Car companies have been launching electric crossovers left and right. Other types of vehicles have gotten less love. And that makes sense; carmakers wading into the EV world want to aim first at the biggest segments with the most buyers before diversifying.
Well, Kia is branching out in a big way with the upcoming EV4, which looks unlike basically any other car on the road—in concept form at least. It’s a high-riding four-door that may be the spiritual successor to the late Kia Stinger sports sedan. There’s a lot we know about the EV4 and some stuff we don’t, so let’s dive in.
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Kia is becoming an EV powerhouse
Kia and sister brand Hyundai have been making waves in the EV world. They've released a series of well designed, high-tech hits and have the sales to show for it. Kia currently sells the EV6, EV9 and Niro EVs, and it has a plan to make "EVs for everyone."
What do we know about the Kia EV4?
The EV4 will slot into a growing electric lineup from Kia. The South Korean automaker has become one of the players to pay attention to in the EV world, lapping bigger manufacturers like Toyota and Stellantis when it comes to both new products and sales. This largely started with the futuristic-looking EV6 crossover that launched in early 2022 as a rival to the Tesla Model Y. The EV9, a large three-row SUV that’s an electric equivalent to the Kia Telluride, hit the U.S. market late last year.
The EV5, another crossover SUV, is already out in China but isn’t coming to the U.S. The pint-sized and relatively affordable EV3 should come here by 2026. So far, though, Kia hasn’t confirmed U.S. availability for the EV4.
Gallery: Kia EV4 Debut In South Korea
What Will The Kia EV4 Look Like?
Kia showed off an EV4 concept at its EV Day event in October. The show car gives us a strong idea of what’s to come. Since the concept doesn’t have any totally outrageous features like scissor doors, we can safely assume the production car won’t represent a huge departure from this design.
The four-door sedan Kia unveiled looks a lot like a squatter and more angular EV6. But it also has a unique look all its own. Up front, it features slim, vertical lights much like the EV6 and EV9 have. Its chiseled and elongated rear end is home to a hatch rather than a conventional trunk. Kia calls it an “entirely new type of EV sedan.”
Spy videos of camouflaged EV4s from Korea confirm that the concept was pretty close to production-spec.
This kind of high-riding car that straddles the line between sedans and crossovers is getting increasingly trendy. Just look at the Polestar 2, Toyota Crown hybrid and the recently unveiled Ford Capri.
The interior of the EV4 concept looks more, well, concept-like. The oddly-shaped steering wheel likely won't see production, but the prototype's dual-screen setup bears a strong resemblance to what's in Kia's current crop of EVs.
What about the EV4’s performance, charging and range?
When InsideEVs Editor-in-Chief Patrick George attended EV Day in Seoul last year, Kia executives brought up the now-discontinued Stinger sports sedan when discussing the EV4. So we can expect an eye on driving dynamics and, probably, a high-performance GT variant.
Assuming the EV4 will use Kia and Hyundai’s E-GMP platform—the two brands are both under the Hyundai Motor Group umbrella—we can make an educated guess at some of the EV4’s general specs. E-GMP cars operate at 800 volts, allowing them to charge more quickly than most rivals. The EV6, for example, can recharge from 10% to 80% in a claimed 18 minutes when connected to a sufficiently powerful plug.
The Hyundai Ioniq 6 sedan, EV6 and EV9 all offer trims that earn EPA range ratings north of 300 miles, so the EV4 could top out in the same ballpark.
When will the Kia EV4 go on sale and how much will it cost?
That we don’t know yet. We’ll keep you posted and keep updating this story as we learn more.
Contact the author: tim.levin@insideevs.com
