehicle.

There are also multiple hooks in the trunk and inside the car, and the trunk hook is removable and adjustable.

At the same time, the Kia EV5's interior materials use 10 sustainable, healthy and environmentally friendly materials, including benzene-free paints, plant-based materials, etc., and use a drying and antibacterial process to reduce air-conditioning odor, ensuring that the air in the car is healthy and fresh, creating a healthier, comfortable and warmer cabin environment.

04Smooth power, comfortable chassis, equipped with L2+ intelligent driving

In terms of power, the EV5 is developed based on Kia's dedicated E-GMP platform, equipped with BYD Fudi lithium iron phosphate batteries and 160kW Weipai motors. The EV5 standard range version is equipped with a 64.2kWh battery pack, with a CLTC range of 530 kilometers, while the long range version will be equipped with an 88.1kWh battery pack, with a CLTC range of 720 kilometers.

In terms of chassis, EV5 adopts front McPherson independent suspension and rear five-link independent suspension, with a 50:50 front and rear axle load ratio. Such power configuration and chassis settings make EV5 driving a stable and smooth experience, without the dizziness of electric cars.

The EV5 is also equipped with an L2+ intelligent driving system to make driving easier. The EV5 530 Land version is equipped with Forward Collision Avoidance Assist (FCA), the second generation Remote Smart Parking Assist (RSPA 2), Parking Collision Avoidance Assist - Front/Rear/Side (PCA-F/R/S) and other functions. The long-range version will also be equipped with a fully upgraded Forward Collision Avoidance Assist II (FCA2) and the second generation Highway Driving Assist (HDA2).

In terms of battery, EV5 also uses the second-generation battery management system, which can charge the battery from 30% to 80% in 27 minutes at the fastest. At the same time, the car is also equipped with an energy recovery system that supports 5 levels of adjustment and can automatically adjust according to the driver's habits. Its i-Pedal system allows the driver to accelerate and decelerate with a single pedal.

05In-car interactive experience online

In terms of intelligence, Kia EV5, as a product of Kia's "In China, for China" concept, also takes the needs of Chinese users into consideration. The car system of EV5 cooperates with Baidu and Tencent, supports Baidu Maps and Baidu Voice functions, and is equipped with dozens of Tencent ecological apps such as WeChat and iQting. It also supports Baidu CarLife and Apple Wireless CarPlay, of which CarPlay supports wireless and wired connections.

The car homepage adopts a card-style design, and the card can be long-pressed and dragged. At the same time, it adopts a new unified graphical user interface (GUI), which brings better screen displays such as audio-visual, navigation and telematics (AVNT), and further increases the consistency of information display through the control display unit (CDU).

Kia EV5 supports F-OTA vehicle remote upgrades and provides Kia Connect services, including remote control, car-home interconnection, charging services, vehicle diagnosis, emergency rescue, etc.

Conclusion

As a new car in the era of electrification, the Kia EV5's smart cabin and smart driving functions are still far from the top in the industry, but as a 150,000-level family SUV, this car is still remarkable. Whether it is the smooth driving experience or the creative interior and exterior design, this car can attract a lot of attention.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.