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Kia unveils all-electric EV5 SUV concept in China

March 20, 2023

Kia Corp., South Korea’s second-biggest carmaker by sales, on Monday unveiled the all-electric EV5 SUV concept at an electric vehicle (EV) event held in China.

Kia introduced the EV5 concept at Kia EV Day planned only for Chinese customers before it launches an electric SUV model based on the concept this year.

The EV5 has been developed under Kia’s new design philosophy, “Opposites United,” which embodies its shifting focus toward electrification, Kia said in a statement.

The EV5 comes with a bold and strong exterior design, and its flat-floor EV architecture offers an interior space with swivel seats rotatable up to 180 degrees, it said.

Kia and its bigger affiliate, Hyundai Motor Co., have been struggling with weak sales in China due to increased competition and the lingering impact of political tensions between Seoul and Beijing caused by the deployment of an advanced U.S. missile defense system, called THAAD, in South Korea in 2017.

This year, the maker of K5 sedans and Sorento SUVs aims to sell 170,000 units in the world’s biggest automobile market, up 80 percent from the 95,000 units it sold last year.

This file photo provided by Kia Corp. shows the exterior design of the EV5 SUV concept car displayed at KIA EV Day held in China on March 20, 2023. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
This file photo provided by Kia Corp. shows the exterior design of the EV5 SUV concept car displayed at KIA EV Day held in China on March 20, 2023. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

This file photo provided by Kia Corp. shows the interior design of the EV5 SUV concept unveiled at KIA EV Day in China on March 20, 2023. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
This file photo provided by Kia Corp. shows the interior design of the EV5 SUV concept unveiled at KIA EV Day in China on March 20, 2023. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)