New Kia EV2 Long Range 2026 review: a big threat to the Renault 4

Verdict

The Kia EV2 Long Range is a compelling addition to the fiercely contested small EV segment. The full Government Electric Car Grant combined with a reasonable insurance group and impressive efficiency make for a car that should be incredibly cheap to run. It’s not remotely fun to drive, but most couples and small families mainly want something that’s long-legged, spacious and aspirational – all things the EV2 very much is, especially in GT-Line form. But if your ego can handle it, the entry-level Air offers the best value.

It’s incredible to think how, only a few years ago, all £30k would get you on the new EV market was a sub-200-mile second car. Now, models such as the new Kia EV2 Long Range appear to combine enough space for small families with first-car range for the same price.

Or perhaps we should shorten that to just Kia EV2, because while this new variant will, for a limited time, be offered alongside the small-battery First Edition, soon it will be the only version of Kia’s electric supermini/crossover you can buy. And on paper, at least, it looks to be the one you’d want.

Equipped with a 61kWh (58kWh usable) battery, the EV2 Long Range is claimed to be capable of up to 275 miles, depending on specification. Over a summer’s day of driving across motorways, B-roads and urban streets, we returned a frugal 4.1 miles per kilowatt-hour, or roughly 238 miles – not bad considering we were driving the GT-Line model, with its larger, less-efficient alloy wheels.

Used - available now

2027 KIA

EV2

5,221 milesAutomaticElectric

Cash £24,799

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And that’s another of the main differences between launch versions of the EV2 and what’s now offered with the Long Range; a variety of trim levels have become available with varying price points and levels of equipment. The GT-Line, which we drove, comes equipped as standard with all the kit you’d want, including a heated steering wheel and seats, a wireless phone charger and an array of driver aids including blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, front-and-rear parking sensors and a reversing camera.

What’s most impressive about the GT-Line, though, is the quality of the interior; the two-tone faux leather seats feel incredibly comfortable and premium, although a little more under-thigh support would be appreciated. There’s a mixture of surface materials including fabric on the dashboard and hard, textured plastics on the doors. These feel more like they were chosen for durability than cost-cutting but, in reality, that’s probably not the case.

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However, perhaps the biggest thorn in the GT-Line’s side is the entry-level Air model, which costs around £5,000 less and has, by and large, almost the same level of standard kit. The main sacrifice comes in the form of premium appeal; smaller wheels, fewer soft fabrics and cheaper-looking interior lighting add up to a car that ultimately does feel less expensive – but that’s because it is, by a significant margin. 

Those buying with their head should choose the Air, but we understand why one might be tempted by the more stylish GT-Line. The top-spec GT-Line S, on the other hand, with its Harman Kardon sound system, sunroof and 360-degree camera, is expensive at £32,595 (with Government grant) and a tad superfluous for most. It is rather annoying, though, that Kia only offers a heat pump with the GT-Line S and, even then, as a £700 option. Stingy much?

What the EV2 does offer as standard are three screens mounted alongside each other in a single panel. The main touchscreen is very responsive (aside from when using the fiddly built-in sat-nav) and comes with the usual Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. There isn’t much configurability in the digital dials, though (where are the sat-nav maps, Kia?) and, as in the case of other recent models from the brand, you have to contort your neck to be able to see the small climate control display; at least there’s a row of physical toggles to adjust the temperature and fan speed.

No matter which version you choose, the EV2 is fundamentally a very relaxing car to drive around town – a model-wide insurance rating of 21A hints that this is no hot hatch – but it does start to feel out of its depth when you push it hard. The steering is effortlessly light and, paired with a tight turning circle, makes manoeuvring a doddle. The boxy shape also means the windows are large and thus allow for plenty of visibility; those in the rear even roll down fully, which is a rarity nowadays.

To bolster efficiency, the EV2 Long Range produces 133bhp – 11bhp less than the Standard Range car. In the real world, this reduction is largely unnoticeable; the EV2’s sub-10-second 0-62mph time is about on par with petrol superminis and feels nippier than you might expect. Key rival the Renault 4 is even livelier, but the EV2 has no problem reaching motorway speeds.

Yet it’s once you reach this point that the baby Kia starts doing its best impression of one of those inflatable tube people you find at car dealerships; the soft suspension wobbles about and can get very much out of sorts on a bumpy road. Approach a corner any faster than a gentle dawdle and the EV2 suffers from noticeable body lean, while the main trade-off of that light steering is that there’s very little communication as to which way the wheels are pointing. The aforementioned R4 and the Ford Puma Gen-E are both much more enjoyable to drive.

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Still, such a soft suspension tune means the EV2 is plenty comfortable, even on the rather large 19-inch wheels of the GT-Line S. Despite the Kia’s boxy shape, there isn’t a whole lot of wind noise at higher speeds; there is, though, a quiet-yet-unpleasant whine from the electric motor which is so high-pitched that, admittedly, is probably inaudible to anyone other than dogs, or those aged under 30.

Speaking of young people, despite being the most compact EV in the Kia line-up, the EV2 still makes for a solid first family car. The back seats offer plenty of headroom and legroom – even for adults – although while the rear floor is flat, the rails of the front seats mean there isn’t a huge amount of space for your feet. ISOFIX child seat mounting points are accessible via handy zips and USB-C ports will help power whatever device is required to keep younger ones (or impatient older passengers) quiet on longer trips.

The 362-litre boot is pretty average for the class and the load lip is rather high; there are plenty of handy hooks and an adjustable boot floor, though. GT-Line cars and up come with a near-microscopic 15-litre frunk which is only really enough for the charging cables.

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