Kia EV4: Everything We Know
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Kia is developing a high-riding, very capable car. This is what we anticipate.
Electric crossovers are being introduced by automakers in a scattering manner. Less affection has been shown to other car categories. It makes obvious that automakers entering the EV space would want to target the largest markets with the greatest number of buyers before branching out.
With the impending EV4, which is unlike any other car on the road—at least in concept form—Kia is really branching out. It’s a tall four-door that might be the departed Kia Stinger sports sedan’s spiritual successor. Let’s get started. There are many things we know about the EV4 and other things we don’t.
About the Kia EV4, what do we know?
The EV4 will fit within Kia’s expanding electric vehicle lineup. In the EV market, the South Korean carmaker has emerged as a player to watch, surpassing larger competitors like Toyota and Stellantis in terms of both new product launches and sales. The futuristic-looking EV6 crossover, which debuted in early 2022 as a competitor to the Tesla Model Y, was largely responsible for this. Late last year, the EV9, a sizable three-row SUV and the electric counterpart of the Kia Telluride, was introduced to the American public.
Although it is available in China, the EV5, a different crossover SUV, will not be arriving in the United States. By 2026, the little and reasonably priced EV3 ought to arrive here. Still, Kia hasn’t stated whether the EV4 would be available in the United States.
How Will The Kia EV4 Appear?
In October, Kia showcased an EV4 concept at their EV Day event. What’s to come is strongly hinted at by the show car. Given that the concept lacks any utterly ridiculous elements, such as scissor doors, we can reasonably conclude that this design won’t be significantly altered in the production model.
The Kia sedan, which has four doors, resembles the more angular and squatter-looking EV6. However, it also has a distinct appearance. Its front lights are vertical and narrow, just as those of the EV6 and EV9. Instead of a traditional trunk, its extended and chiselled back end houses a hatch. It is described as a “wholly new type of EV sedan” by Kia.
The EV4 concept’s interior appears more, well, concept-like. Though the prototype’s dual-screen arrangement is very similar to what’s in Kia’s current lineup of EVs, the oddly curved steering wheel is probably not going to make it into production.
What about the range, charging times, and performance of the EV4?
While talking about the EV4, Kia execs brought up the now-canceled Stinger sports sedan. Thus, we should keep a watch on the driving characteristics and perhaps even anticipate a high-performance GT version.
South Korea’s Kia EV4 Debut
Given that both Kia and Hyundai are part of the Hyundai Motor Group, we may assume that the EV4 will utilise their E-GMP platform. Based on this assumption, we can approximate some of the main specifications of the EV4. Since E-GMP vehicles run at 800 volts, they can charge faster than most of their competitors. For instance, the EV6 claims to take 18 minutes to fully recharge from 10% to 80% when plugged into a strong enough outlet.
The EPA range ratings of the Hyundai Ioniq 6 sedan, EV6, and EV9 are all above 300 miles, meaning that the EV4’s maximum range may be comparable.