Kia is focusing on electric performance with the EV5 GT. This follows the release of their EV6 GT model. Although Kia officially announced the EV5 GT last year, it hasn’t been formally launched yet. Leaked images from China, where the car is going through a government approval process, give us a sneak peek.
The leaked info reveals some of the car’s technical details. Based on a document from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), this EV5 appears to be the full-fledged GT version, not a GT-Line trim level (though the photos aren’t super clear). The specs show it will have dual motors: a front motor with 215 horsepower and a rear motor with 98 horsepower. This translates to some serious get-up-and-go.
While the peak horsepower numbers look impressive, the actual continuous output is a bit lower. The front motor continuously puts out 83 horsepower and 73 lb-ft of torque, while the rear motor delivers 64 horsepower and 55 lb-ft.
The EV5 GT isn’t exactly lightweight, tipping the scales at 4,916 pounds. It rides on 20-inch wheels with beefy tires (255/45 R20). The EV5 GT is a bit smaller than its sibling, the EV6 GT. It’s nearly 21 inches shorter, 0.6 inches narrower, and 6.7 inches taller. The wheelbase is also 6 inches shorter on the EV5 GT.
The Kia EV5 was first introduced in October of last year. Kia is still deciding whether to bring it to North America. One thing to note is that the EV5 GT uses a front-wheel-drive base, which is different from the rear-biased setup found in other electric vehicles on the E-GMP platform (like the EV6 GT). It also has a 400-volt electric architecture, instead of the faster-charging 800-volt system.
