Kia has officially launched the EV5 in Singapore, marking its first electric vehicle to be assembled locally. The launch represents a significant milestone for both Kia and Singapore’s growing electric vehicle (EV) market.
The EV5 is produced at the Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Centre Singapore (HMGICS) in Jurong alongside Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6.
The assembly process involves around 200 industrial robots and takes seven hours to complete. About 67 per cent of the production is automated, ensuring consistent quality and efficiency.
Available in three variants — Air, Earth, and GT-Line — the EV5 measures 4,615 mm in length, 1,875 mm in width, and 1,715 mm in height, making it slightly smaller than the Tesla Model Y.
The vehicle’s 2,750 mm wheelbase provides a spacious interior. Features include a panoramic wide display that combines infotainment and climate controls, a multi-use boot table, a rear seat table for on-the-go multitasking, and a second-row console box designed to keep items warm or cool.
Kia’s local distributor, Cycle & Carriage, has priced the base Air trim at S$194,000 (RM642,000), including the Certificate of Entitlement (COE). The Earth model starts at S$210,500 (RM697,000), while the sportier GT-Line is priced at S$260,000 (RM861,000).
The Air and Earth variants are powered by 100 kW motors producing 310Nm of torque and qualify for Category A COE. The GT-Line features a more powerful 230 kW motor and falls under Category B COE.
Battery options include a 64.2 kWh pack in the Air variant, offering up to 400 km of range, and an 88.1 kWh pack in the Earth and GT-Line variants, providing up to 540km on a single charge.
Charging times range from 36 to 38 minutes to reach 80 per cent state of charge using DC fast chargers.
The EV5 is equipped with advanced safety and convenience features such as Forward Collision-Avoidance, Blind-spot View Monitor, and Remote Smart Parking Assist, which enables autonomous parking. It also supports Vehicle-to-Load functionality, allowing users to power external devices via internal or external sockets.
By assembling the EV5 locally, Kia aims to better meet Singapore’s market needs and expand its presence in Southeast Asia’s EV sector.
The EV5 has already been well received in markets such as Australia and China.
