May 29, 2025
SINGAPORE – The first electric Kia to be assembled in Singapore – and sold exclusively here – is now on the market.
The Kia EV5, a five-seat sport utility vehicle sold by Cycle & Carriage, was previewed four months ago at the Singapore Motorshow in January.
Assembling an EV5, which involves around 200 robots, takes seven hours.
About 67 per cent of the assembly and inspection process is automated, said Dr Hyun Sung Park, chief executive of the Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Centre (HMGICS). South Korean conglomerate Hyundai Group owns both Hyundai and Kia.
The model is slightly smaller overall than the Tesla Model Y and the Hyundai Ioniq 5, and comes in three versions.
Two versions have a power output of 100kW, qualifying them for a Category A certificate of entitlement (COE), while the third variant is a Category B car with a power output of 230kW.
These cars have an operating range of between 400km and 540km on a full charge, and prices start from $194,000 with COE.
The EV5, the fourth electric vehicle (EV) to be assembled at HMGICS in the Jurong Innovation District, will not be exported elsewhere. This is also the case for the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Hyundai Ioniq 6 assembled at the plant.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 robotaxi is also assembled here, but is exported to the US.
Kia Asia Pacific president and chief executive Kevin Ahn described the launch of the EV5 in Singapore as a significant milestone.
Globally, the brand aims to sell 4.2 million EVs by 2030, he added.
The South Korean brand delivered 3.1 million vehicles in 2024, comprising EVs and combustion engine models.
HMGICS started assembling cars in 2023 and was said to be able to produce up to 30,000 EVs annually.
The plant’s spokesman declined to give the annual output figures, saying that this is influenced by market demand. Vehicles are produced when they are ordered, with a “small buffer” to minimise the waiting period for customers, he said.
“Achieving a large production volume isn’t our primary objective. Our main focus remains to be serving as a global innovation hub for Hyundai Motor Group,” the spokesman added.
Land Transport Authority data shows that Hyundai registered 708 EVs in Singapore in 2024, up from 693 units in 2023. This includes the locally assembled Ioniq 5 and 6 models, and other EV models imported from abroad.
Meanwhile, Kia registered 48 EVs in 2024, down from 53 units the year before.
- Lee Nian Tjoe is senior transport correspondent at The Straits Times, where he also oversees the Motoring section.