I’m currently considering buying a Kia EV5 GT-Line Plus in Ireland, and one thing that has surprised me during my research is the audio specification.

I’m quite a music enthusiast, so a good sound system is genuinely important to me. I was therefore surprised to find that the Irish EV5 GT-Line Plus doesn’t come with the Harman Kardon premium sound system, despite the system being available on the EV5 in some other markets.

What I find even more confusing is that Kia already offers Harman Kardon on some models in Ireland, including the EV9, EV2 and Seltos, but apparently not on the EV3, EV5 or even higher-end EV6 specifications here. EV6 used to have a Meridian sound system before, but it is no more offered

The EV5 is already around the €55 to 60k price range in Ireland, depending on specification, so I’d have expected a premium audio option to at least be available on the top trim.

I’ve also noticed that the UK-spec EV5 GT-Line S gets Harman Kardon, which makes me wonder whether this is simply a Kia Ireland specification decision rather than a hardware limitation.

My questions:

• Does anyone know if Kia Ireland is planning to introduce Harman Kardon on their EVs?
• Could it be added with a future model-year/specification update?
• Has anyone heard anything from Kia Ireland or dealers about this?
• Has anyone managed to get a UK-spec EV5 with Harman Kardon imported into Ireland?
• And for anyone who owns the Irish EV5 with the standard audio system, how good/bad is it in real life?

It’s a bit frustrating because Harman Kardon is clearly available within Kia’s European/UK EV5 ecosystem, yet Irish buyers don’t seem to have the option.

I’m otherwise quite impressed with the EV5 and it’s currently one of my main choices for my next car. The audio system is honestly one of the few things making me hesitate.

Would love to hear from anyone who has the EV5 in Ireland or knows what’s happening with future Irish specifications.