Kia EV5 GT: Go-fast electric SUV a no-go for Australia

Kia Australia won't release the high-performance version of its top-selling electric vehicle (EV), the EV5 mid-size SUV, due to issues with sourcing vehicles from different nations.

The 2026 Kia EV5 GT was recently revealed at the Brussels Motor Show, but its Korean production schedule led general manager for product planning at Kia Australia, Roland Rivero, to tell CarExpert it's an unlikely starter for Australia given the broader EV5 range here is sourced from China.

"EV5 GT is difficult by virtue of the fact it's from Korea, and Korea didn't really develop the EV5 for Australia. And it also adds a level of complexity with dual sourcing [from different factories]," Mr Rivero said.

"We wouldn't be able to achieve the price point that EV5 currently offers if we source the Korean version."

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The Kia EV5 GT is powered by a 225kW dual-motor electric drivetrain, which allows the 4610mm long and 1875mm wide electric SUV to dash from 0-100km/h in a claimed 6.2 seconds.

Funnily enough, however, those specs are pretty much on par with the Chinese-made EV5 AWD Long Range sold in Australia, which quotes 230kW/480Nm from its dual-motor electric drive system, and a 0-100km/h time of 6.1-6.3 seconds depending on the variant.

It's worth noting the Euro-market EV5 GT gets sticky Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV tyres, racier GT bucket seats, a GT-specific chassis tune, and electronically controlled suspension with road preview system (from Genesis, no less) to go with the sportier looks.

The Australian Kia EV5 lineup starts from $56,770 plus on-road costs, climbing to $71,770 for the flagship GT-Line. Given Mr Rivero's comments, sourcing the range from South Korea instead of China would likely see the starting point in the $60,000 realm and nudge $80,000 for the GT. It's unlikely the Chinese factory will start churning out its own version of the EV5 GT.

Kia Australia already offers the EV6 GT and will soon launch the EV9 GT flagship later this year.

While the EV5 GT is off the cards for the Australian market, the Korean brand's local division is still assessing the business case for the EV3 GT and EV4 GT, which were unveiled alongside the EV5 GT in Brussels.

Stay tuned to CarExpert for all the latest!

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