Kia EV4 UK price and specification confirmed

Orders for the new Kia EV4 have opened with prices starting at under £35,000 for the Korean brand’s new electric hatchback.

The EV4 is Kia’s first all-electric C-segment hatchback and is set to compete with the Volkswagen ID.3, Cupra Born, Renault Megane and Citroen E-C4, bringing almost 400 miles of range in its most efficient guise.

With prices starting at £34,695, the EV4 follows the same simple trim level pattern as Kia’s other EVs, with Air, GT-Line and GT-Line S grades, along with two powertrain options.

All versions of the EV4 are powered by a front-mounted 201bhp motor shared with the smaller EV3 SUV. This offers a 0-62mph time of 7.5 seconds and a top speed of 105mph.

Entry level cars come with a 58.3kWh battery offering up to 273 miles of range while higher specifications include an 81.4kWh battery offering up to 388 miles – the longest range yet for a Kia EV. As with the EV3, the EV4 uses 400V architecture, which means a 10-80% charge takes around 30 minutes.

The £34,695 starting price is for the EV4 Air with the smaller battery. Buyers can also specify the Air trim with the larger battery, which brings the 388-mile range. That is priced from £37,695.

Above the Air grade, all versions of the EV4 get the larger battery offering 362 miles of range. The GT-Line spec is priced from £39,395, while the GT-Line S falls victim to the Expensive Car Supplement tax, with prices from £43,895.

All versions of the EV4 come with LED lights, heated front seats and steering wheel, wireless phone mirroring and Kia’s ubiquitous three-screen dashboard. This features twin 12.3-inch infotainment and instrument displays, plus a 5.5-inch climate control panel that is, thankfully, backed up by physical controls. Highway driving assist 2.0 which uses adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist is also standard along with a comprehensive driver assistance package.

Above the Air grade, the GT-Line brings a more aggressive appearance with additional body trim and gloss black exterior finishes. It also upgrades the alloy wheels from 17 to 19 inches. Additional equipment includes powered pop-out door handles, two-tone faux-leather upholstery, privacy glass, wireless phone charging and a power-adjustable driver’s seat.

GT-Line S builds on that with “relaxation” front seats which lie almost flat while charging and work in tandem with new “rest” and “theatre” modes while parked. They also add cooling for the front seats while the rear seats are also heated. A sunroof, power tailgate, Harman Kardon sound system and head-up display are standard on GT-Line S, along with vehicle-to-load capability and a 360-degree parking camera. Sadly, a heat pump is still a £900 option and only offered on top-spec models.

Kia says the EV4’s hatchback design has been created to meet European demands for the bodystyle, and the car has been developed on European roads. It will also be built in Europe, at Kia’s factory in Slovenia. A fastback saloon will join the line-up at a later date as a smaller sibling to the EV6.

Orders for the Kia EV4 are open now, with customer deliveries set to begin in autumn.