Peter Lyon
June 4, 2025
Kia’s electric EV5 has finally been introduced into Singapore after making its debut at the local motor show earlier this year, being available through Cycle and Carriage Co. It will be the first Kia ever built in the country when it is locally assembled at the Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Centre (HMGICS).
The EV5 will be the plant’s fourth electric vehicle (EV) to be produced, and will join other Hyundai EVs that will be exclusively shipped to the United States, like the Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, and Ioniq 5 robotaxi.
Three EV5 models—Air, Earth, and the sportier GT-Line—will be available in Singapore and are all based on Hyundai’s E-GMP platform. The GT-Line has a dual-motor all-wheel drive (AWD) system that generates a combined 313 horsepower and 480 Nm, whereas the Air and Earth versions have a single electric motor up front that produces 136 horsepower and 310 Nm.
Regarding batteries, the Air version has a 64.2 kWh pack that provides a WLTP range of up to 400 km, which, in the real world, on the generous side, will give around 320km. A larger 88.1 kWh battery powers both the Earth and GT-Line models, with the Earth offering a range of up to 540 km—let’s say more like 450km realistically. However, the GT-Line’s WLTP range is only 470 km due to its more power-hungry dual-motor setup.
The Air spec supports up to 6.6 kW AC and 102 kW of DC charging, with a 10% to 80% charge taking around 35 minutes using DC fast charging. By contrast, the Earth and GT-Line models offer faster 11 kW AC and 141 kW DC charging, giving owners the same 10-80% charge in a paltry 38 minutes.
The entry-level Air model of the Kia EV5 starts at SGD194,900 (about RM643k) with COE (a permit to register a new car in Singapore) making it more reasonably priced than competitors like the Zeekr X, which starts at SGD202,999 (approximately RM669k), and the Tesla Model Y, which starts at SGD205,977 (@ RM679k), both with COE.
CARLIST THOUGHTS
Could we soon see the popular EV SUV branching out of Singapore to other regional markets like Malaysia or the Philippines, given that the EV5 is currently available in both Singapore and Thailand? The EV5 has all the makings of a well-liked option for EV SUV consumers thanks to its unique look, strong range, and performance—as long as the price tag is competitive. And we will have to wait for that.
