Kia EV4 review

Our opinion on the Kia EV4

The Kia EV4 is the electric family hatchback the Volkswagen ID.3 wishes it could be. The quiet and spacious cabin features intuitive tech and a big practical boot. It’s complemented by a smooth cushy ride and highly efficient powertrain that should deliver the promised class-leading range. Sure, it won’t set your pulse rating, and the styling might not be to everyone’s taste, but neither are likely to be dealbreakers for those in search of an easy-going family car.

About the Kia EV4

It’s easy to see the Kia EV4 just as the latest rival to the Volkswagen ID.3, Renault Megane and our reigning Car of the Year, the Skoda Elroq. Or merely as the sleeker sibling of the award-winning Kia EV3 SUV. While all of that is true, this is also the brand’s first electric car designed specifically for Europe, which was also fine tuned for European roads and is being built right here in Europe. It's made in Slovakia, to be precise, where the now-deceased Kia Ceed was produced for nearly 20 years.

At least that’s true for the EV4 hatchback. Kia has also launched a much less conventional-looking EV4 Fastback that’s being built in the brand’s homeland of South Korea. It adds a sloping roofline and 300mm to the car’s back-end, and competes more with electric saloons like the Tesla Model 3, plus the newly launched MG IM5.

Underneath, the Kia EV4 uses the same E-GMP platform and is offered with the same powertrains as the EV3. The most entry-level version of the hatchback uses a 58.3kWh battery to provide up to 273 miles of range, while all other models get an 81.4kWh powerpack for as much as 391 miles of range. 

Kia EV4 prices and latest deals

Prices for the Kia EV4 hatchback start from just over £33,000 thanks to the entry-level Air trim qualifying for the government's £1,500 'Band 2' electric car grant (ECG). This discount also applies to the longer range 81.4kWh Air, but the rest of the EV4 line-up is ineligible since they cost more than the £37,000 upper limit.

The EV4 Fastback starts from nearly £41,000. Part of the reason is that only the hatchback is available in entry-level (but still very generously equipped) Air trim, whereas the Fastback is offered exclusively in sportier-looking GT-Line specifications. 

• Air (from £33,245)
• GT-Line (from £39,445)
• GT-Line S (from £43,945)

You can now spec your ideal Kia EV4 through the Auto Express Buy A Car service and choose the best offer from dealers around the UK, with customers already able to save more than £1,000 using us. 

Kia wanted the EV4 to feel like a more dynamic car than the EV3. It helps that the driving position in the new hatchback is 40mm lower than the SUV’s, and its centre of gravity is 20m lower to the ground, too. The suspension and steering have been tuned differently. 

We’re told Kia’s engineers also spent many hours and thousands of miles thrashing the car around the gruelling Nürburgring race track. Although the impression we get from driving the EV4 is that this car’s priority is comfort rather than handling, because it’s supremely comfortable and quiet inside. 

We should note that our first taste of the Kia EV4 was on the smooth sun-soaked tarmac surrounding Malaga, Spain. So we’ll have to wait a little while longer to find out how it copes with the gaps and gorges of UK roads, however we’re confident it’ll be unfazed. 

Electric motors, 0-60mph acceleration and top speed

For now, every EV4 uses a single electric motor to drive the front wheels. It produces 201bhp and 283Nm of torque, which won’t shove you into the back of the driver's seat away from the lights, but we think it’s ample for a family car. The power delivery is smooth and gentle, but getting up to motorway speed doesn’t feel like a struggle and there’s plenty of power left over for overtaking. 

If you have a need for some more speed, a dual-motor, all-wheel drive set-up will be joining the EV4 line-up later this year. Plus there’s a properly hot EV4 GT model in the works, which should be packing about 300-400bhp. We think it’ll be comfortably more than a VW Golf R, at least.

Town driving, visibility and parking

Not every electric car is capable of one-pedal driving – meaning it can come to a complete stop without the driver having to touch the brake pedal. But the ones that do tend to offer it with one incredibly strong setting for their regenerative braking systems, which not everyone enjoys – especially if you’re not used to driving an electric car. 

However, in the EV4, you can choose from four strengths of regenerative braking using paddles behind the steering wheel – including one so weak you barely notice the car slowing down – then pair whichever you prefer with an ‘i-Pedal’ function for one-pedal driving. It’s one of our favourite tricks in this car, and activating it is simple, too: just hold down the right-hand paddle on the steering wheel. 

The one-pedal driving capabilities and light steering at low speeds make driving around town in the EV4 easy. Visibility is good all-round. However, we did find that because of how short and sharply angled the bonnet is, it can be difficult to place the car on the road. 

At least if you do find yourself in a tight situation in a car park or narrow city street, the sharp front- and rear-view cameras can be quickly accessed using a button on the centre console. 

The EV4 Fastback’s sloped roofline hinders rear visibility somewhat, making this one of the few times fitting a digital rear-view mirror might be helpful. However, there isn’t one.

Country road driving and handling

The one thing the Kia EV4 really isn’t is fun to drive. We noticed some more weight to the steering as we picked up speed blasting out of town, though it’s still vague and rather numb. The brake pedal also feels spongy, but the transition between the regenerative braking and physical discs is admittedly very smooth. You might notice some body lean if you attack a corner too fast or with too much vigor, but otherwise it feels like Kia has struck the right balance between comfort and stability. Hopefully the forthcoming EV4 GT will be able to deliver some thrills.

Motorway driving and long-distance comfort

Being behind the wheel of the EV4 is a soothing experience and makes us feel like this is a perfect car for eating through miles. The soft suspension does a fantastic job of smoothing out the impacts from potholes and other imperfections in the road, and we noticed only a tiny amount of road noise was making its way into the cabin. Adaptive cruise control being standard-fit will also help make long journeys more relaxing in the EV4.

“They used to say the loudest thing in a Rolls-Royce at 60mph was the clock. Well, in the Kia EV4, on smoother sections of road, the only noise I really noticed was coming from the air conditioning; it’s that quiet inside. The headrests are so soft and squishy they could even be from a Rolls-Royce, I think.” - Ellis Hyde, news reporter

The Kia EV4 offers up to 391 miles of range, which is one of the longest ranges offered by any electric car on the market. For context, that’s more than 100 miles further than the claimed range of either Renault Megane E-Tech or Vauxhall Astra Electric, as well as about 30 miles more than the longest range variants of either the ID.3 and Cupra can do on paper.

Of course, lots of electric cars claim enormous range figures, but based on our testing, it would appear the EV4 is capable of actually delivering on its promises. We managed to average a simply outstanding 5.0 miles/kWh on our test route, which included plenty of high-speed motorway driving, and two or three blasts along twisty back roads, in Sport mode of course. Even so, that level of efficiency would equate to a real-world range of 390 miles from what is the aptly named ‘Long Range’ battery.

The hot Spanish weather will certainly have helped boost the EV4’s efficiency, so it’ll be interesting to see how much difference the British climate makes.

While the Kia’s flagship EV9 features an 800-volt electrical system to deliver ultra-rapid charging capabilities, the EV4 uses a lesser 400-volt set-up like the EV3 and forthcoming Kia EV5. This allows for a more modest maximum charging speed of 135kW, which is still fast enough that a 10-80 per cent top-up will take less than 30 minutes. 

If you want to get the EV4 with a heat pump, which preserves more of the car’s range in cold weather, you first need to get a top-of-the-range GT-Line S model, and even then it’s a £900 optional extra.  

Insurance groups

Insurance premiums for the Kia EV4, unfortunately, could be pricier than rivals'. The range starts in group 35, with the top-spec GT-Line S Fastback in group 38. In comparison, our class favourite, the Skoda Elroq, starts in group 22 and goes up to 37 for the hottest vRS version – quite impressive given the latter is much quicker than the EV4 and puts out 335bhp and will do 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds.

Tax

From April 1 2025, electric cars attract the same £195 annual rate of Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) or ‘road tax’ as any other cars on the road. They’re also subject to the £425 expensive vehicle supplement for any models with a list price of more than £40,000 when new, which includes range-topping versions of the EV4.

The Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) company car tax rate for EVs is 3 per cent for the 2025/26 tax year, whereas a petrol-powered hatchback like the VW Golf attracts a 30 per cent tax rate.

Depreciation

According to our most recent expert data, the EV4 should hold onto 40-43 per cent of its original value over a typical three-year/36,000-mile ownership period, with the hatchback models expected to be the best performers. That’s a little down compared with the 45 to 48 per cent the Renault Megane is projected to retain, while the Skoda Elroq should do even better, holding on to between 47 to 55 per cent over the same period. 

To get an accurate valuation on a Kia EV4 check out our free car valuation tool...

We were introduced to the Kia EV4 as a sci-fi-looking, slightly polarising concept back in 2023. However, the show-stopper only previewed the fastback saloon model. The first time we saw the hatchback was when it was revealed to the world in 2025.

As we’ve seen with all of Kia’s latest creations, the design of the EV4 sticks very closely to the original concept. Including the ultra-slim ‘Star Map’ lighting at the front, sharply angled and relatively stubby nose and smooth surfacing contrasted by the pronounced angular wheelarches, especially at the rear.

With the hatchback, we’d recommend sticking with the base Air trim level as it offers all the kit you’ll probably need, including:

• 17-inch alloy wheels
• 12.3-inch digital driver’s display
• 12.3-inch central touchscreen with sat-nav and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Heated front seats and steering wheel
• Reversing camera
• Adaptive cruise control
• Keyless entry

GT-Line trim adds slightly sportier styling thanks to new front and rear bumpers, additional gloss black trim and unique wheel designs. Plus two-tone artificial leather upholstery, a wireless charging pad for your smartphone and ambient lighting.

For all the bells and whistles, you have to spring for the GT-Line S specification. This comes with a sunroof, customisable head-up display, eight-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, heated and ventilated 'premium relaxation' front seats, an electric tailgate, and LED headlights with adaptive high beams.

Interior and dashboard design

Kia has managed to do what certain brands are still struggling to figure out: create a clean, uncluttered and fairly futuristic-looking interior that doesn’t compromise too much on functionality. Yes, the touchscreen is responsible for a lot – and there’s a separate screen just for the climate controls – but there are chunky physical toggles for cabin temperature and fan speed, a row of big shortcut buttons on the dashboard, plus the usual selection of physical buttons on the steering wheel. 

The EV4 uses the same dashboard design as the EV3, including the trio of screens housed within a single unit and a column-mounted gear selector, which is also where you’ll find the start button. But unlike its sibling, there’s no sliding mini-table on the centre console, just a storage space which we think owners will find more useful.

Materials and build quality

There’s no hiding the fact that the EV4’s interior is mostly of hard plastic, but Kia has managed to dress things up by using various finishes and textures for the different surfaces. The door panels in the base Air model, for instance, feature light grey, sofa-like fabric and plastic that looks like it's made from crushed carbon fibre. There is also some metal-effect trim on the dashboard to break things up, plus there are some squidgy materials dotted around, and everything in the cabin feels solid. However, some rivals just feel more plush. 

The interior in GT-Line models does look slightly more upmarket because of the artificial leather seat upholstery and the dashboard. But aside from that, the only other change is the armrest on the doors becoming white and alloy pedals.  

Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment

Every EV4 features a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display and a 12.3-inch central touchscreen, plus a separate 5.3-inch touchscreen for the climate controls. All the graphics are very dark, but still very easy to read, loading times are quick, and the menus are easy to navigate through, which is good because there are a lot of them. This makes turning off some of the more annoying driver-assistance systems, like the driver attention warning, more difficult and more distracting than we’d like it to be. 

“The only real issue I have with this set-up is that the climate control screen is blocked by the steering wheel. So I had to lean across to see it properly, which caused the driver monitoring system to tell me off constantly.” - Ellis Hyde, news reporter

The EV4 is larger than the family hatchbacks we’re most familiar with, like the Vauxhall Astra and Volkswagen Golf, plus their all-electric alternatives. Not that’s a bad thing, though, because it means there’s lots of cabin space, including for back-seat passengers, plus a much bigger boot than your average hatchback. 

Dimensions and size

You would think that, being an SUV, the Kia EV3 would be the bigger car than the EV4. However, the hatchback EV4 is actually 120mm longer than its higher-riding sibling – even though the EV3 is still more practical. Meanwhile, the EV4 Fastback measures 4,730mm from nose to tail, meaning it’s almost exactly the same length as a Tesla Model 3, and just as wide.   

Seats & passenger space

Adults will have no qualms sitting in the back of the EV4. During our testing we found that, even with someone around six-foot tall up front, taller individuals still have enough legroom to stretch out, plus headroom to spare and space under the front seats for their feet. 

The flat floor will help when you have to squeeze three adults into the back, and the cabin is wide enough to do that. However, the floor is also quite high, like it is in many electric cars, so long-legged passengers don’t get much under-thigh support. If you’ve got a young family, there are two sets of Isofix mounting points for child seats. 

As you’d probably expect, the sloped roofline of the EV4 Fastback does reduce headroom for rear passengers slightly. But there’s still enough for six-foot tall adults back there, as we can attest.

Boot space 

The EV4’s 435-litre boot is significantly bigger than the roughly 380 litres you get in the Volkswagen Golf, and its electric counterpart the ID.3. It’s also more space than you get in a Vauxhall Astra, Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla. There’s no enormous load lip to throw things over as you get in the Renault Megane either, and space under the floor to keep the charging cables out of sight. Luggage capacity grows to 1,415 litres when the rear seats are folded down.

The EV4 Fastback offers an even larger 490-litre luggage capacity; however, because of how the wheelarches intrude into the boot space, and the traditional letterbox-style saloon boot opening, it’ll be harder to load larger items compared to the hatchback. You can still lower the rear seats by pulling two tabs located inside the boot, which will give you 1,650 litres of space to play with.

"The 500kg braked towing capacity of the 58.3kWh Kia EV4 and the 1,000kg rating of the 81.4kWh model are on par with the Renault Megane, but for those who need to pull a decent-sized caravan, you'll need the Volvo EX30, because that can lug up to 1,600kg." – Max Adams, online reviews editor

The Kia EV4 has received a split crash-safety rating from Euro NCAP: four stars out of five for cars without the 'DriveWise ADAS' pack and a higher five-star rating for models with it. All UK models come as standard with this pack.  

Every EV4 comes loaded with safety kit, including a number of airbags, a reversing camera and advanced driver-assistance systems like adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go function, safe exit warning and collision avoidance. Range-topping models get extra parking sensors, a 360-degree surround-view camera system, and blind-spot view monitoring, the latter complementing the standard blind spot warning system by showing a live camera view of what's alongside you when you indicate to change lanes.

As reassuring as it is to have all this ADAS tech onboard, plenty of people (including me) want to turn certain features, like the speed limit warning, off. There is a button on the steering wheel for switching off the lane-keep assist, and holding the volume dial also deactivates the speed limit warning. However, everything else has to be done through the touchscreen, which requires several presses in several sub-menus. 

Kia finished 18th (out of 31) in our latest rankings for the best car manufacturer, which is based on owners’ feedback from the Driver Power satisfaction survey. That’s rather alarming when you consider the brand managed to finish third in the rankings last year. 

Best buy: Kia EV4 Air 81.4kWh 'Long Range'

Unless you really want all the bells and whistles that come with the top-flight GT-Line S model, we recommend sticking with the entry-level Air specification. You get plenty of kit as standard, plus we think the fabric trim for the dashboard makes the cabin feel more welcoming, and it’s a little different to the artificial leather found in GT-Line trims. Air trim cars also qualify for the government's electric car grant (ECG) discount, making them even better value.

Like every Kia, the EV4 comes with a seven-year/100,000-mile warranty, compared to the three years of coverage you get with a Volkswagen, Cupra, Skoda and Renault.

Alternatives

Due to its choice of bodystyles, the Kia EV4 faces plenty of competition. The chief rivals for the hatchback are the Volkswagen ID.3, Cupra Born and Renault Megane, plus some electric SUVs like the new Nissan Leaf and the excellent Skoda Elroq. 

The starting price for the EV4 is several thousand pounds more than the ID.3, but it's on par with the 58kWh ID.3 Pro Essential. Also, the VW does cost about £1.5k less at the moment; however, that’s only because of a hefty price cut and the Government’s new Electric Car Grant, which the Kia isn’t currently eligible for.

Meanwhile, the EV4 Fastback competes against electric saloons like the Tesla Model 3, BYD Seal and even the BMW i4. The newly launched MG IM5 is another rival, and it starts from under £40k, undercutting the Kia. Plus the long-range model, which costs less than £45k, boasts up to 441 miles of range, also trumping the Kia.

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Kia EV4 pictures

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