Classes are generally useful. However they’re usually boring. A number of the most fascinating issues on this planet, and probably the most helpful, are those that straddle the strains.
For the 2026 mannequin yr, Kia will carry an all-new electrical automobile (EV) to the USA that may be a little onerous to clarify. Such inscrutability might make it excellent for some patrons. Or, it might find yourself as an automotive footnote as a result of nobody knew what to make of it.
The 2026 Kia EV4 is in regards to the dimension of a compact automotive. However Kia didn’t merely design an electrical model of its K4 sedan and name it a day. As an alternative, the EV4 shall be immediately one of many oddest issues on the highway.
It appeared within the U.S. for the primary time at this week’s New York Worldwide Auto Present.
Hatchback-ish Strains And not using a Hatch
Kia calls the EV4 a sedan. In its protection, it lacks SUV journey peak and has 4 doorways and a trunk-style rear opening, which is an inexpensive definition of a sedan.
However it’s taller than most compact vehicles, and in profile, its angular fastback rear appears as if it ought to open like a hatch. It doesn’t. Solely the rearmost portion lifts, revealing a deep trunk.
Upright sides and a nostril bracketed by vertical lighting components contribute to the almost-SUV-like proportions.
Kia says it shares “the identical basic design language as that of the ground-breaking Kia EV6 and EV9 fashions,” each SUVs. The corporate says, “Establishing a brand new typology, the [EV4] sedan combines a low nostril, long-tail silhouette, and fastback roofline for a novel and sporty profile.
Kelley Blue Ebook noticed an early design mannequin of the EV4 in Seoul two years in the past. On the time, designers had been clearly happy with their work, however struggled to outline it. Two years of refinement haven’t made it match into an apparent class. However that would work effectively for automotive consumers searching for one thing memorable, with a better seating place and higher sight strains than a standard automotive.
Inside, the showstopper is a 30-inch-wide display floor that’s really three separate screens. The driving force will get a 12.3-inch mannequin rather than the standard gauge cluster. A second 12.3-inch display to the suitable handles leisure capabilities. Between the 2, a smaller 5-inch display is inset, which may be configured to point out local weather, leisure, or different data.
Kia didn’t point out it in New York, however previously, the corporate has stated the screens can present streaming leisure in a particular “theater mode” when parked. Homeowners may use them to show themes, “reminiscent of their favourite NBA workforce, for a customized cockpit aesthetic.”
A row of buttons beneath saves you from utilizing touchscreen menus for all the things.
A free-floating heart console features a slide-out tabletop.
An AI-powered digital assistant “ makes use of machine studying to realize a better stage of natural interplay and larger voice recognition between the motive force and the automobile.”
201 Horsepower, as much as 330 Miles of Vary
Each EV4 makes use of a single motor, which is nice for 201 hp, powering the entrance wheels.
The entry-level Mild trim will get a small, 58.3-kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery, giving it a variety of as much as 235 miles. The midlevel Wind and high-end GT-Line trims will get a bigger 81.4-kWh cell and a variety of 330 miles.
Curiously, the EV4 doesn’t share the 800-volt structure of most present Kia EVs. As an alternative, it’s constructed on a barely slower-to-charge 400-volt setup like that present in most Tesla merchandise. Nonetheless, Kia says Mild fashions can go from 10% to 80% cost in 29 minutes hooked up to a DC quick charger. Wind and GT-Line fashions will take 31.
All variations use a Tesla-style charging port so homeowners can recharge at Tesla Superchargers.
The EV4 shall be able to placing out energy in addition to absorbing it, so homeowners can use it to energy “suitable exterior gadgets, together with a wide range of laptops, lighting, and smaller electronics,” Kia says.
The EV4 ought to attain sellers in “early 2026.”
Most automakers have launched SUVs as their first electrical automobiles. leaving few electrical choices for many who choose a sedan. The EV4 involves do battle in opposition to the Tesla Mannequin 3 and Hyundai Ioniq 6. We presume pricing shall be aggressive with these two, however Kia hasn’t revealed what it expects to cost.
