2024 Kia EV4 coming

Kia is wasting no time in fleshing out its EV portfolio, with new intel confirming the all-new Kia EV4 will be revealed – and possibly even launched in Australia – next year.

The all-new small electric SUV will be roughly the same size as the Kia Seltos and Hyundai Kona, but it won’t be a sub-$30,000 bargain like its petrol-powered cousins – or even a sub-$40K or sub-$50K model.

Kia Australia has previously said it doesn’t want to battle it out with cheaper Chinese EVs like the sub-$50K GWM Ora, BYD Atto 3 and MG ZS EV, but the EV4 will lower the price of entry to a Kia EV by being cheaper than the Niro Electric (from $64,450) and EV6 ($72,590).

Sources with knowledge of the project confirmed the Kia EV4 will break cover in 2024, after the reveal of the larger Kia EV5 in late 2023, when the Kia EV9 large SUV is due to arrive in Australia.

Kia Australia has previously said it wants to release two all-new smaller EVs here in 2024, in both the SUV and passenger car space, and its parent company has committed to using at least seven of the names between EV1 and EV9, as part of its plan to launch 14 new EVs by 2027.

The Kia EV3 is expected to break cover in 2025 and will be significantly smaller than both the EV4 and EV5, which was previously expected to be a sedan.

The EV3 is now also understood to be an SUV, pitched as a compact SUV similar in size to the Mazda CX-3 and Toyota Yaris Cross. It will be aimed chiefly at the European market, but if sold in Australia should set a new low price marker for a Kia EV.

It will have a strong family look, retaining the boxy optics of its larger electric SUV siblings. This unofficial rendering by Brazilian digital artist KDesign wears EV3 badges, but provides a rough approximation of how Kia’s new small EVs will look.

While the EV4 will feature slightly smoother edges and not as many sharp lines as this Kia Soul-inspired design, it will sport a similar eye-popping array of LED lights up front in a ‘Star Map’ theme, along with Kia’s ‘Digital Tiger Face’ front-end design and heavily stylised LED tail-lights.

The interior can be expected to be suitably futuristic in design and execution, most likely using a range of ultra-green materials made from recycled plastic bottles and the like.

Twin digital screens will dominate the cockpit, while advanced connectivity features are tipped to be part of the package – as are advanced safety features borrowed from the EV9, such as Level 3 autonomous driving tech (where legal).

Like the award-winning Kia EV6, it’s also set to offer vehicle-to-load (V2L) charging functionality to run electrical appliances and camping equipment, plus remote over-the-air (OTA) updates to upgrade various elements of the vehicle, possibly even performance.

Speaking of which, Kia has plenty of battery (58kWh and 77.4kWh) and e-motor options to choose from, but it’s not clear if the new EV4 will be paired with single- and dual-motor layouts. Entry-level models are likely to get a single electric motor offering about 125kW/350Nm, but if GT-line or GT models are offered those numbers will rise significantly.

The interior of the new Kia EV4 is likely to be more spacious than conventional rivals of a similar size because it will be underpinned by the Korean brand’s EV-specific e-GMP platform, resulting in a flatter floor and improved packaging.

This scalable EV platform used by the Hyundai-Kia-Genesis group also features an 800-volt electrical architecture, which means battery charging rates should be class-leading when using ultra-rapid DC fast-chargers, at around 350kW.

While the Kia EV9 is locked in to join the EV6 on sale in Australia later this year, neither the EV4 and EV5 have been officially confirmed for this market.

However, our sources say both electric SUVs are extremely high on Kia Australia’s agenda and more likely than not to roll into local dealerships, given how popular small and mid-size SUVs are with Aussies.

The arrival of the EV4 and EV5 will cast a cloud over the future of the Kia Niro small/medium SUV, which is offered here in combustion-engine, plug-in hybrid and battery-electric guises.

Kia Australia has previously stated it wants to release all 14 of the new EVs that Kia Motors has promised to produce by 2027, which will include a dedicated electric pick-up and a battery-powered version of the first Kia ute due here in 2025.

New EVs coming from Kia (so far):
EV9 – Late 2023
EV5 – Early 2024
EV4 – Late 2024

Digital image: KDesign

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