Kia EV4 invites drivers to Netflix and chill

Kia’s path into electrification has been lined with increasingly impressive vehicles combining sharp looks, keen pricing and excellent real-world range and performance. All this has been underpinned with shared technology with partner brand Hyundai, to the benefit of both in terms of the electric cars they now offer. And hot on the heels of the hugely impressive EV3 comes this, the EV4. Full details are due soon but here’s what we know so far…
• Unlike some (looking at you, Polestar) Kia seems to take a logical approach to its numerical model naming, the EV4 slotting in twixt EV3 and EV5 and intended to offer an alternative to the crossovers and SUVs that dominate the mid-size sector • Range will include a conventional hatchback and a rather more quirky saloon-esque four-door – think Citroen C4 to C4 X or, perhaps, Hyundai Ioniq 5 to Hyundai Ioniq 6 • Standard and long-range battery options available, the former a little faster because it’s lighter, the latter claiming 367 miles by official figures while the more aerodynamic saloon version claims 391 miles • Kia is putting the focus on realistic, relevant performance rather than the supercar chasing bragging rights of some rivals, all models offering the same 204 horsepower – bravo for that • Three screens combine into a massive 30-inch display, which can run streaming services like YouTube, Netflix and Disney+ if you want to chill while you charge • More info to come on trims and equipment but expect at least standard and GT-Line

Interesting that Kia is rolling two distinct body styles into the single EV4 range, rather than separate them as Hyundai has done with Ioniq 5 and 6. Maybe it was running out of numbers with all the other cars coming down the way! Either way, in both forms the EV4 continues the bold and distinctive design language Kia launched with the gigantic EV9 and has, successfully, applied to its wider range of new and upcoming cars. So, sharp blade like lights, blocky body sculpting using simple shapes, hard-edged ‘machined’ wheel styles and bold use of contrasting panels to reinforce the differences between the hatchback and saloon. The former is blockier and more upright, and potentially more practical, while the latter has a distinctive aerodynamic profile with elongated nose and tail, along with a quirky double rear spoiler arrangement not unlike that seen on the Hyundai Ioniq 6. Details of the trims are to be confirmed but there will be a base spec and a GT-Line for both, the latter with its own styling features like reshaped bumpers and different wheels.

On the inside the EV4 features slick design, muted earthy tones and a promise of extensive use of recycled materials as per the rest of Kia’s recent line-up. A very long wheelbase – which is to say the distance between the front and rear wheels – should mean a very spacious cabin with tons of legroom in the back. Tech-wise Kia is making a lot of noise about the three-screen arrangement combining into a massive 30-inch display, through which you can stream your favourite shows on YouTube, Disney+, Netflix and other apps having configured the front seats into ‘Rest Mode’ and set the mood lighting to fit. The idea being you can sit and chill while the car charges, the only problem being Kia’s electric tech means this doesn’t take very long. So won’t have time for much more than a couple of YouTube shorts before you’re topped up and ready to get going again. Nice idea, though.

Two batteries, one a 58.3kWh standard version and the other a 81.4kWh long-range. If you’re not an EV obsessive who can list comparative battery sizes by heart that’s … pretty much standard for the sector, with even the models with the smaller battery both capable of over 250 miles on a full charge according to official stats. Call it more like 200 miles in the real world. If you need to further – or just want to troll your Tesla-owning pals – the saloon with the bigger battery can go 391 miles on a charge, again by those official stats. All models use the same front-mounted, 204 horsepower motor set-up, with 0-62mph times in under eight seconds. Nothing ludicrous, but brisk enough to get away from the lights smartly without spilling your coffee over the nice interior or have your passengers complaining.

Pricing is yet to be confirmed but Kia says the EV4 will be on sale here ‘in the second half of the year’, with the Slovakian-built hatchback aimed specifically at the European market.

With an eye to increasing competition from incoming Chinese brands Kia is using its experience of having gone through the same process not so long ago to push forward on things like design and quality where it now has a competitive advantage. Which we’ll also be seeing in the EV5 , and the Hyundai Inster-rivalling EV2 also announced recently. Kia is also moving into electric vans with the PV5 it announced alongside the EV2, in a move established players in the commercial market will be watching nervously.

We don’t yet know when the improved ‘Juniper’ version of the Tesla Model Y will land but, even with the updates, it’s going to look like an old car compared with the EV4 saloon. With the likes of the BYD Seal reinvigorating the market for saloon-style cars it also gives Kia something to compete with the Chinese brands. The hatchback, meanwhile, looks a whole lot more exciting than a VW ID.3 or anything else coming from the big European brands.