Kia’s EV4 aims to draw current away from Tesla’s Model 3

The EV is offered in both saloon and hatchback guises, taking on an electric sedan market currently led by the Tesla Model 3 and Volkswagen ID.3.

The EV4 sedan will hit Korea first in March, while the hatchback variant will land only in Europe in the second half of the year with a starting price of 37,000 euros ($38,700) or more, said CEO Song Ho-sung during Kia’s EV Day event in the Tarraco Arena in Tarragona, Spain, on Monday. U.S. customers, however, have to wait until 2026.

The EV4 sedan bears little resemblance to the rest of the Kia family, with the car adopting a “long-tail” design with a low nose as well as an elongated rear overhang inspired by classic supercars.

The five-door hatchback variant, which is exclusively for the European market, has a station wagon-like shape with a smaller, angled rear window resulting in symmetrical and dynamic body accents.

It’s longer, wider and taller than the Tesla Model 3, measuring 4,730 millimeters (186 inches) in length, 1,860 millimeters in width and 1,480 millimeters in height. A wheelbase of 2,820 millimeters offers less legroom than the Model 3’s 2,875 millimeters but is roomier than the ID.3’s 2,765 millimeters.

For the first time in any Kia car, the EV4 enables owners to remotely install over-the-air updates through their phones and seamlessly connect to the vehicle.

It takes 31 minutes to charge from 10 percent to 80 percent using a 350-kilowatt-hour charger. The trunk capacity stands at 490 liters (17.3 cubic feet).

“As our industry faces increasing uncertainty. Competitors are revising their EV strategies and sales plans,” Song said. “However, we at Kia, with our unwavering belief in electrification, have sought ways to shift market trends and fulfill our promise to customers based on our corporate vision of becoming a Sustainable Mobility Solutions Provider.”

Kia aims to sell 80,000 EV4s in Europe, expecting most of them to be hatchbacks.

On EV Day, Kia also revealed the EV2 SUV concept, its smallest EV yet, which will debut in 2026. The model is currently set to be a European market exclusive.

The EV2’s backseat bench can fold up to allow the front row to slide back further for more leg room. When the car is in park, an extension can be pulled from under the passenger’s seat in the front row to create an extra seat when the doors are open.

“The EV2 will be our strategic model in Europe, which prefers small cars, and we expect approximately 100,000 EV2 sales solely in Europe,” the CEO said.