Remember the Kia Concept EV5? It was supposed to preview an upcoming Sportage-sized electric compact crossover SUV that’s set to debut sometime this year. Well, if you’ve noticed, the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) tends to be our best friend regarding upcoming new vehicles. If a new car is about to be released in China, the MIIT publicly posts photos of the vehicle as it undergoes local homologation, which automakers probably don’t like, but as an eager public, it’s something we wholeheartedly welcome. Whether Kia likes it or not, that’s how China’s automotive market works, and now that that’s out of the way, here’s what the MIIT’s stats tell about the Kia EV5.

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Honey, I Shrunk The EV9

The photos from the MIIT were first spotted by the Chinese automotive website CarNewsChina Kia is on a design roll at the moment. Though the design is subjective, almost everyone will agree that Kia’s lineup right now looks irresistibly good. And the good thing about it is though they have a common design language called Opposite United, they don’t merely look like small, medium, and large versions of each other. Okay, so the latter description might not fit the EV5, since it looks like a shrunken EV9, but hey, at least the good-looking part still applies here, right?

Also, the Concept EV5 that previewed the production model is almost unchanged when it transitioned into the actual production EV5. Concept cars often are radically-styled teasers of an upcoming production car, only to look so toned down that the actual car that will hit showrooms will look so boringly different from what was previewed. That is not the case here in the EV5.

The overall body looks similar to the concept, with only minor alterations to the LED lighting elements and a few minor details. This includes the charge port, which has been enlarged in the production model, while flushed door handles have now been added. The digital side-view mirrors have been replaced by traditional wing mirrors (though we won’t be surprised if the digital ones become an optional extra in the future), while the wheel sizes now come in either 18 or 19 inches based on the Chinese homologation specs as opposed to the concept car’s 21 inches.

Dimensionally, the EV5 measures 181.7 inches long, 73.8 inches wide, 67.5 inches tall with a wheelbase of 108.3 inches. This makes the EV5 incrementally larger than the EV6, and right smack in the Sportage’s dimensions. Compared to the EV6 which has sleeker, rakish styling, the EV5 is more upright and as mentioned, looks like a shrunken version of the EV9 but with alterations to give it a bit of distinction.

Related: 10 Reasons Why The Kia EV6 Should Be Your First EV

Putting E-GMP To Good Use

Like the EV6 and EV9, the Kia EV5 rides on Hyundai Motor Group’s (HMG) E-GMP platform. As usual, it comes with the 800-volt architecture that allows for up to 350 kW DC fast charging along with its vehicle-2-load (V2L) feature that essentially turns the EV5 into a mobile power bank of sorts for your personal electronics, appliances, as well as trickle charge other EVs. Where the EV5 somewhat differs despite the same corporate underpinnings as the rest of the HMG family of EVs is with the drivetrain.

At least for China, wherein foreign automakers were required to forge a joint venture with a local Chinese automaker until the restriction was abolished at the start of 2022, the Kia EV5 comes with BYD’s Blade lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery technology, which is a cutting-edge battery that is also lower in cost as opposed to the LG Energy Solutions batteries. Interestingly, while all the EVs using the E-GMP platform are either rear-wheel drive (RWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD), the EV5 for China will apparently be sold as a front-wheel drive (FWD) model. The front-mounted motor, which is made by Vitesco Automotive Electronics (Tianjin) Co., Ltd., produces 215 horsepower and 229 pound-feet of torque, though range data is still unknown at this point.

Related: Why The Kia EV9 Is Leagues Ahead Of Every Other Three-row Electric SUV

What Else Is Still Unknown?

While nothing has been confirmed, a dual-motor AWD model might also be available. The Concept EV5 was revealed in China, but that doesn't mean it's going to be a China-only model. The production EV5 will be produced at the Kia-Yueda joint venture factory, and the same publication also says that it will be exported to global markets as well, which will make the EV5 the first global Kia to be exported out of China.

What we still don’t know is what it looks like from the inside. However, considering the close relationship in design with the Kia EV9, we won’t be surprised if it follows the same footsteps as the larger three-row SUV. Therefore, we can expect the EV5 to have a lounge-like interior with plenty of posh materials (or probably less since it’s more affordable than the EV9) along with a dual-screen layout with a monochromatic display in between for the climate controls and other vehicle functions like in the EV9.

Just like in the EV9, the EV5 also might feature the same swiveling rear seats as the EV9 since the Concept EV5 came with the same seats as well. Other interior features we can probably expect include ambient LED lighting, the usual Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an optional premium sound system, and a panoramic sunroof, just to name a few.

What we can estimate though are the vehicles it’ll compete with. Since the EV5 is positioned to be more affordable than the EV6, its list of rivals is a bit more complicated. It will most likely compete with cars like the affordable Chevrolet Equinox EV and Nissan Ariya. These will be its closest candidates if the EV5 is also going to be an FWD electric crossover SUV.

Related: TopSpeed's Best Electric Car Of 2022: Kia EV6

Is It Coming Stateside?

Two Kia EVs are planned to be released in China in the second half of 2023, one of these is the EV5 and the other is supposedly a coupe version of the EV6. This is in line with Kia's goal of unveiling at least one E-GMP-based EV every year in order to reach its goal of having six EVs by 2027. Is the EV5 coming to the United States?

Well, considering the success of the EV6 and that the prospect of an even more affordable EV using the excellent E-GMP platform is highly appealing, it would be a shame if the South Korean automaker didn't. We'd probably prefer though for the EV5 to be manufactured in the United States so that it would be able to take advantage of the $7,500 tax credit from the Inflation Reduction Act.