Kia was one of the few mainstream brands that genuinely got modern EVs early—especially with its E-GMP architecture, the 800-volt platform that made cars like the EV6 quick to charge and grown-up to drive. I expected more of the same with its newest EVs.
The new EV4 is Kia’s attempt to bring the price down by simplifying the formula. It sits on the company’s new E-GMP ‘Lite’ underpinnings, with front- rather than rear-wheel drive, lower peak charging power, and a driving experience that leans much more toward sensible than spirited.
After a few days with it around Bucharest—over bumpy, poorly maintained roads, tram tracks, tight parking maneuvers and the occasional squirt of acceleration—the EV4 made it pretty clear what it’s about. It’s excellent as a calm, efficient commuter, but as something you’d seek out just to drive, it falls a bit short.
Photo by: Andrei Nedelea
In many ways, it feels like a slightly smaller, more conservative EV6. Its biggest problem is that it could be cheaper for what it offers. While I had this car, I had a nagging feeling that Kia built it down to a price, and you could see that, especially if you started touching the plastics around the cabin. It just doesn’t feel premium enough for a vehicle that, as tested, costs more than €50,000 ($58,000) and still doesn’t have all the available options.
But it does get plenty of other things right.
Kia EV4
2026 Kia EV4: Specs And Features
Photo by: Andrei Nedelea
The comes in two flavors: hatchback and sedan. The U.S. market was supposed to get the four-door EV4, but that’s off the table now thanks to tariffs. Sorry, folks.
Kia wanted to make its EVs more affordable, so it created a ‘lite’ version of its E-GMP platform running at 400 volts. Changing it from rear- to front-wheel drive and lowering the voltage have significant implications for vehicles underpinned by this new platform, which can’t compete with cars like the EV6 that Kia has been selling for years.
It’s still a good EV, but it just doesn’t deliver the same effortless ‘expensive Kia’ vibe you get from an EV6.
Unlike the EV6, which charges at up to 240 kilowatts and takes around 20 minutes to go from 10 to 80%, the EV4 peaks at 135 kW and needs 10 more minutes. That’s 30% more time spent waiting for the car to charge, which is pretty significant, even given its consistent charging curve and relatively high average power.
Photo by: Andrei Nedelea
Switching to front-wheel drive changes how the EV4 puts its power down. The bigger EV6 isn’t explicitly a performance car, but it feels more planted, more connected and more fun when you lean on it.
Accelerate hard in the EV4 with any steering input, and you’ll hear the front tires scrabble for grip, with a hint of torque steer tugging at the wheel. The EV6 doesn’t do that (even in dual-motor all-wheel-drive guise) because it’s rear-wheel-drive, which is exactly why it feels more polished even when you’re not trying to be fast.
This EV4 doesn’t feel particularly quick for a 200-horsepower EV, and the reason is simple: Kia caps torque at 208 lb-ft (283 Nm). Even if the motor could deliver more twist, the car never gives you that satisfyingly effortless shove you expect from a modern EV. I remember the Kia Soul EV I drove a few years ago with similar power but 291 lb-ft (395 Nm). It felt genuinely punchier than the EV4, and it was much more fun to drive as a result.
Since all of the space under the hood is taken up by the motor, electronics and cooling, there’s no room for frunk. It wasn’t huge in the EV6, but it was there and just big enough to store charging cables and other knick-knacks.
2026 Kia EV4: Driving Impressions
Photo by: Andrei Nedelea
Bucharest is an excellent testing ground for suspension because it’s a city with infinite variability in the types and quality of its roads—everything from pristine new tarmac to broken cobbled roads. The EV4 glides over the worst of it like no other car I’ve ever driven here, even big luxury barges with adaptive air suspension.
I just can’t get over how comfy it is, even with decently sized 19-inch wheels like the ones on my tester. It felt so good over Bucharest’s poorly maintained roads and uneven tram track crossings that I can’t even imagine what the base car with 17-inch wheels must be like. It already rides like a magic carpet.
Comfort levels remain remarkably high even at higher speeds. The EV4 has clearly been designed to provide serene, relaxing A-to-B transportation and this is where it excels. The seats are also very comfortable and decently supportive, although the driving position is quite high, so it makes you feel like you’re driving a crossover, not a low-to-the-ground hatchback.
Photo by: Andrei Nedelea
On really bad roads, the soft suspension can get out of control. This feels like the dampers aren’t quite up to the job and it transmits a lot of the body movement into the passenger compartment, moving you around in your seat. This is at odds with how it usually feels, but it is rare and it doesn’t mar the overall experience too much.
The long wheelbase makes for a very roomy cabin. Four six-footers can travel in comfort in an EV4 hatch, but if they are any taller, they might struggle for headroom. This is mainly due to the high-set seats, which bring you very close to the headliner and they make the EV4 feel like a car that was designed around a high crossover-like seating position first, which isn’t ideal for taller people.
2026 Kia EV4: Charging
Photo by: Andrei Nedelea
I plugged the EV4 in, not expecting to be impressed, even knowing Kia’s vast experience in making some of the world’s fastest-charging EVs. Even though it doesn’t charge anywhere near as quickly as an 800-volt E-GMP car, the EV4 is still pretty convincing when you plug it in. I charged it from 25% to 80% from a 200 kW charger and it did very well.
Less than a minute after starting the charging session, the charging power had climbed to 128 kW and it stayed there until around 40%. Then it started dropping and rising again, making unusual peaks in the charging curve, but by the time it hit 80%, it was still pulling 58 kW. It added 47.7 kWh in 28 minutes, which is pretty good for a vehicle with a relatively large battery and it almost matches the manufacturer’s claim.
Charging curve from 25-80%
Photo by: Andrei Nedelea
Kia says the EV4 hatch on 17-inch wheels should do up to 391 miles (629 km) WLTP with the 81.4 kWh long-range battery and 273 miles (440 km) with the smaller 58.3 kWh battery. Going for 19-inch wheels like the ones I had on my tester drops the claimed range to 362 miles (582 km), which you can probably come very close to matching if you actually try to drive efficiently and keep your speed sensible.
With 99% in the battery, the car said it could do 314 miles (505 km), calculated for an average electricity consumption of 3.7 miles/kWh (16.8 kWh/100 km), which was the average for the person who had the car before me. My electricity consumption was 3.42 miles/kWh (18.1 kWh/100 km), meaning you can still get around 290 miles even if you’re like me and want to occasionally explore the vehicle’s performance.
2026 Kia EV4: Versus The Competition
Photo by: Andrei Nedelea
The EV4 does a lot of things right: it’s comfortable, efficient and spacious. But it’s also a bit dull and disconnected to drive, and in my mind, there’s a mismatch between its aggressive design and how it actually drives. It’s not what I expected after having driven other Kia EVs, like the Soul and EV6, both of which I absolutely loved at the time.
It’s also a bit too expensive for what it offers, and parts of the interior feel a bit too cheap. Having previously driven a BYD Seal, which is in the same price bracket, the Chinese sedan feels properly luxurious in terms of perceived quality, while the EV4 just seems built to a price. I wanted to like the EV4 more, but I still don’t know what to make of it, even weeks after returning it.
Photo by: Andrei Nedelea
I have high expectations for the dual-motor EV4 GT, which is coming with all-wheel drive, over 400 horsepower and hopefully a chassis tuned for a bit more engagement. It’s also getting a pretend engine complete with fake gear shifting, which could boost the level of excitement.
Hopefully, Kia will also fit the GT variant with different seats that will give a lower, sportier driving position (and more headroom).
2026 Kia EV4: Verdict
Photo by: Andrei Nedelea
Driving the EV4 left me with mixed feelings, mainly because the car’s priorities are so clear. It’s comfortable, efficient, quiet and very easy to live with. Yet when you try to drive it like the styling suggests you can (especially in the sportier GT Line trim), it’s pretty clear the car doesn’t enjoy it. There’s a bit of a mismatch between the angry praying mantis face and the calm, slightly detached driving experience.
It also feels expensive for the quality of the materials you see and touch inside. My tester cost over €50,000 ($58,000) and still didn’t have every option, and some of the cabin plastics make it feel like Kia engineered it down to a price (a lower price than what you’re asked to pay).
The EV4 is playing in a crowded segment, but perceived quality matters, and a BYD Seal, which costs around the same, feels more convincingly “premium” in materials and finish. It drives better, too.
Gallery: 2025 Kia EV4 Hatchback GT Line
What I’m really waiting for is the EV4 GT. All-wheel drive should deal with the traction drama, and a proper power bump plus a stiffened chassis tuned for engagement could completely change how this car feels. The GT’s fake shifting and pretend engine noise should also be a fun gimmick to liven a spirited drive.
All of that being said, the EV4 is easy to recommend, especially if you don’t care about steering feel or punchy acceleration. The EV4 is a tool, not a toy, and it’s very good at what it does. But for thrills, look elsewhere—or to the EV6.
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