New Kia EV4 Fastback arrives to take on Polestar and Tesla
Joining the EV4 hatch is the new Fastback variant, which trades a bit of range for style
If Kia’s new EV4 hatchback didn’t quite grab your attention when it went on sale earlier this summer then the new EV4 Fastback might do the trick. Pricing and specifications of the longer version of the EV4 are now available and order books are open, too, ahead of first deliveries this autumn.
While the EV4 hatchback gives Kia a fresh competitor against the likes of the Skoda Elroq and Volkswagen ID.3, the EV4 Fastback morphs into a saloon-style shape, offering an alternative to the Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2.
Pricing for the EV4 Fastback starts at £40,895 for the GT-Line and £45,395 for the GT-Line S. Those are the only two trim options available on the Fastback, which only comes with an 81.4kWh battery, while the EV4 hatchback can be had with the more basic ‘Air’ trim and with a smaller 58.3kWh pack from £34,695.
Kia claims the EV4 Fastback is the most aerodynamic EV it’s ever made, with a drag coefficient of 0.23. However, despite this and using the same size battery that’s available in the EV4 hatchback, the EV4 Fastback tops out at 380 miles for both of those trim levels - the hatch can cover up to 388 miles. That’s still a little way off the Polestar 2’s maximum of 408 miles and the Tesla Model 3 Long Range’s 436 miles.
Sitting on the same 400V architecture as the hatch, the Fastback can recharge its 81.4kWh battery from 10 to 80 per cent in 29 minutes when using a 350kW fast charger. An 11kW AC charger will see the same top up take five hours and 20 minutes.
As with the hatch, the Fastback gets a single front-mounted electric motor with 201bhp and 283Nm of torque, which is enough to get it from 0-62mph in 7.9 seconds. That’s a little slower than the hatch’s 7.7-second time for the benchmark sprint, although the fastest model is the lighter EV4 hatchback with a larger 58.3kWh battery, which takes 7.4 seconds.
Kia hasn’t said how much the Fastback weighs, but we expect it to be heavier than the hatch considering its slightly lower range figure and slower acceleration time. Maintaining almost the exact same design as the EV4 concept revealed in late 2023, the Fastback is also 300mm longer than the hatch, with all of that coming from the rear overhang. The roofline is also 5mm lower, giving the Fastback a more rakish stance to go with the sloped rear roof. The latter tapers beyond the heads of the rear passengers, so hopefully interior space isn’t impinged by the Fastback’s proportions.
The Fastback has a 490-litre, beating the hatch’s 435-litre capacity. Those numbers don’t tell the full the story, however, because the hatchback’s more versatile opening area is likely to claw back some practicality points.
All Kia EV4s, whether a hatch or Fastback, get the same dash layout, with a 12.3-inch driver’s display and 12.3-inch central touchscreen, plus a 5.3-inch panel for climate controls in between. There’s also wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, four USB-C ports throughout the cabin, automatic air-conditioning, heated front seats, LED lights front and rear, plus a slew of safety features, such as highway driving assist, adaptive cruise control, forward collision avoidance and rear cross-traffic avoidance.
The EV4 Fastback GT-Line comes with 19-inch wheels, ‘GT-Line’ exterior styling, gloss black on the door mirrors, side sills and wheelarches, tinted rear windows, a two-tone artificial leather interior and a wireless smartphone charger.
GT-Line S models add a sunroof, a unique LED headlight signature, heated outer rear seats, heated and ventilated front seats, an electric bootlid, a three-pin plug socket for the interior, a vehicle-to-load adapter, an uprated Harman Kardon sound system, a head-up display, a 360-degree camera and a heat pump.
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