WEALTH March 1, 2026 0 Comments

Kia’s Bold EV Play: This Mainstream Move Could Upend the Auto Industry Overnight—Are You Ready to Ride the Shift?

Remember when Ireland’s roads were ruled by sensible hatchbacks and saloons—those no-nonsense, practical rides that got you from A to B without fuss? Well, those days are fading fast. The Nissan Qashqai quietly sparked a revolution back in 2010, nudging Irish motorists toward a taste for SUVs—or at least those SUV-shaped crossovers that offer a lofty seat and a touch of rugged flair, even if their wildest adventure is a soggy GAA car park. Fast forward to today, and the landscape has shifted dramatically with Hyundai’s Tucson reigning supreme and Kia’s loyal following exploding, thanks largely to the ever-popular Sportage. But what if you’re ready to ditch the diesel and hybrid shuffle and fully embrace the electric future, Kia style? Enter the newly minted EV5—a bold, bigger, and quieter challenger that’s reshaping what we expect from family SUVs. Curious if this electric giant is the next big thing on Ireland’s roads? Well, buckle up. LEARN MORE

Once upon a time, in the not-too-distant past, the best-selling cars in Ireland were just that — conventional cars, writes Shane O’Donoghue.

Our taste in motoring focused on humble, affordable, practical everyday vehicles, usually shaped like a hatchback or saloon.

In 2010, for example, the top four most popular new models were hatchbacks and the only SUV-like car in the top 10 was the relatively fresh-faced Nissan Qashqai.

But that car’s presence, and its subsequent move up the sales charts in the following years, indicated a shift in Irish car-buying attitudes towards SUVs, or at least SUV-shaped vehicles.

You see, while in some parts of the world an SUV is a vehicle that towers over everyone and was originally designed as a 4×4 workhorse, here and in most of Europe we use the SUV tag to cover a wide range of machinery, including vaguely ruggedised examples of what are in fact just small hatchbacks.

The biggest sellers are actually more correctly called crossovers.

The Qashqai arguably wasn’t the first such vehicle when it launched, but it made the category its own until the other carmakers caught up.

There are hordes of options on the market today, all mixing a practical interior and high driving position with an air of toughness, even if most of them don’t have four-wheel drive and are used for nothing more taxing than a wet GAA car park in winter.

Topping the charts since its introduction in 2016 is the Hyundai Tucson, taking first place every year except for 2019 and 2020.

While Hyundai has been basking in the glow of this success, its first cousin Kia (they’re part of the same conglomerate) has been quietly garnering loyal fans, topping 10,000 Irish sales for the first time in 2025.

Kia’s line-up has been expanding at pace, but its success is largely down to the brand’s equivalent model to the Tucson.

This is the Kia Sportage, incidentally one of seven SUV-shaped cars in last year’s top 10.

It would appear that in the move to an electric automotive future, there’s still plenty of life left in the Sportage.

So expect to have the option to buy diesel and various hybrid versions for some time to come.

But what if you’re ready to go electric now and you like the Kia way of doing things?

The Kia EV6 used to be the closest in size and price to the Sportage, but not until this year did the South Korean company launch a proper electric alternative. It’s called the EV5.

Although the EV5 is marketed as such, it shares very little with the Kia Sportage and is actually larger than it in every direction.

That, plus the upright profile — sharing its distinctive design language with Kia’s other electric SUVs — give the EV5 more presence than most cars in the sector, indicating it perhaps sits between traditional segments.

If you’re familiar with modern Kia interiors, then the EV5’s won’t be a surprise.

But that’s no complaint, as it mixes great ergonomics with lots of space, tactile switchgear and a sense of long-lasting quality.

It’s well specified too.

Even the entry-level Earth 2 version comes with classy synthetic leather seats, an electric tailgate, an easy-to-use triple-screen dashboard, heated seats front and rear and much more, all for €47,625.

Above that, priced from €49,800, is the Earth 3 model, and the sportier-looking GT-line car at €54,000.

While the range may expand in time, for now it doesn’t matter which of the trim levels you choose as there’s just one electric powertrain.

It has a battery with 78kWh usable energy capacity for a range as high as 530km — if you resist the allure of the bigger alloy wheels of the higher grades, that is.

The front-mounted electric motor produces up to 217hp, which rarely troubles the front wheels even in poor weather conditions.

It’s not a performance car by any stretch of the imagination, but it has more than adequate oomph for the target market.

And that audience is clearly those with families to cart about.

There’s stretching space across the back seats, a massive boot and even extra storage under the bonnet itself, making this a practical and comfortable car to spend time in.

Even the GT-line model — sitting on stylish 19-inch alloy wheels — is smooth and comfortable to drive, so the lesser cars with more tyre sidewall to absorb poor road surfaces should be magic-carpet like.

And of course all electric cars are quiet in terms of zero engine or transmission noise, but even against that measure the EV5 is civilised at speed.

Experience it first-hand and you’ll wonder why everyone doesn’t drive a car such as this.

Watch this space, as one day they probably will, and we’ll look back at this time as ancient history.

Don’t bet against the EV5 being at the top of the sales table by then.

Model: Kia EV5 GT-line

Price: €54,000

Electric motor: 160kW, front-mounted

Battery capacity: 78kWh

Range (WLTP): 505km

Power: 217hp

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Acceleration (0-100kph): 8.4 seconds