Every few years a concept car shows up that makes you stop scrolling and actually lean toward the screen. The Kia EV5 Weekender that just broke cover at the Guangzhou Auto Show in China is one of those. It takes the sensible, already-good-looking EV5 compact electric SUV and turns it into something that looks like it could follow you up a forest service road on Friday night and still get the kids to school Monday morning without anyone noticing pine needles in the carpet.
Kia calls it a Weekender, the fourth model to get that label after the big EV9, the boxy PV5 van, and the new Tasman pickup. Each one has been Kia’s way of saying, “Yeah, we can do rugged too.” So far none of the previous Weekender concepts have gone on sale exactly as shown, but every single one has left pieces on the showroom floor later—special colors, roof rails, tougher trim packages. This time feels different. The EV5 Weekender looks almost production-ready, like someone in the design studio said, “Just build it, boss.”
Image credit: Kia
Start with how it sits. The suspension is jacked up, there’s real ground clearance now, and the all-terrain tires on bigger wheels fill out those flared fenders perfectly. Up front you get a new skid plate that actually looks thick enough to shrug off rocks. The hood has a matte-black power bulge insert, the side skirts are chunkier, and there’s a full-length roof rack that appears strong enough to hold a couple of kayaks or a rooftop tent without whining. On the driver’s side Kia added a row of beefy mounting points—think Land Rover Defender style—ready for jerry cans, a hi-lift jack, traction boards, whatever you want to bolt on for a long weekend in the mountains.
The paint helps sell the story: matte beige with lime-green accents running along the lower body and around the wheels. It’s the same palette Kia has been using on all the Weekender concepts, and honestly it works. The truck looks dusty and ready even when it’s sitting still on a show stand.
Image credit: Kia
Inside is where things get interesting for anyone who actually uses a vehicle instead of just parking it in the driveway. The regular EV5 already has a nice cockpit, but the Weekender crew went further. There’s a new steering wheel with a thicker rim, the center console is reshaped for better elbow room, and the climate vents are redesigned so they don’t look like every other Kia. The seats wear new upholstery with a three-dimensional texture that should hide dirt better than piano-black plastic ever could.
The dashboard screen now stretches almost all the way across to the passenger, giving the co-pilot something big to look at when you’re running navigation or picking the next playlist. Little practical touches are everywhere—think slide-out cupholders and storage bins along the cargo walls, almost like the clever YouClip system Dacia uses, plus rails on the headliner so you can strap down duffel bags or fishing rods without them sliding around. Load up a cooler, a couple of camp chairs, and the dog, and nothing is rattling around back there.
Image credit: Kia
Kia hasn’t said what’s under the skin powertrain-wise, which usually means it’s carrying the same batteries and motors as the regular EV5. That’s not a bad thing. Depending on the market you can already get front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, with battery sizes that deliver anywhere from 300 to 400 miles of range on the Chinese cycle (expect a bit less on the EPA test when it eventually reaches the States). A hotter EV5 GT is already confirmed for production, so horsepower probably won’t be an issue no matter which way this goes.
The big question is whether Kia actually builds it. History says yes. Kia has turned more concepts into real metal than most brands—look at the Stinger, the Telluride, even the Soul started life as a show car nobody thought would happen. With Americans snapping up anything that looks even vaguely overland-ready—Broncos, Defenders, 4Runners, you name it—leaving the Weekender on the auto-show stage would be leaving money on the table.
Image credit: Kia
Picture this: a Saturday morning in deer season, coffee in the console, rifles in the lockable trunk bin, and you’re rolling quiet on electric power until you hit the dirt road. No range anxiety because the EV5 platform is already proven for decent distance, no gas station stops, just you and the woods. When you get back to civilization Sunday night, plug it in the garage and it’s ready for the work week without ever visiting a pump.
Kia hasn’t put the EV5 on sale in the United States yet, but every insider says it’s coming. When it does, a factory off-road package like the Weekender would give it a clear lane against the Tesla Model Y, the Ford Mustang Mach-E, and whatever Volkswagen is cooking up with the ID.4. Those are all fine cars, but none of them look like they’d be happy on a gravel road after a rainstorm.
The EV5 Weekender feels like Kia throwing down a gauntlet: electric doesn’t have to mean soft. If even half of what’s on this concept makes production, a lot of guys who swore they’d never own an EV are going to find themselves at the Kia dealer with a tape measure and a grin.
Keep an eye on this one. Sometimes a concept is just a dream. Sometimes it’s a preview. The Weekender looks an awful lot like the future pulling into the campsite a little early.
