Kia EV4 2026 Review

The 2026 Kia EV4 Air Standard Range electric four-door five-seat sedan we’re testing here is priced from $49,990 plus on-road costs.

This compares to the mid-spec $59,190 (plus ORCs) EV4 Earth Long Range and the flagship $64,690 (plus ORCs) EV4 GT-Line Long Range, each of which bring bigger battery packs.

Kia is forecasting the base Air and top-spec GT-Line will split 80 per cent of sales equally between them, with the Earth claiming the rest.

Officially, Kia expects to sell just 70 EV4s per month, but between you and me, Kia execs are probably hoping for more but don’t want to be caught out in the same way they were over-calling Tasman sales.

Pricing pitches the EV4 straight into the fight against the BYD Seal (from $49,888-$68,798 across three models) and the EV sedan market leader, the Tesla Model 3 (from $54,900-$80,900 across three models, including the rather ferocious Performance).

The bigger challenge here is that EV buyers – like the rest of the market – don’t buy many sedans, tending to opt for SUVs.

While all three EV4s are powered by the same 150kW/283Nm front-mounted e-motor, the Air has a smaller 58.3kWh Li-ion battery pack that delivers a claimed 456km driving range (WLTP).

The other two get an 81.4kWh battery that bumps the range to 612km (WLTP). The peak DC fast charge rate across all models is 128kW. Yep, you guessed it, the Korean-built EV4 sedan is based on a 400V version of the Hyundai Group’s E-GMP architecture.

The Kia EV3 and incoming Hyundai Elexio SUVs are its closest technical relations. Of course, there’s also a Kia EV4 hatch that’s built in Slovakia, which is under serious consideration for Australia right now.

So, what do you get with the base model Kia EV4 Air?

Externally it’s distinguished by 17-inch flat-faced alloy wheels, while the other two get larger 19s. No variant gets a spare tyre though, boo!

Internally, the current 12.3x5.0x12.3 (inch) Kia cCNC digital display that sandwiches hard-to-see air-con controls between the infotainment touchscreen and the instrument panel dominates the dashboard.

The system includes inbuilt navigation, wired and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, AM/FM and DAB radio and a six-speaker audio system. There are front and rear USB points.

The seats are trimmed in a durable-looking ribbed cloth and are manually adjustable up front, while dual-zone climate control includes rear vents located in the centre console.

All EV4s come with vehicle-to-load (V2L) power, over the air updates and the Kia Connect remote smartphone app.

But there’s a long list of stuff the Air misses out on compared to the Earth and especially the GT-Line: powered seating, artificial leather seat trim, two-tone interior trim, heated and ventilated front seats, a standard V2L external adaptor, a head up display, a heated steering wheel, ambient lighting, a wireless phone charger, a sunroof Kia somewhat erroneously describes as “wide”,  a Harman/Kardon sound system and a power-operated boot.

In terms of safety equipment, the Air comes with autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with intelligent speed limit assist, rear cross traffic braking, lane keep assist, blind spot detection, driver monitoring, a reverse camera, front and rear parking sensors and seven airbags including centre-front.

There are safety equipment omissions. Head up the range – especially to the GT-Line – and extras includes intelligent LED headlights that block glare for oncoming traffic, an electrochromatic rearview mirror, a surround view camera, blind spot monitoring and reverse parking collision avoidance.

Eight exterior paint colours are offered, seven of which cost $600 extra, while ‘Clear White’ is standard.

The Kia EV4 is covered by a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, while its battery pack is protected for eight-years or 160,000km. That’s a 12-month and 10,000km bump for Kia and will be introduced to the other EV models in its line-up as they’re updated.

Free roadside assistance is available for up to eight years and capped price servicing for seven years. Intervals are 12 months/15,000km and the prices (at launch) are $688 for three years, $1308 for five years and $1929 for seven years.

Sometimes less is more.

In the case of the 2026 Kia EV4 Air Standard Range, less equipment and a smaller battery means a lower kerb weight that delivers performance advantages.

At 1805kg the Air is lithe by EV standards and 107kg lighter than the other two models (quite how the Earth and GT-Line officially end up the same weight given all the extra gear the GT-Line gets is a trick, but anywho…), so it accelerates faster from 0-100km/h and on average consumes less energy, according to WLTP.

Honestly, the 7.4 secs versus 7.8 secs acceleration advantage isn’t easy to pick because they both get rolling with more alacrity than the claim, or their power and torque figures suggest.

It’s all because of that instant access to max pulling power an e-motor provides. So endearing.

And economy? On the same 27km loop comprising city and country running, the Air recorded 13.7kWh/100km and the GT-Line 13.9kWh/100km. Hardly definitive, but maybe indicative.

These are numbers powertrain gurus at Tesla would be happy with. They also bode well for achieving a range between recharging that nixes anxiety.

The other advantage of the Air lies in its 17-inch tyres, which yes, bring more sidewall and less sexy than the 19s, but by a small margin, are more comfortable to ride on.

All three share the same unique combination of springs, shocks and electric-assist steering maps tuned specifically for local conditions. The result is the passive independent suspension rides with a Mazda-ish feel. That is, tied down enough to secure body control while also producing some ride inputs a softer, floppier set-up would iron out.

It’s a decent compromise. The EV4 Air is a cohesive and light drive with steering that communicates and a modest 10.9m turning circle helpful for urban manoeuvring.

The EV4 also retains regenerative braking adjustment through multiple stages via flappy paddles. This delivers a more connected driving experience than having to dive into a screen to make adjustments.

It has an effective one-pedal mode, but the variable braking of the auto mode is a bit off-putting. The actual brake pedal feel is better than many EVs, feeling progressive rather than wooden.

Both throttle response and steering can be adjusted through a variety of modes, including custom. Eco is dulled down, sport has weightier steering and normal is a nice compromise. There’s also a Snow mode, but it’s unlikely we’ll be needing that any time soon.

Away from the generously-sized driver’s seat, passengers are well catered for when it comes to space and the second row is accessed by wide-opening doors, while the soft and concave outboard seats are generous for taller people.

The boot is a competitive 490 litres, expanding to 1435 litres when the rear seats are split-folded. There is no frunk.

In-cabin storage is decent. Up front, it includes a centre console with size-adjustable dual cupholders, a substantial lidded centre bin and multiple open areas. There are also door pockets that will take a standard but not over-sized water bottle.

Creating space in the centre console is aided by shifting gear selection onto a steering column stalk. This also includes a start/stop button, which as a Luddite, I much prefer to sitting in the car and hoping it will go.

There are also very welcome physical tabs, dials and permanent touch points retained for audio and air-conditioning controls. The instrument panel is clear and simple and moderately tuneable through four colours.

In the rear – in addition to vents and USB ports – you’ll find dual map pockets, phone storage in the centre console, small door pockets and a fold-down armrest with dual cupholders, overhead grab handles and outboard reading lights.

Some of the 2026 Kia EV4 Air Standard Range’s negatives we have already mentioned.

The price is a heck of a lot more than orthodox small/medium passenger cars like the Kia K4 sedan, which starts at $32,090 (plus ORCs).

But while the K4 looks similar, it’s powered by a pretty anaemic petrol engine that won’t be of interest to EV buyers.

The EV4 Air also loses a lot of equipment compared to the Long Range models (especially the GT-Line), they all have a slow fast-charging rate and the direct opposition from BYD and Tesla offer a longer range.

For some people that ride quality might just be a frag hard. There is also a skerrick of front-wheel drive steering corruption over rutted surfaces, but it’s rare.

Then there’s the way the air-con digital display is placed perfectly to be blocked by the unusual horizontal-spoke squircle steering wheel rim. Thankfully, the screen can be expanded, or you can rely on the hard buttons.

And of course, being a Kia, we’ve got the endlessly repetitive process of turning off bing-bonging overspeed and driver monitoring. You can hasten the process by setting up a shortcut, but doing it every time the car is started gets intensely annoying.

For more than $50,000 on the road, the EV4 Air has too much obvious hard plastic trim – at least much of it is recycled and bio-based. The substantial storage bins would benefit from soft inserts to dull the noise of items sliding about or rattling.

No-one enjoyed sitting in the middle rear seat. It’s upright and hard and the hard-backed front bucket seats promote an enclosed feel.

The boot has no pockets or nets to help store small items. Fold down the rear seat and there is a bike pedal-catching step created rather than a flat floor.

Another more subjective thing I’ll raise here is the exterior styling. The 4730mm-long EV4 looks like a long-tail hatchback rather than a sedan and it gets quite fussy from the C-pillar back.

That may not worry you, but the visibility limitations for a head check or through the rear window are a practical compromise.

Not that many people buy EVs in Australia and only a small percentage of them EV sedans. The 2026 Kia EV4 Air Standard Range isn’t about to change that trend.

Yes, it has many good points including its driving manners, interior space and capable yet frugal powertrain but the starting price for the Air is high compared to petrol-powered passenger cars. And for that money there are a few basics like powered seats left off the equipment list.

But at least its pricing is competitive against the BYD Seal and Tesla Model 3. That should get the EV4 deservedly on some consideration lists.

2026 Kia EV4 Air Standard Range at a glance:
Price: $49,990 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: Single permanent magnet synchronous rear motor
Output: 150kW/283Nm
Transmission: Single speed reduction gear
Battery: 58.3kWh lithium-ion
Range: 456km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 14.3kWh/100km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Unrated

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