Kia EV4 Review 2026: Prices, specs and verdict

What is the Kia EV4?

The Kia EV4 is a family-sized electric hatchback and saloon that joins the Korean brand’s increasingly crowded line-up of EVs.

These two bodystyles bring Kia’s current electric range up to eight models. That includes everything from the soon-to-arrive EV2 small SUV, right up to the giant seven-seat EV9. There’s even an electric van or people carrier with the great value PV5.

So where does the EV4 sit? Well, it indirectly replaces the Niro EV, which has now been phased out and is only offered as a hybrid. And as the name suggests, it’s priced between the EV3 and EV5 SUVs.

Being wider and lower to the ground, with a sloping roofline, the EV4 is much less of a faux SUV than the old Niro. Its shape is focused on efficiency, with that low, sleek profile helping it to become the longest-range electric Kia on sale.

The EV4 hatchback is joined by the EV4 Fastback, a quirky-looking saloon with a longer body that reminds us of the Citroen e-C4 X. But do either of them stand out amongst a wealth of alternatives? We’ll find out in this review.

Verdict: is the Kia EV4 a good car?

We reckon the Kia EV4 is well worth a look if you’re after a long-range, comfortable electric hatchback. It’s well-equipped, has a logical interior layout and offers loads of legroom in the back, but it’s shame tall drivers aren’t better catered for up front. There are more fun to drive alternatives, too, but if that isn’t a priority the EV4 is a strong choice.

Pricing, specs & rivals

Prices for a new Kia EV4 kick off at £33,245 at the time of writing. That’s including the UK Electric Car Grant, and makes the EV4 slightly more expensive to buy than a Volkswagen ID.3 or Renault Megane E-Tech. It undercuts the cheapest Cupra Born, however.

That base price gets you the EV4 in Air trim with the smaller 55kWh battery pack. Standard equipment in the EV4 Air is good, with 17in alloys, LED headlights, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, all-round parking sensors, a reversing camera and adaptive cruise control.

You can opt for the bigger battery and stay in Air spec for a very reasonable £2,250 increase, which we reckon is the best version in the range for most people.

The EV4 GT-Line is only available with the bigger battery and adds 19in alloys, sportier design elements, faux leather trim, electrically adjustable front seats, wireless phone charging, a digital key and other detail upgrades, but at £39,445 it doesn’t qualify for the Electric Car Grant, so you’ll have to really want the additional kit it brings.

Topping the range is the EV4 GT-Line S. At £43,880 it isn’t cheap, but you do get plenty of niceties including upgraded adaptive beam LED headlights, a sunroof, ventilated front seats, heated outer rear seats, ‘Premium Relaxation’ seats with a memory function, an electric tailgate and some extra technology features including a head-up display.

Choosing the EV4 Fastback limits you to the top two trim levels, and adds £1,500 to the price, meaning the top-spec version is over £45,000 – well into Tesla Model 3 territory.

Rivals

The EV4 has a long list of alternatives, whether you’re adamant you want an electric hatchback or you don’t mind a bit of SUV influence.

Key hatchback alternatives include the Volkswagen ID.3, Cupra Born, Renault Megane E-Tech, Peugeot e-308, Vauxhall Astra Electric and MG4.

Meanwhile, some more SUV-style competitors include the new Nissan Leaf, Ford Explorer, Renault Scenic E-Tech, Volvo EX30, Skoda Elroq and Leapmotor B10. You might also want to check out saloon cars like the Mercedes-Benz CLA and Tesla Model 3.

Kia EV4: Interior comfort, quality & technology

The EV4’s cabin will be familiar to anyone who’s driven the latest Kia range. That means it’s a smart design, with a nice mix of technology and old-school physical controls. We also like the two-tone interior trim option, although the light fabric may mark over time.

Overall quality is good, with the EV4 looking a bit plusher than an ID.3 or Cupra Born, and on a par with the Megane E-Tech. Everything feels built to last far longer than the average lease period.

The driving position will be fine for most drivers, with enough seat and steering wheel adjustment (and electric seats on all but Air trim). However, there’s a potentially big issue for tall adults.

This 6ft 3in tester found it difficult to get comfortable behind the wheel. Firstly, the wheel didn’t adjust close enough for my liking, which also meant my right knee would keep bashing the drive selector stalk. And secondly, the roofline felt very close to my head, contacting it on occasions when I was leaning forward to look out of a junction.

We should say that average-sized adults (under six-foot) without long legs shouldn’t have any issues. But tall drivers are much better off in an EV3, or many hatchback rivals.

Visibility is okay, although some may miss the EV3’s better view forwards and the sloping roofline means the rear view isn’t great – a particular issue in the Fastback with its narrower rear screen.

Infotainment, sat-nav, stereo and connectivity

Every EV4 features a pair of 12.3in screens, one for the driver’s instrument display and another for main infotainment functions. They’re split by a much smaller, more basic third screen for the climate controls.

The infotainment screen has Kia’s familiar tile-based home screen, and it’s mostly intuitive to operate, although a few areas feature too many sub-menus for our liking. The screen is responsive, processes quickly and has decent clarity, but it can’t match Renault’s segment-leading system with its lovely graphics and easy operation.

A few haptic shortcut ‘buttons’ are hidden in the trim piece below the screen, which is useful, as are the physical temperature and fan speed controls below that. The little climate screen is less user-friendly: its layout is okay, but it’s blocked from your view while driving by the steering wheel rim.

The driver’s display gives you a great mix of information without being too overwhelming, and we like the physical steering wheel controls.

In terms of connectivity, there’s the usual wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with two USB-C ports in the front (with fast 100-watt charging from one) and another pair mounted on the side of the front seatbacks for rear passengers.

How practical is the Kia EV4?

The Kia EV4’s dimensions of 4,430mm in length, 1,860mm in width and 1,485mm in height make it a full 130mm longer than the EV3, but its roofline is 85mm lower. At 4730mm in length, the EV4 Fastback is a full 30cm longer than the hatch.

The hatch is also considerably longer and wider than the ID.3, new Nissan Leaf and Renault Megane E-Tech – in fact, it’s closer to the Scenic E-Tech in footprint.

Being larger than the average electric hatch translates to plenty of leg space and cabin width in the front. Headroom will be fine for most adults, but the very tall (6ft 3 and over) may find it difficult to get comfortable behind the wheel – as detailed in the interior section.

There are few issues in the back, with impressive amounts of knee space being the biggest benefit over other electric hatchbacks. Even abnormally tall adults will have several inches of space behind a tall driver.

Our only complaints are that there isn’t an excess of headroom for six-footers, while if the front seat passengers have the seats in their lowest position it’s tricky to slide your feet underneath. Overall, though, this is a vastly roomier car than, say, a Peugeot e-308.

The EV4 Fastback is harder to recommend if you regularly carry tall adults because headroom is noticeably reduced in the back.

Storage and boot space

Storage for items in the front of the EV4 is decent, with a well-used centre console area featuring an under-armrest cubby, a space for smaller items and a wide area for bigger items between the front passengers’ legs. That space also has a couple of pop-out cupholders.

There’s a large tray in front of that featuring the wireless phone charging pad. The door bins are quite narrow, however, and the glovebox is only okay. It’s worth noting that you lose one of the centre console cubbies to a slide out tray to rest a laptop on with higher trims.

In the back the door bins are even smaller, but the seatback pockets are useful and the there’s a decent storage tray on the back of the centre console. There are also two cupholders in the centre armrest.

In terms of boot space, the EV4 hatchback offers 435 litres of capacity with the rear seats up. That’s bigger than most electric hatchbacks and not far off the much taller EV3. The adjustable boot floor removes any load lip, too, while there’s a big space under the boot floor for your charging cables. That makes up for the lack of any under-bonnet storage.

The EV4 Fastback extends that to 490 litres, but you get a typically smaller saloon-style boot opening that limits what you can carry. The wheelarches also intrude into the floor, so overall we don’t think the Fastback offers enough to recommend it over the hatch.

Performance & drive: What is the Kia EV4 like on the road?

Kia has kept things simple with the EV4, as like the EV3 every version has the same 204hp electric motor powering the front wheels only.

That is, until Kia launches the dual-motor EV4 GT later in 2026. Its four-wheel drive and 292hp enables a 0-62mph time of 5.4 seconds – faster than an ID.3 GTX.

The standard car offers up perfectly acceptable performance for any real-world situation, with enough acceleration in reserve to make overtaking and joining motorway junctions swift and easy.

The 0-62mph sprint is dealt with in 7.4 second for the smaller battery model, and 7.7 seconds for the Long Range. Both of those are faster than cars like the Vauxhall Astra Electric, and in line with the ID.3. The Fastback is identical, too.

Throttle response is well-judged, so it’s responsive but not difficult to gently accelerate at low speeds.

There are also three levels of regenerative braking, from full coasting to strong regen effect, activated easily via paddles on the steering wheel. There’s also a full one-pedal mode, as well as adaptive regen that uses cameras and radar to judge when you need braking effect (such as coming up to roundabouts or a car in front.

Power, 0-62mph times

• Kia EV4 Standard Range: 7.4 secs
• Kia EV4 Long Range: 7.7 secs

Ride and handling

Kia has stiffened up the suspension in the EV4 over the decidedly softly sprung EV3. That’s an effort to make it feel sportier, while the EV4 also sits 40mm lower to the ground.

That translates to a more composed feel in corners, with noticeably less body lean than the SUV. However, compared to the sharp and agile Cupra Born or MG 4 the Kia still falls short. It isn’t as keen to change direction and the steering feels a bit lifeless, so you automatically find yourself easing off to drive more gently.

While there’s little enjoyment to be had from a twisty B-road, the EV4 is more comfortable over rough surfaces than the Cupra Born – particularly with the smallest 17in wheels fitted. The bigger wheels of GT-Line trim and above do make it feel more unsettled, however.

Noise and refinement

The EV4 is a very good cruiser thanks to low levels of cabin noise. Wind noise is kept well at bay thanks to that slippery shape, although road noise is more noticeable on GT-Line models and above than on the smaller wheels of Air trim. Even so, a Renault Megane E-Tech is less refined at speed. Motor whine is barely audible in the Kia, either.

Euro NCAP: is the Kia EV4 a safe car?

All UK versions of the Kia EV4 have received the maximum five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP in crash testing. Some markets feature a model fitted without some active safety tech, which was awarded four stars.

As well as six airbags as standard, all models feature automatic emergency braking that detects pedestrians, cyclists and junctions, lane keep and lane follow assist, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, blind spot collision avoidance, rear cross-traffic avoidance, driver attention monitoring and a safe exit warning.

To help avoid low-speed prangs all cars also get all-round parking sensors and a reversing camera. GT-Line S models add to that with a 360-degree camera system and Kia’s blind spot view monitor, which sends a live camera feed of rear blind spots into the dials when indicating.

Charging, range and running costs

Thanks to its lower roofline and more slippery body aiding aerodynamics, the Kia EV4 gets more range from a charge than the EV3 with the same battery packs.

The entry-level Air Standard Range makes use of a 55kWh battery pack, and in official combined WLTP testing it’s capable of up to 273 miles on a charge. That’s fractionally more than a VW ID.3 manages with an almost identical battery size.

The Air Long Range makes a good case for itself as a longer distance EV, with its 78kWh (usable) battery boosting that range significantly to 388 miles – more than any version of the ID.3 and not far off some more expensive premium EVs.

It’s worth noting that GT-Line and GT-Line S models see that official figure drop to 362 miles. The EV4 Fastback’s longer rear-end helps aerodynamics even more, but there’s no Air version, so the range increases from 362 to 380 miles.

Another point is that a heat pump is, strangely, only available to add as an option on GT-Line S models. That’s a shame, because it could make a significant different to range losses in winter weather.

Range on a charge (WLTP figures)

• Kia EV4 Air Standard Range: 273 miles
• Kia EV4 Air Long Range: 388 miles
• Kia EV4 GT-Line/GT-Line S: 362 miles
• Kia EV4 Fastback: 380 miles

Charging speeds for the Kia EV4 are about average for the price point it occupies. That’s because ‘lesser’ Kia EVs don’t make use of the 800-volt charging system that features in the more expensive EV6 and EV9.

The smallest battery model has a modest peak charging speed of 100kW. But because the battery isn’t large, you’re looking at around 30 minutes for a 10-80% charge on a suitable rapid charger.

That increases to 33 minutes for the Long Range EV4, with that car’s higher 135kW peak not making up for the much bigger battery.

All versions have battery preconditioning, which can be manually activated in a menu or automatically through the sat-nav when set to a charging destination. However, only top-spec EV4s get Vehicle-to-Load tech to power external devices from the battery, with a three-pin socket also installed in the cabin.

Charging speeds

(Figures from EV Database)

• 7kW charging: 8hrs 45 mins (Standard Range) / 12hrs 30 mins (Long Range)  
• 11kW charging: 6 hours / 8hrs 30 mins
• 50kW rapid charger (10 to 80% charge): 54 mins / 77 mins
• 150kW+ rapid charger (10 to 80% charge): 30 mins / 33 mins

How much does the Kia EV4 cost to insure?

One potential downside of the Kia EV4 is, depending on your circumstances, insurance costs. Even the entry-level Air model with the smallest battery sits in insurance group 33, which is higher than every version of the Volkswagen ID.3 apart from the hot GTX variant.

GT-Line and GT-Line S models sit in group 35 and 36 respectively. For many people, this won’t add too much to your annual premium, but for younger, higher risk drivers (or those with previous claims) it could make the EV4 more expensive to run.