- Kia’s most affordable new electric car is here.
- The new Kia EV2 was unveiled today, with a starting price that’s expected to be somewhere around $35,000 (€30,000).
- Based on the E-GMP platform, the EV2 will be available with two battery options.
The affordable EV war is heating up in Europe, where Kia just unveiled the new EV2. A B-segment electric crossover, the Kia EV2 is expected to start from around $35,000 (€30,000) when it goes on sale next month, making it the Korean automaker’s cheapest new EV yet.
For reference, the boxy battery-powered crossover will compete with cars like the Renault 4, Ford Puma Gen-E and the upcoming Volkswagen ID. Polo Cross, all of which are or will be similarly priced. So it will be an interesting next few months, but whatever the outcome, it’s great news for European car buyers who were waiting for more affordable options in the EV space.
Photo by: Kia
Based on a 400-volt version of the same E-GMP platform that underpins cars like the EV3 and EV4, the new Kia EV2 will only be available with a single front-mounted electric motor and two battery options. The Standard Range model is powered by a 42.2-kilowatt-hour pack that enables an estimated WLTP range of 197 miles (317 kilometers), while the Long Range version gets a 61-kWh battery and 278 miles (448 km) of range.
Both variants come with 11 kW and 22 kW AC charging capabilities, which is very rare in the segment, but shows that Kia knows its audience. In Europe, many EV owners have home chargers that can deliver 22 kW, so they’ve fitted the EV2 with the necessary hardware from the get-go. The small battery needs 2 hours and 35 minutes for a full charge on 22 kW, while the big pack ups the time to 3 hours.
Photo by: Kia
DC fast charging is also baked in, but Kia didn’t say what the maximum power input is. It did say, however, that the standard-range version needs 29 minutes to go from 10% to 80%, while the long-range model takes about 30 minutes. Not bad, considering this is more of a city car, and not a long-distance cruiser.
Thanks to the Hyundai Motor Group’s E-GMP platform, the EV2 can power appliances, courtesy of the vehicle-to-load feature, and it can also send power from its battery back to the grid, courtesy of the vehicle-to-grid functionality.
The Kia EV2’s wheelbase measures 100.9 inches (2,565 millimeters), which is almost identical to the Hyundai Inster EV. However, it’s worth noting that the two cars are unrelated, with the Inster based on a platform that was originally designed for combustion engines and later adapted for an electric powertrain. The EV2 is longer and wider than the Inster, with a length of 159.9 in (4,060 mm) and a width of 70.8 in (1,800 mm).
Photo by: Kia
Inside, Kia’s affordable electric crossover can be had with a conventional five-seat layout or a four-seat configuration with independent sliding and reclining rear seats. Hyundai Motor Group’s latest ccNC Lite infotainment system runs on a 12.3-inch central touchscreen display, which is joined by a separate 5.3-inch climate control screen and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. Kia said that the Lite version of the group’s infotainment system mirrors the same display layout and core features of the ccNC system, including over-the-air software updates, but it’s cheaper to make. That said, OTA map updates for the navigation system are not available.
A 0.5 cubic feet (15-liter) front trunk is standard, and the four-seater version offers 14.2 cu ft (403 l) of cargo room in the trunk. The five-seater’s trunk is a tad smaller, at 12.7 cu ft (362 l).
Gallery: 2027 Kia EV2
As for the outside, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as always. Kia made good use of its “Opposites United” design philosophy, which means vertical daytime running lights and a boxy overall shape. For such a small car, the automaker is offering wheel options that go as big as 19 inches, but the cheaper versions come with 16-inchers.
There’s also a comprehensive list of standard safety systems, including Highway Driving Assist 2, Smart Cruise Control 2, Lane Keeping Assist and Lane Following Assist 2. The EV2 also comes with digital key functionality that works with NFC, Bluetooth and Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technologies.
The Kia EV2 will be built at the automaker’s Zilina factory in Slovakia, alongside the EV4. The standard-range model will start rolling off the assembly line in February, followed by the long-range and GT-line versions in June.
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– The InsideEVs team