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2026
Kia EV4

EPA Range: 330 miles
View 2026 Kia EV4 gallery

Kia EV4 First Drive

Summary

Introduction

2026 Kia EV4 Has a Long Range and Angular Styling

All-new compact electric sedan promises up to 330 miles of driving range

Overview

Kia paused the U.S. launch of its all-electric K4 sedan due to shifting market, discontinued federal EV tax credits, and increased import tariffs on South Korean-made vehicles.

Below is our initial preview of the K4.

So far, most of the electric cars that have hit the market have been expensive luxury models. But Kia appears fully committed to bringing smaller, more reasonably priced EVs to a dealer near you. The Korean automaker’s latest unveiling is the EV4, a compact electric sedan. Yes, you read that correctly: a sedan, as in a car, not an SUV, which seem to be everywhere on the roads these days.

Looking like a Kia EV6 after only a semester in art school, the angular-styled 2026 EV4 will be available with a standard 58.3-kilowatt-hour battery. The long-range version will get a 81.4-kWh battery, which Kia is estimating will result in up to 330 miles of driving range. Among modern electric vehicles, that’s a pretty impressive number.

The EV4 will be available in three trim levels—Light, with the smaller battery and an estimated 235-mile driving range, and the Wind and GT-Line with the long-range version

It competes with the Hyundai Ioniq 6, Hyundai Kona Electric, Kia Niro EV, Nissan Leaf, and Tesla Model 3.

The final assembly point is Gwangmyeong, South Korea.

Impressions

Outside

The EV4 has an abundance of curves, creases, and jutting lines. The vehicle starts and ends with vertical headlights and taillights, with an extremely low nose, a hatchback-like roofline, and an abnormally long tail with a significant overhang—the part of the car that extends past the wheels. The exterior—especially the glossy-black trim on the fender flares, which look tacked-on—has so many elements that draw your eyes everywhere all at once.

In sum: The EV4’s styling is a lot to take in.

Inside

Topped by two 12.3-inch displays that appear melded together—one for the driver’s instrument screen and the other for the infotainment touchscreen—the EV4’s dashboard and controls appear very similar to the EV9 SUV that we previously tested. We weren’t fans of that model’s overly complicated design choices: the steering-column-mounted, twist-action gear selector with a built-in start button; the dashboard-embedded infotainment shortcut buttons; and the climate information hidden behind the steering wheel rim. Unfortunately, the EV4 seems saddled with many of those flaws.

Standard interior features on the EV4 include dual-zone automatic climate control, rear air vents, and acoustic windshield glass for a quieter cabin. Heated and ventilated front seats will be available, as will adjustable interior ambient lighting, a smartphone-as-key feature, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and an onboard voice assistant.

What Drives It

Kia says the EV4 will come in two main variants, both utilizing a 201-hp electric motor and front-wheel drive. The base Light trim gets a 58.3-kilowatt-hour battery, while the Wind and GT-Line will use an 81.4-kWh long-range battery. The driving range for the Light is estimated at 235 miles, while the long range is estimated at 330 miles.

According to the automaker, either battery can be charged from 10 percent to 80 percent at a public DC fast charger in about half an hour. The car will have a built-in North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector, enabling it to use Tesla Superchargers. The port is located on the front-passenger side, which is too bad. We’ve found that the front driver’s side or rear driver’s side are typically more convenient for owners.

The EV4 will feature V2L—or “vehicle-to-load”—technology, which allows owners to use the car’s battery to power “compatible external devices, such as laptops, lighting, and smaller electronics,” according to the automaker.

Safety and Driver Assistance Systems

We expect to see most of the same active safety and driver assistance features on the EV4 as with Kia’s other electric models, which typically include automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, automatic emergency braking that operates at highway speeds, blind spot warning, rear cross traffic warning, reverse automatic emergency braking, lane centering assistance, lane departure warning, lane keeping assistance, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams.

Kia says its Highway Driving Assist active driving assistance system will be standard, which gives the driver the ability to simultaneously use adaptive cruise control and lane centering assistance.

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