Kia EV4 review

Kia is very good at solid EVs that fit neatly into your life. And here's another one. In a world trammelled by crossovers, we're loving that the EV4 has the proportions of a proper hatchback. An oldie but a goodie, reincarnated for the electric age.

Kia has an utterly distinctive design identity these days, so you won't mistake the EV4 for anything else.

Among the everything elses it's up against are the Volkswagen ID.3, the Mk3 Nissan Leaf, the MG 4 and Renault Megane. The EV4 was built as an EV from the start, which gives it a long wheelbase and family-friendly rear space, plus the option of a super-long range battery. That gives it two advantages over converted combustion cars including the Peugeot E-308 and Vauxhall Astra Electric.

Hang on though. Didn't Kia already have a first-division electric hatch?

That's the Kia EV3, which is just over £1,000 cheaper than the EV4. This one differs by being noticeably lower to the roof, and most significantly has an extra 140mm in the wheelbase, which gives it far more stretchy rear legroom. The EV3 is more of a Honey, I Shrunk The Crossover.

Oh, and we're leading on the hatchback version here, but scroll through the gallery above and you'll also see that Kia is offering a strange 'fastback' saloon version of the EV4 with a big bum and a vast boot. History says these types of car don't do that well in the UK, from the Vauxhall Belmont to the Citroen C4 X. But surely airport cabbies will be all over the EV4 fastback like the bad suit so many of them wear. It does look a bit odd though, doesn't it? Like it's sprouting a modern-day Cadillac rear end from the behind of a standard EV4 hatch. 

What is this super-long range of which you speak?

On the smaller wheels - which are 17s, so not exactly sofa castors - it's 388 miles WLTP for the hatchback; so likely knocking on high 200s even on a brisk motorway run. The 19s chip a few miles off that. But there's no twin-motor version (yet) so everything with the top 81.4kWh battery is pretty leggy.

There's also a lead-in 58.3kWh battery, at a £3,000 saving, that gets 273 miles WLTP. Those two pack sizes find a mirror in the ID.3 and others.

Although the EV4 and EV3 share much with the bigger EV6 and EV9, they don't have those cars' 800v electrical system, so charging is a bit slower. Even so, 31 minutes to go from 10-80 per cent for the big-battery EV4 is very decent given how much range you're actually adding. The actual max charging rate is 127kW.

What about power driving the wheels?

All versions of the EV4 currently deploy a single, front-mounted electric motor that provides 201bhp and 209lb ft of torque. That means 0-62mph in 7.5 seconds in the lighter hatchback with the smaller battery. Upgrade to the bigger battery and that climbs to 7.7 seconds, and then the fancy GT-Line or GT-Line S trims will push you back further to 7.9 seconds. The fastback is only available in those latter two trims and also takes 7.9 seconds to complete our favourite sprint. 

An oddball shape, isn't it?

The surface design takes graphic polygons to a new level. There are a couple of unconventional decisions when they're trying to emphasise it's a low hatchback. Black wheel-arch extensions speak of 'crossover', and the vertical lamp clusters add apparent height rather than width. There's also a black band over the roof at the rear. Whatever, it has the proportions and elan to carry it off. The low roof, drooping even more towards the tail, cuts drag – the Cd is 0.261 for the hatch and 0.23 for the fastback, and its frontal area is less than most too.

Inside, there really is loads of rear legroom, and the boot isn't bad either. That said, the low nose, and motor within, precludes any kind of froot, frunk or even cable storage in the front.

And the cabin apart from that?

There's a real plush feeling here, with a flat floor, light coloured materials, lots of soft-surfaced stuff, and a storage console that feels more like furniture.

Kia's operating system is one of the most rational. The screens act sensibly although they are a touch heavy on the menus. Thankfully there's lots of alternative control via masses of actual buttons. A little climate-control touchscreen resides between the main touchscreen and the driver's screen. The top version gets a head-up display, too.

It's quite a feat of design to maintain the cool minimalist look while still including all these buttons and controls. The entire global start-up car industry (and Volvo): please take note.

How does it drive?

Comfortably and fluently. The accelerator action and steering are calibrated to make smooth driving a cinch. They aren't too sharp or direct.

It's very softly suspended and damped. This makes it terrifically comfy for normal driving and long motorway runs. It's also well-behaved – even fun – in corners if the road's smooth. But if things start to dip and buck underneath, like British rural roads do, it can get a bit nautical in the EV4, with floating and diagonal motions.

The EV4 is pretty well priced for the range, equipment and space, so that's a good start. It's not quite as affordable as the MG4, but it feels much more premium and goes further on a charge. You can get into a big battery version for similar money to the rangier Volkswagen ID.3, and Kia's electric tech is both well advanced and well trusted.

It's also a car with a really soothing nature. The soft ride and great refinement carry you the distance with no bother. You're never going to get frustrated with the control system.

Don't imagine the slightly idiosyncratic design is wrapping a spiky car. They say overpowered, in-yer-face crossovers are 'lifestyle vehicles'. But if your lifestyle is stretched and tense, this unaggressive and companionable EV4 could be just the balm you need.