Denied to Americans: Kia EV5 Will Reach Canadian Showrooms in Early 2026

Update, January 30, 2025, 9:00 p.m.: This post has been updated to include live photos from the premier of the Kia EV5 in Toronto, Ontario.

Canada is about to receive a new compact electric crossover that will not be sold south of the border. Joining the ranks of the Pontiac Parisienne and the Chevrolet Celebrity, the Kia EV5 will be sold in Canada and denied to Americans.

The compact SUV will not, however, be unique to our market. In production since 2023, the EV5 is also being sold in a variety of markets around the world, including Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, Thailand, and more.

Sharing design cues with the family-sized EV9, the EV5 will be significantly smaller than that three-row SUV. Despite that, Kia Canada promises that it will be able to tow trailers but we'll have to wait a bit before we find out exactly how much it will be able to tow.

Unfortunately, Canadian pricing has not yet been revealed, but the model has been designed “break down barriers to entry as the industry transitions to more electric vehicle (EV) ownership,” according to David Sherrard, the director of strategic planning at Kia Canada. If it can deliver on the affordability it is promising, that could be a coup for the automaker, as consumers face an affordability crisis that is particularly acute for EVs, incentives for which have been paused.

Under the hood, as it were, the EV5 will be powered by either a 60.3 kWh battery or an 81.4 kWh battery, depending on its buyer's preference and budget. Canadian range estimates have not yet been shared but, on the European test cycle, the battery packs offer a range of 490 km and 665 km, respectively. However, we anticipate that Natural Resources Canada’s range estimates will be significantly lower.

As with other upcoming Kia EVs, the EV5 will be equipped with a North American Charging Standard (NACS) — or Tesla-style — charging port. That will allow it to plug in at 61 per cent more DC fast charging outlets across Canada than vehicles equipped with the Combined Charging System (CCS) port.

Power figures have not yet been revealed but, in other market, front-wheel drive models make 215 hp and 229 lb-ft of torque, while all-wheel drive models make a combined 308 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque.

While details about the Canadian version of the EV5 are scant, Kia has revealed that consumers will be offered wheels in a variety of styles that are 18, 19, or 20 inches in diameter. Meanwhile, buyers will be able to choose from one of eight available paint colours, including Magma Red and Frost Blue, both of which are brand new to the Kia lineup.

Inside, the EV5 is equipped with a large screen that houses both the instrument cluster and the infotainment touchscreen, and is nearly 30 inches large. The model will offer seating for five and the second-row seats will fold completely flat in order to optimize its cargo-hauling capabilities. The interior will feature a variety of environmentally friendly materials, like Kia’s other EVs.

Consumers interested in seeing the EV5 first-hand will be provided with an early opportunity next month at the Canadian International Auto Show, which runs from February 14-23 in Toronto. Unfortunately, buyers will have to wait a while before they get to drive the EV5, which isn’t expected to arrive in Canadian dealerships until 2026.