Kia EV4 review

The soft driver's seat with its wonderfully pillowy headrest embraces you, and you've got a good position to address the pedals and all those displays and buttons. The seat and steering wheel are heated in all versions, plus ventilated in top spec GT-Line S trim. 

The light-coloured plastics and fabrics open up the look of it. Its cloth on the dash and soft-feel surfaces all over the place, plus moderately convincing metallics, lift the sense of quality and craft. Your money seems well spent.

The screens don't seem vast, but there are actually two 12.3in units for the dial display and infotainment, plus a 5.3in climate control panel that's useful as a separate section but mostly blocked by the steering wheel for the driver. Still, it's just enough screen action. This is a car, not a multiplex. There are lots of them so you can get all the info you need and they act fast, even if the amount of menus and sub-menus can feel slightly overwhelming at times.

Are there buttons?

Masses of direct switches cover the wheel, dash, the door and even the console by your elbow. Learning where they are doesn't take long because there are several different bunches, not one huge bank of identical ones. The only silly thing is the screen shortcuts, six backlit texts on the surface between the screen and the vents. Good idea, but the backlighting is blue-grey and the surface is grey-blue. Duh.

Cupholders and a big tray live between the driver's and passenger's calves. A console box is behind that, with another two-deck tray. If you fill that lot, your car's going to look a right mess. There's also a fair bit of scratchy plastic in there, so little things like the car's own key do rattle around. Still, keep it tidy and you'll be fine, while the flat floor helps with the feeling of space. 

In the back there's, masses of legroom, and only the very tall or quiffed will bother the headliner of both the hatch and the fastback. Vents, lights and sockets are back there in profusion, although it might be worth noting that there's no option of a panoramic roof to lighten things up back there. GT-Line S trim only adds a small sunroof up top. 

The 435-litre boot is fine in the hatch, if not crossover-deep, and as mentioned there's no storage under the bonnet, although there is a section under the boot floor for your cables. The Fastback ups boot space to 490 litres and gets a supremely wide opening too. The question is, could you live with the looks in order to get the extra space?