Kia EV2 priced from £24,245 as reservations open for compact EV crossover

Kia has announced full UK prices and specification for its smallest EV yet, the EV2.

Orders for the Renault 4 rival open on April 1, with entry-level cars priced from £24,245 after a manufacturer-backed EV grant.

From launch, the Kia EV2 will be available in four trim lines and with two powertrain choices offering up to 281 miles of range.

Kia is waiting to see if the EV2 will qualify for the UK Government’s Electric Car Grant but, in the meantime is applying its own “Kia Reservation Saving”. This gives a discount of £1,500 to the limited First Edition models and £3,750 to all other specifications.

That means the range starts at £24,245 for the Air long-range model with a 61kWh battery. Above that, the First Edition comes exclusively with the smaller 42.2kWh battery and is priced from £26,995.

In line with the rest of Kia’s EV range, the line-up is completed by the GT-Line and GT-Line S grades, both of which feature the long-range 61kWh battery and cost from £28,995 and £32,595 respectively.

That puts the EV2 firmly in competition with the Renault 4, which starts at £23,445 after the ECG, and the £26,245 Ford Puma Gen-E.

Kia EV2 powertrains

The First Edition’s entry-level powertrain uses a 144bhp motor mated to the 42.2kWh battery to deliver a 0-62mph time of 8.7 seconds and a range of 190 miles.

The long-range setup used in all other models features a detuned 133bhp motor for better efficiency, which takes 9.5 seconds to hit 62mph. The payoff for the slower performance is a range of 281 miles – among the best in class.

Using DC ultra-rapid charging, both variants will recharge from 10-80% in around 30 minutes, and both come with 11kW AC charging.

Kia EV2 trim levels

All versions of the Kia EV2 come with LED headlights; alloy wheels; keyless entry; heated front seats and steering wheel; 12.3-inch instrument and infotainment screens; wireless phone mirroring; automatic air conditioning and an ADAS suite that includes Highway Driving Assist 2.0 with adaptive cruise control, blind spot collision mitigation and lane keep assist.

On Air grade, the alloys are 16-inch designs and the flush-fit door handles are manually operated. First Edition upgrades the wheels to 18 inches and adds adaptive headlights, powered door handles, gloss black exterior details, a Harman Kardon stereo and remote parking assist.

All versions from First Edition also get a 15-litre frunk.

GT Line gets a sportier exterior and interior look, with 19-inch alloy wheels alloy pedals and rear privacy glass. However, it loses the Harman Kardon stereo, while GT-Line S includes the stereo as well as a front sunroof, powered tailgate, 360-degree camera and cooled, power-adjustable front seats.

Unlike some European markets, the UK is not getting the four-seat option and all versions will be five-seaters with up to 362 litres of boot space.

Order books for the Kia EV2 are open now. Production of First Edition models is already underway at Kia’s factory in Zilina, Slovakia with other models due to go into production from June.