2026 Kia EV4

While many brands have scaled back plans to expand their EV lineups, Kia remains fully committed to electrification — and this, the all-new EV4, is the latest addition. Following its European debut earlier this year, the EV4 is being revealed in U.S.-spec at the 2025 New York Auto Show.

The EV4 doesn't really look like a traditional sedan; this thing is weird, but not in a bad way. Kia says the vertical headlights and taillights are meant to emphasize the EV4's width; we'd argue they have the opposite effect, making the sedan look taller and narrower than it actually is. There's also a unique two-piece spoiler sitting atop the rear glass that almost makes the roofline look disconnected from the rear window when viewed in profile; it's a pretty cool and very distinct design element. Viewed in whole, the EV4's design fits right in with the brand's retro-futuristic cyberpunk-esque EV design language.

There's a sleek and slightly more conventional-looking hatchback version, too, but sadly it won't be coming to the U.S. This decision seems somewhat odd considering the EV4's equivalent gas-powered sedan, the K4, will be getting a hatchback version in our market. The U.S. has never been particularly hatchback-friendly, though, so perhaps Kia doesn't think there's room for two of a similar size in its lineup.

Speaking of the K4, the EV4 is almost exactly the same size as its fossil-fueled sibling. At 186 inches long, 58 inches high, and 73 inches wide, the EV4 is an inch longer and 2 inches higher than the K4, while sharing the same width. The EV4's 111-inch wheelbase is a slightly more significant 4 inches longer than the K4's, but in terms of overall footprint, the two are closely matched.

How's the EV4's interior?

The EV4's interior is much more restrained than the exterior, but it's stylish in its own right — I'm particularly fond of the available off-white and light brown color scheme. Here, horizontal design elements do emphasize the cabin's width, and it feels spacious and airy inside both up front and from the rear seats. There's a great mixture of materials throughout, from soft leather seats to fabric accents on the dash and doors. The seats are nicely detailed, as well, and there's ambient lighting throughout the interior. This is a cabin I'd be happy to spend time in.

What's under the EV4’s hood?

Kia's initial plan was to offer two battery sizes, though with the new, indefinite hold, these plans may change if the EV4 goes on sale in the U.S. The standard pack was a 58.3-kWh unit that Kia said should provide up to 235 miles of range, while long-range models would get an 81.4-kWh pack with up to 330 miles of range. Plans were to initially offer the EV4 as front-wheel-drive only with a single motor on the front axle. A dual-motor all-wheel-drive variant likely would have arrived down the line.

All of Kia's consumer-focused EVs use the brand's Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), but there are two versions: The EV6 and EV9 use an 800-volt RWD-based version, while lower-end models like the EV3, and now the EV4, use a 400-volt FWD-based system. This system is less expensive to produce, helping to keep prices down, but comes at the cost of charging speed: While the EV6 can charge from 10% to 80% in 18 minutes, the standard range EV4 needs 29 minutes to do the same task, and the long-range model with its larger battery requires 31 minutes. That said, while slower than those of higher-end Kia EVs, these charging speeds are price- and class-competitive.

Dynamically, the EV4 isn't likely to stir the soul, but for a vehicle like this, that's OK. The single electric motor makes 201 horsepower, resulting in a touted 0-62 mph time of 7.4 seconds for the short-range EV4 and 7.7 seconds for the heavier long-range model. Those figures may sound unimpressive in a world where many EVs are known for lightning-fast acceleration, but they're right on par for a typical compact sedan — the gas-powered sedan with its 190-horsepower inline-four does 0-60 in 7.3 seconds. Comfort is the bigger focus here, and Kia says the EV4's suspension is tuned to ensure compliance without sacrificing control and agility.

How's the EV4's tech?

On the tech front, the EV4 differs little from Kia's other EVs, and that's no bad thing. The same 30-inch panoramic display found across the brand's electric lineup is utilized here, incorporating the gauge cluster, climate information, and infotainment system across three screens; a 12-inch head-up display is on offer too. There's also a full suite of driver assist features available, including Kia's Highway Driving Assist II and Remote Smart Parking Assist. The EV4 does introduce one new tech feature for the brand: Over-the-air updates can be done remotely via an app, which should make for a more seamless, convenient experience. 

How does it drive?

The EV4, for now, sends its power to the front wheels only. Unfortunately, I can’t speak too much to the EV4’s acceleration abilities because driving the sedan around the greater Seoul area in South Korea was mostly a matter of battling traffic and speed cameras. 

That said, I took every available opportunity to put my foot down and when I did so the EV4 felt very much like a front-wheel-drive car. The instant torque from the electric motor overwhelmed the forward wheels, making it a bit unruly under hard acceleration. The front end of the car would also lift and drop quite dramatically, mostly due to the very relaxed suspension setup. I look forward to driving an AWD version at some point in the future to see if these things sort themselves out.

To be fair, sometimes the Korean-spec cars we drive early on have different tuning than the American-market cars. And I hope this is the case (if the U.S. version ever arrives), because this EV4 was a bit too all over the place. It soaked up bumps in the road remarkably well, but Kia can tighten things up a bit and still retain most of that in the process.

But apart from those quibbles, I enjoyed my slow drive in the EV4 and can see it appealing to a large group of potential customers. It has great noise insulation from the outside world and silky smooth power delivery that makes commuting a relaxing experience. I still think Kia has the best one-pedal driving mode in the industry, which includes three settings to control just how much you want the car to slow down on its own.

Competitors to consider 

There aren't many fully electric sedans available around $40,000. The Tesla Model 3 is worth a look, though its interior is nowhere near as nice as the EV4's. Perhaps the closest competitor, though, is one of the EV4's corporate cousins: the Hyundai Ioniq 6. The Ioniq 6 is slightly larger than the EV4, but should be closely matched in terms of range and price.

With its ever-expanding electric lineup, Kia is effectively offering a very similar EV experience in various packages to suit its customers' individual needs and lifestyles — and as the brand's first electric sedan, the EV4 is a logical next step. With lots of tech and high range targets, the EV4 should make for a great commuting companion — if Kia ever decides to bring this neat little EV to our shores.