In the new energy era, joint venture brands are undergoing market tests, and the sales of car companies represented by Ford and Peugeot Citroen are declining. Kia Motors, the world's top manufacturer in terms of sales, has accelerated the introduction and deployment of electrified models while stabilizing its market in the Chinese market, and achieved sales of 166,395 units at home and abroad in 2023, a year-on-year increase of more than 30%, far exceeding the average growth rate of joint ventures.
In 2023, Kia announced its new energy strategy in China, starting the transition to electrification, and launched the global pure electric model EV5 for the first time in the Chinese market. The EV5 is led by an R&D team of about 400 elite Chinese engineers, so that the real needs of young Chinese consumers can be fully presented. After its launch at the Guangzhou Auto Show on November 17, 2023, the EV5 received a good response from the market. The new car is a family SUV built in response to China's enthusiasm for exploring a new life and focusing on quality of life, a special model launched by Kia to celebrate its 80th anniversary, and the first global model to be launched in China for the first time, which is an important symbol of Kia's electrification process.
The Kia EV5 is a highly reproduced concept car styling, following Kia's new design concept of "Opposites United" and dominated by the core elements of "Bold for Nature", which not only embodies the integration of natural aesthetics and architectural technology, but also perfectly interprets the future technological beauty of electric SUVs. The front sword features a new digital tiger roar front face, which is a modern interpretation of Kia's signature tiger roar front face. The simple and bright front part of the front face integrates the Star-Map LED headlight cluster inspired by the constellation map, which is full of science and technology.
With a length, width, and height of 4,615 mm, 1,875 mm, and a wheelbase of 2,750 mm, the EV5 is one of the best electric compact SUVs. The unique 67L ultra-large capacity front trunk makes shopping and travel more convenient, and the trunk volume can be expanded to a maximum of 1718L, with the exclusive rear seats with 0° flat folding, bringing the largest storage space in its class.
In terms of comfort and convenience, the Kia EV5 is equipped with an intelligent induction power tailgate and heated front seats. In addition, it also has electric adjustment for the main and co-driver, rear backrest adjustment, openable panoramic sunroof, V2L external discharge and other configurations, which further improve the comfort of the car.
The unique front romantic seats are one of the highlights of the EV5 and the only design on the market, with 8-way power adjustment for the main driver seat and 4-way power adjustment for the front passenger seat, combined with front seat heating, front double-layer acoustic glass and a large openable panoramic sunroof, creating a spacious and warm unbounded intimate space. Equipped with a storage compartment under the peninsula center console, hidden hooks, and a central drawer (5.4L) to create abundant storage space in the front. It is equipped with 0° flat folding seats (6:4) in the rear as standard, and has the flattest floor when folded down, with a depth of up to 2 meters, and becomes a "big bed" in seconds. The rear seat backrest angle can be adjusted (multi-stage) and supports a maximum of 33° adjustment, which can effectively relieve the discomfort of the back and spine and bring a more comfortable riding experience.
The EV5 is also equipped with a 150,000-level multi-scene trunk expansion table, which can fully meet the needs of travel, camping, travel and other diverse life scenarios with the trunk storage partition and the detachable multi-functional hook of the trunk, and infinitely expand the work and study space for family members who are busy with work and study.
The interior materials are another highlight of the EV5, which uses 10 essential sustainable and environmentally friendly materials to truly achieve a healthy and environmentally friendly cockpit for mothers and babies. Based on the concept of sustainable development, the interior materials are equipped with environmentally friendly processes, using 10 essential sustainable, healthy and environmentally friendly materials such as benzene-free coatings and plant-based materials, and at the same time, the drying and antibacterial procedures are applied to reduce the odor of air conditioning, ensure that the air in the car is healthy and fresh, and bring a healthier, more comfortable and warm cabin environment.
The 27-inch all-in-one triple screen gives the car a sense of technology (12.3-inch colorful LCD instrument cluster, 12.3-inch multimedia touch screen and 5-inch air conditioning touch screen), and is equipped with the latest generation of CCNC intelligent connected entertainment system applied by Kia for the first time in China. The EV5 530 Land version is equipped with a wealth of L2+ intelligent driving assistance functions, while all models have strengthened the body battery structure protection design and battery safety management to fully protect the safety of family travel.
Based on Kia's dedicated platform for electric vehicles, Kia will actively cater to the characteristics of the Chinese market and user needs, focusing on the four major technology directions of mobility, electrification, connected technology and autonomous driving, to create technologies and products that better meet the needs of Chinese users. At the same time, Kia is also accelerating cooperation with domestic charging suppliers to accelerate the layout of charging infrastructure and jointly build an ultra-high-speed charging network, and at the same time, through cooperation with third-party charging companies, it will expand and improve the basic charging network in advance to provide convenient charging services and travel experience for Chinese users.