New Kia EV2 "for Europe" coming early 2026
Earlier concept will morph into new electric supermini in 2026, with fashionable SUV styling and roomy cabin
Kia is counting down the days until it pulls the covers off its new EV2 electric supermini, with president and CEO Song Ho-Sung telling Auto Express the car will be revealed in full “early next year”.
Ho-Sung reiterated the model’s positioning as the new entry point to Kia’s range, as well as its importance in the European market – revealing that it won’t be sold in Korea at all: “EV3 is the smallest size for Korea,” he told us. “EV2 is for Europe”.
The EV2 will be built in the space vacated by the now defunct Kia Ceed at the firm’s factory in Slovakia, from 2026. The CEO justified his decision not to build the pint-sized EV in Kia’s home market, saying: “We sell only 1,000 Picantos per month in Korea,” suggesting buyers prefer larger models, which represent something of a cultural status symbol. Ho-Sung himself drives an EV9 – Kia’s biggest and most prestigious model to date.
The EV2 Concept, first presented at the company’s ‘EV Day’ earlier this year in Spain, will morph into a Citroen e-C3 and Volkswagen ID. Polo-fighting electric supermini when it goes on sale priced from around 30,000 Euros (£26,000). It will eventually be joined by an EV1 city-sized electric car designed to rival the future Volkswagen ID.1. While the EV1 and EV2 aren't currently on the market, you can get yourself a Kia EV3 from just under £33,000 through the Auto Express Buy A Car service.
No reveal date has been officially disclosed as yet, but given Ho-Sung’s comments and the car’s strict European relevance, there’s a chance we may see the design come to light as early as the Brussels Motor Show in January.
Kia EV2 design and styling
Looking at the EV2 concept, there are plenty of giveaways that point us to the production car arriving in 2026. Kia’s executive vice president and head of Kia global design, Karim Habib, told us: “It is still a concept car, but a lot of it you will see.
“You can take the example of the EV3 or EV4 which we showed two years ago as concepts; the delta between production car and show car is exactly the same [for EV2].”
The upright stance and small-SUV side profile are almost identical to the cars we’ve seen testing with heavy camouflage, and the upright ‘Star Map’ DRLs are in keeping with Kia’s ‘Opposites United’ design language.
The lighting pattern has been tweaked for the rear of the EV2, set wide on the tailgate to emphasise the car’s width. The usual SUV elements are present and correct with plenty of cladding and bumper inserts for that typically rugged look. A set of big, four-spoke wheels finishes things off, although we expect a more modest design to feature on the production car.
Interior and technology
Speaking to Auto Express, CEO Ho-Sung said “interior roominess” will be a big selling point for the EV2. The concept featured a folding, sliding and reclining rear bench, which even lifts up at the base like you’d find in a Honda Jazz. Designer Habib told us previously that this is “something [Kia is] working on” for the production car.
The colours, materials and 3D-printed elements might be a bit exotic, but the dashboard – with its minimalist layout and twin screens – shouldn’t change too much between now and the car being revealed. The rear-hinged doors won’t be offered on the EV2, although Habib did say parent company Hyundai Motor Group is “working towards” offering it on a production model. “I cannot tell you when,” he said. “But we will do that; it is a very practical thing.”
Battery, range and charging
The EV2 will probably come only in single-motor form, and will use the same dedicated E-GMP electric car platform as its bigger brother, the EV3. Following in the tyre tracks of the EV3, EV4 and EV5, the EV2 is expected to use a 400-volt electrical architecture, with a choice of batteries designed to suit its position as an urban-focused SUV.
There’s a chance we may see an entry-level car with a circa-40kWh battery, plus, possibly, the larger 58kWh unit from the EV3. Given that car can do around 270 miles on a charge, it’s feasible the smaller EV2 could breach 300 miles on the official WLTP cycle.
Kia has confirmed that the EV2 will feature Vehicle to Load (V2L) and Vehicle to Grid (V2G) technology, as well as the ability to accept over the air (OTA) updates.
Spy shots and EV2 test mules
Auto Express has previously caught the EV2 testing on the road and as our spy shots reveal, the EV2 will get an upright body with subtle cladding for a mini-SUV stance. As we’ve seen on the EV2 concept, it’s all but certain that Kia’s family face seen on the EV3, EV5, EV6 and EV9 will be condensed into a more compact package for the EV2, again with vertical daytime running lights and separate headlight clusters. That tall body should translate to plenty of cabin space, with a familiar dash layout and infotainment options.
Prices, specifications and on-sale date
During Kia’s 2025 EV Day, bosses said the EV2 will launch as a production car in 2026 for “around 30,000 Euros”. At current exchange rates, that’s roughly £26,000 – meaning it’ll slot in just above the affordable Citroen e-C3 and models like the Jeep Avenger and Ford Puma Gen-E. It’ll also arrive just in time to battle the Volkswagen ID. Polo and Cupra Raval – two of 2026’s most hotly anticipated small EVs.
This would leave space beneath the EV2, for the forthcoming EV1, which CEO Ho-Sung said is “definitely” part of the firm’s future plans. Kia has previously trademarked the model designations EV1 through to EV9.
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