The new Kia EV2 will take on the Renault 4 and forthcoming Volkswagen ID Cross in the fast-growing electric crossover segment – and it is set to offer the longest range in its class.
Revealed at the Brussels motor show on Friday, the B-segment model is the sixth – and smallest – car in Kia’s line-up of bespoke electric models built on the E-GMP platform. It will be produced at the firm’s Zilina factory in Slovakia alongside the EV4, potentially making it eligible for the UK’s electric car grant.
The EV2 was developed with a target price of €30,000 (£25,000), and although final pricing has yet to be confirmed, Alex Papapetropolous, the firm’s product and pricing chief, told Autocar: “We want to be below that with certain trims.” He added: “When you look at Europe, more than 25% of the market sits below that €30,000 threshold. So it’s very important for us to be there.”
Taking clear styling cues from larger siblings in Kia’s line-up of electric SUVs, the EV2 has a revised version of Kia’s ‘tiger face’ front end and a boxy shape that’s designed to maximise interior room. It is 4060mm long – slightly shorter than the Renault 4 – and 1800mm wide, with a wheelbase of 2565mm.
The EV2 will be offered with a choice of two battery sizes. Production will start in February with Standard Range models, which feature a 42.2kWh (total) LFP battery for a range of 196 miles. Long Range versions – offering up to 278 miles from a 61.0kWh (total) NMC pack – will enter production in June. For reference, the Renault 4's maximum range is 254 miles.
Standard Range variants will be equipped with a 145bhp front-mounted motor, while Long Range models are set to use a smaller 134bhp motor.
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Aside from this car's looks (quite ugly in my opinion), I notice that a vehicle designed for urban mobility is now usually around 4000+ mm long and 1800 mm wide. Here in Italy, where I live, roads and parking lots were designed with a very different type of small car in mind. Urban spaces didn't stretch in the meantime—quite the opposite! I guess it's no different in the UK. It's curious that, while we're more and more concerned about environmental sustainability, cars on offer are increasingly bulky and heavy. Sarcastically, I'm tempted to say: thank goodness they've also become (much) more expensive—£25k being the low-cost threshold now. Hopefully, fewer and fewer people will be able to afford them.
Is this derived from the Hyundai Inster or is it completely different?
Completely different. The Inster in based on an ICE version sold in Asia, whereas this is based on a dedicated EV platform that forms the basis of the EV3/EV4/EV5