2027 Kia EV5: Facelift Leaks With Up to 249kW and the Same LFP Batteries

The 2027 Kia EV5 is a facelifted version of Kia’s mid-size electric SUV, and it has appeared early in Australian government certification documents with more powerful motors, carryover batteries and light styling changes. Kia has not officially revealed it yet.

Australian site Drive was first to report the documents, at 5:52 AM Sydney time on November 3, which was 12:22 AM IST. CarExpert, Cars24 and CarsGuide followed, and WhichCar described it as a “significantly updated” EV5 on November 4. Kia Australia has already said the updated model will arrive there in mid-2027.

Here is what the papers confirm, what is only expected, and what it means for Kia’s wider EV plans, including India.

What changes on the 2027 Kia EV5?

The 2027 Kia EV5 gets more power from updated electric motors: 175 kW for front-wheel-drive versions, up 15 kW, and 249 kW for dual-motor all-wheel-drive versions, up 19 kW. Battery sizes stay the same. Outside, it gets new front and rear bumpers and new alloy wheel designs, while a bigger cabin redesign is expected.

Drive reports that a small black module, which appears to house the front camera, has been added to the nose. The new lower bumpers look similar to those on the latest Kia Seltos hybrid. The top GT-Line keeps its own sportier styling. Buyers will still choose between 18, 19 and 20-inch wheels, depending on the variant.

2027 Kia EV5 specifications from the approval documents

The towing gain for the base Standard Range model is a useful real-world change. CarExpert reports it rises from 300 kg to 750 kg. Drive also says the batteries are BYD-sourced LFP packs, and that the AWD output was listed at 234 kW in older government papers, against 230 kW in Kia’s brochure.

Will the 2027 Kia EV5 have more range?

That is not confirmed. The battery capacities in the approval papers are unchanged at 64.2 kWh and 88.1 kWh, and no WLTP range has been published for the facelift. The current EV5 is rated at 400 km to 555 km depending on version, so similar figures are likely, but more power and extra weight could shift efficiency slightly.

The tare weight increase of 21 to 52 kg suggests extra equipment or hardware, which normally costs a little range rather than adding it. Kia will need to publish new figures before the car goes on sale, and CarsGuide expects more official news before the end of 2026.

What will the new Kia EV5 interior look like?

Kia has not shown the interior. Australian reports expect the twin 12.3-inch screens to be replaced by a wide 27-inch touchscreen across the dashboard, with a slim separate driver display. That layout was previewed on the EV5 WKNDR concept and already features on the related Hyundai Elexio and China’s Kia Seltos.

The EV5 WKNDR concept made its debut at the Guangzhou Auto Show in December 2025. If the production car adopts its dashboard, it would be the biggest change in the facelift, even though the papers only show the outside.

How did the Kia EV5 get here?

The EV5 has been changing quickly for a young model. Kia showed the EV5 WKNDR concept in Guangzhou in December 2025, and in January 2026 it unveiled GT versions of the EV3, EV4 and EV5, according to Autocar India. In February, Electrek reported that Kia was preparing a major interior overhaul for the EV5, which fits the 27-inch screen expectation.

The facelift seen in the Australian papers is the next step. It brings the outside in line with Kia’s newer models, while the bigger cabin change is still to be shown. For buyers, the pattern matters: a car updated this fast can lose value quickly, so anyone shopping for a current EV5 should push for a strong discount, as Australian dealers already appear to be doing.

2027 Kia EV5: confirmed vs not confirmed

Why does the Kia EV5 update matter?

The EV5 is important to Kia in markets like Australia. WhichCar says 4,722 EV5s were registered there in the first nine months of 2026, up 21 percent, making it Kia’s best-selling EV locally. The current car is on a special drive-away offer of A$49,990, about Rs 33 lakh at November 4 rates.

It has also faced criticism for its ride and handling on Australian roads. CarExpert and WhichCar both report that Kia Australia is again developing a local suspension and steering tune for the facelift, which could address one of the main complaints from reviewers. Kia Australia has a long habit of retuning its models for local roads. Whether the same changes will also reach European or Chinese versions of the EV5 has not been reported, so buyers outside Australia should not assume a better ride.

CarBike Insight Analysis

The 2027 Kia EV5 facelift looks like a sensible, low-risk update: more power, the same proven batteries, tidier styling and, if the reports are right, a much more modern cabin. Keeping the LFP packs keeps costs in check, which matters as Chinese rivals push prices down.

It is important to separate the documents from the expectations. Power, batteries and exterior changes are in black and white; the screen, the suspension work and the range are not. Until Kia reveals the car, treat the cabin story as likely but unproven.

What about India? The EV5 is not sold here, and Kia has not announced it. Kia’s Indian growth has come from hybrids and SUVs, as our Kia Q3 2026 results report shows, while Hyundai is preparing a made-for-India EV covered in our Hyundai Ioniq P story. With electric car sales nearly doubling in October 2026, our view is that Kia India needs a mid-size electric SUV, and an updated EV5 would be a strong candidate if local assembly made the price work.

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