Kia EV4 review

Fourth time around isn’t just a song by Bob Dylan – it also acts as a nice introduction to the new award-winning Kia EV4. You see, having impressed us with its recent electric SUVs, the Kia EV3, EV6 and EV9, the Korean brand is hoping to showcase its talents in more traditional classes.

Two versions of the EV4 are offered: a conventional hatchback to rival the likes of the Cupra Born, Renault Megane and Volkswagen ID 3, and a sleeker Fastback version with an elongated rear-end and saloon boot. The latter is expected to be less popular in the UK and is a rival to executive cars, including the Polestar 2 and Tesla Model 3.

Kia EV4 video review:

The EV4 features Kia's now familiar Tiger Face front-end styling and it’s built on the same underpinnings as the EV3. It isn’t as tall as that car, but it is longer thanks to a stretched wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear wheels) so it should be roomier inside. 

And with better aerodynamics, the Kia EV4 also has a longer range than the EV3 – in fact, it can officially travel farther on a charge than any electric Kia to date.

How fast is it and which motor is best?

Whichever Kia EV4 you buy, it will have a 201bhp electric motor driving the front wheels. The Standard Range model (which has a smaller and lighter battery than the Long Range) is slightly quicker on paper, but you’ll struggle to notice the difference.

Both versions can accelerate from 0-62mph in around 7.5sec, which makes the EV4 nippier than a Renault Megane and only fractionally slower than an entry-level Cupra Born.

If you want more power, you’ll have to wait for the forthcoming EV4 GT. That will have two electric motors, four-wheel drive and is expected to be able to launch from 0-62mph in around four seconds.

Is it agile and is the ride comfortable?

The EV4 is based on the EV3, but it’s 40mm lower to the ground and has stiffer suspension. That means you feel more of bumps as they pass beneath the car, particularly at lower speeds in urban environments. 

The entry-level Air with its smaller 17in wheels has the most comfortable ride, but it’s far from bone-shakingly firm in higher spec models with 19in items. Besides, the tighter control actually keeps the EV4 more composed along undulating roads. There’s also less body lean through tight twists and turns, especially when you’re driving spiritedly.

Compared with other conventionally-shaped electric hatchbacks, the EV4 handles well enough. Just don’t expect to have as much fun as you would in a Cupra Born. That car is more agile and has sharper, more feelsome steering. The EV4’s steering has a slightly unnatural weighting that robs you of a bit of confidence when driving quickly.

Is it quiet and how easy is it to drive smoothly?

Regardless of tyre size, all versions kick up some road noise at 70mph. We actually found this more of an issue in the regular EV4 than the EV4 Fastback, which is fitted with different tyres.

There’s a bit of wind noise too, although GT Line S does come with laminated front windows that reduce this. Overall, the Renault Megane is a quieter cruiser. The EV4 has a much more solid and reassuring brake pedal than its French rival, though; it’s easier to judge how much pressure to apply to scrub off speed smoothly.

What’s the range and efficiency like, and how quickly can it charge?

If most of your driving is around town or in the ‘burbs and long journeys are fairly rare, the cheaper Standard Range version is probably all you need. It has a 55kWh (usable capacity) battery and an official range of 273 miles is long enough for most buyers.

This version can charge at speeds of up to 100kW meaning a 10-80% top-up can be taken care of in around 30 minutes.

As the name suggests, the Long Range version can travel greater distances between charges. It has an official range of up to 388 miles, although this varies slightly depending on the body style and trim level you go for.

That’s a far better official range than any Cupra Born or Renault Megane offers, although don’t expect to get that far in real-world driving. Based on our tests on a warm day in southern Spain, expect to get around 300 miles from a charge in summer if you’re mostly driving on the motorway.

The Long Range can accept charging speeds of up to 135kW but, because it has a bigger battery, a 10-80% charge still takes around half an hour.

“The EV4 is more agile than the EV3 it shares its basic underpinnings with. That hardly’s surprising given that the EV4 is lower and has stiffer suspension.” – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

What does the interior look like and is it well made?

If you’ve ever sat in an EV3 you’ll have a serious sense of deja-vu when you get inside the EV4. The interiors of both cars are near-enough identical in design, which means a fairly minimalist layout with few physical buttons and switches. 

GT-Line and GT-Line S versions have a slightly darker colour scheme (with a black roof lining), along with some different interior materials and faux-leather – rather than grey cloth – seat upholstery. Both trims feature plenty of recycled plastics and paints, though.

You don’t exactly feel as though you’re sitting in a luxury car, but quality is roughly on a par with the Cupra Born and Renault Megane, thanks to solid build quality and squidgy materials in the important places.

Is the driving position comfortable and is it easy to see out?

Since the EV4 is a conventional hatchback, you sit fairly close to the road – more so than you do in the EV3. Whether that’s a good thing or not really comes down to personal preference.

The fundamental driving position is very good, though. There’s lots of steering wheel adjustment combined with electric seat adjustment in GT-Line or GT-Line S models. The entry-level Air has a manually-adjustable driver’s seat and also misses out on adjustable lumbar support. Thankfully, the seat is supportive enough for it not to be a big issue.

The view out the back of the EV4 isn’t great – especially in the Fastback saloon version with its narrower rear screen – but all trims come with front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera. GT-Line S versions add a 360-degree bird’s eye view camera.

Is the dashboard and infotainment system easy to use?

Our testers found it easy to see the digital driver display behind the steering wheel, but it’s not as configurable and offers fewer layouts than the one in Megane. Your view of the smaller climate control touchscreen next to this is also largely obscured by the rim of the steering wheel. This is also a problem in the EV3 and EV9, although there are at least separate physical controls for adjusting the interior temperature and fan speed. 

A third (12.3in) touchscreen in the middle of the dashboard is for controlling the infotainment functions. The layout is intuitive and most of the icons are big and easy to select, plus you get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring as standard. We think the Megane’s system, with its built-in Google software and simple layout, is even better, though.

Go for GT-Line trim or above and you’ll get a wireless phone charging pad, while the range-topping GT-Line S is fitted with an upgraded eight-speaker Harman Kardon sound system. Sound quality is decent but won’t blow you away.

“One thing that annoys me about the EV4 – and other electric Kias for that matter – is that you have to manually turn the car off with a button at the end of your journey. If you forget to do this you can’t lock the car or open the rear doors. Many other electric cars switch themselves off automatically when you get out.” – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

How much space does it have for people?

You won’t have any complaints about space in the front of the EV4. There’s plenty of head room, the seats slide back a long way on their runners and there are lots of places to stash odds and ends, including a huge open tray between the driver and passenger.

Rear leg room is even more impressive; there’s far more than in a Cupra Born or Renault Megane. You almost feel as though you’re in the back of a limo, and the view out is surprisingly good thanks to square side windows. 

Head room is less impressive, although there’s still enough for a typical six-footer in the regular EV4 hatchback. We’d avoid the Fastback version if you plan to put taller adults in the back; this has a much lower ceiling and less space for feet underneath the front seats.

The EV4’s rear seats don’t do anything clever, like slide or recline. But then again, they don’t in a Born or Megane either.

How much room does it have for luggage?

The regular EV4 hatch has a 435-litre boot (below the parcel shelf). That means it can carry more luggage than a Cupra Born, Renault Megane or Volkswagen ID 3. 

The longer Fastback version has an even bigger 490-litre load bay. However, because it’s a saloon, you can’t whip out the parcel shelf should you need to carry taller items. And although the aperture is very wide for a saloon (1.25 metres), it’s shaped like a letterbox. 

In the hatchback, the floor has two height settings, the higher of which leaves only a small lip at the boot entrance. In the Fastback, there’s a minor drop to the fixed height floor but it shouldn’t pose any difficulties. Both versions provide a small space underneath the floor for the charging cable. That’s a good thing because, unlike other electric Kias, the EV4 doesn’t have any extra storage under its bonnet.

With the floor in its lowest setting and the rear seats folded down, there’s a gentle ramp up towards the rear seatbacks rather than a big step in the floor of the extended load bay. The Fastback comes with handy levers in the boot to remotely fold down the back rest.

“It’s a pity you need to go for range-topping GT-Line S trim if you want a powered tailgate on your Kia EV4.” – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

How much does it cost and what equipment do you get?

The regular EV4 hatchback starts at around £35,000, rising to around £45,000 if you want the bigger Long Range battery, range-topping GT-Line S trim and a heat pump for more efficient warming of the interior in cooler weather.

We think entry-level Air trim makes the most sense, though. You get a respectable amount of luxuries, including 17in alloys, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel and the same infotainment system as pricier models. That said, the Long Range battery in GT-Line trim is worth considering if you regularly drive long distances, combining a longer range with its slightly more supportive driver’s seat.

Meanwhile, the EV4 Fastback starts at £40,895 – so it’s more expensive than an entry-level Tesla Model 3. That’s because this saloon bodystyle is available only with the pricier Long Range battery and the entry-level trim is GT-Line.

Is it reliable, and how long is the warranty?

The EV4 is too new to have featured in the What Car? Reliability survey. However, the omens are good because the closely related Kia EV3 was reported to be the most dependable car in its class.

Kia as a brand also impressed, finishing in 8th place (out of 30 brands) in the overall manufacturer league table. 

Even if something does go wrong, the Kia EV4 is backed by a seven-year (100,000-mile) warranty on most components, with extended eight-year cover for the battery (also capped at 100,000 miles).

How safe is it, and is it easy to steal?

The Kia EV4 hasn’t been appraised by Euro NCAP at the time of writing, so we can’t tell you how well it’s likely to protect you and your passengers if an accident can’t be avoided. The fact that the closely related Kia EV3 scored five stars (out of five) should provide some reassurance, though.

The EV4 also has lots of safety kit designed to stop you from getting into trouble in the first place, including automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance, rear-cross traffic alert, Isofix child seat mounts on the two outer rear seats and blindspot monitoring. Range-topping GT-Line S adds a more comprehensive blindspot system that uses a camera on each door mirror to feed a rear-facing image onto the digital driver’s display.

To help guard against thieves, all versions of the EV4 come with a Thatcham Category 2 alarm and immobiliser.

“I find it slightly surprising that the EV4 hatchback is more expensive than the EV3 SUV – even the former is fractionally longer.” – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

Buy it if...

- You need lots of leg room for your rear passengers
- You want a long warranty
- You need a long range between charges

Don’t buy it if…

- You need to charge super quickly
- You want an EV that’s good fun to drive
- You want the quietest electric car around

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