Could this new electric car end Tesla's dominance? 2025 Kia EV5 pricing and specs announced as family EV launches with Tesla Model Y and BYD Atto 3 in its crosshairs

Kia is intent on shaking up the electric car market and it could upset Tesla’s apple cart.

Pricing for the Kia EV5, an electric mid-size SUV, has been announced with the Air starting below $60,000 — roughly on par with the brand’s top-spec hybrid Sportage family SUV. 

The exact price is $56,770 drive-away for a front-drive Air Standard Range, while the top-spec GT-Line all-wheel drive climbs to $75,990 on the road.

Compared to similarly-sized rivals from China (where the EV5 is made for Australia), the price is competitive. A BYD Atto 3 Extended Range (420km WLTP range) is a little smaller and priced from $47,499 ($50,218 drive-away in NSW). 

A basic Tesla Model Y will set you back $60,868 drive-away, though that adds a little more range and space than the 4615mm long and 1875mm wide Kia EV5. Still, for an established brand in Australia such as Kia, the EV5 sets a sharp standard. 

“EV5 marks a significant milestone in Kia’s global journey to increase access and take-up of electric vehicles,” said Kia Australia CEO Damien Meredith.

“As we affirm our commitment to becoming a leading sustainable mobility provider, we’re pleased to announce pricing and key features that give EV5 a competitive edge in the local electric vehicle market,” he added.  

The 160kW/310Nm front-drive EV5 Air Standard Range comes with all the concept-like design details (including the Star Map tail-lights) as the rest of the EV5 line-up along with 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen and digital driver display, just like the flagship EV9.

Other features include 19-inch alloy wheels, cloth upholstery, shift-by-wire gear selector, over-the-air updates and phone connectivity. An Air Long Range brings the claimed driving distance up to an impressive 555km from an 88.1kWh LFP (compared to 64.2kWh) battery for $63,990 drive-away.

Moving up to the mid-spec Earth adds a second motor on the rear axle for all-wheel drive and healthy 230kW/480Nm outputs, though driving range falls to 500km. 

The EV5 Earth also gains 19-inch alloy wheels, synthetic leather upholstery and a power tailgate for its $68,990 drive-away price. 

At the top of the EV5 tree is the GT-Line which scores 20-inch alloy wheels, heated and cooled storage compartment, fingerprint module, an augmented reality head-up display and remote self-parking. The extra equipment and wheel size drops the range to 470km.

Safety features include adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, a centre airbag, blind-spot monitoring and more with the GT-Line scoring a blind-spot view monitor. 

The EV5 has undergone a local ride and handling tune by the Kia Australia team, setting it apart from global models. 

After several false starts and delays, the Kia EV5 will be available to order imminently in Air and Earth trims, with the flagship GT-Line expected in December.  

2025 Kia EV5 pricing

Prices listed are national drive-away prices, though WA pricing is $1000 higher for Air & Earth, or $2000 dearer for GT-Line

Variant	Pricing
Air Standard Range	$56,770
Air Long Range	$63,990
Earth	$68,990
GT-Line	$75,990