New Kia EV1 targets Renault Twingo ahead of 2027 reveal

Kia is reportedly working on a Renault Twingo-rivalling city car called the EV1.

Sitting beneath the EV2 in the South Korean carmaker’s electric-only ‘EV’ line-up of vehicles, the new Kia EV1 is expected to be priced at just over £20,000 when it arrives next year.

Ostensibly an electric version of its smallest car, the Picanto, the A-segment EV1 will be available across global markets, albeit with a focus on Europe where demand for electrified city cars it at its hottest.

As such, it is expected that the EV1 will be developed alongside Kia’s sister brand, Hyundai, and possibly built in Europe. Kia is no stranger to ‘Euro-spec’ cars, as it develops and builds the EV4 hatch at its AutoLand plant in Žilina, Slovakia.

This decision to manufacture the EV4 in Europe was taken to meet regional expectations in terms of refinement, handling, and overall quality.

No official images of the EV1 have been published yet, but it is expected to usher in a new design language both inside and out and reflect the compact, four-metre footprint of its French rival.

While highly regarded for their build quality, ultra-efficient batteries and drama-free nature, Kia’s EV range of has been criticised for a lack of variety across its cabins, which all adopt a very similar triple-screen layout.

Yet as it seeks to remain competitive against the likes of the Twingo and the upcoming Volkswagen ID. Lupo, Kia is said to be considering a more value-focused, simplified layout for its EV1.

Kia has made no secret that it is developing hot GT versions of its current EV-branded cars, meaning a spicy version of the EV1 isn’t necessarily off the cards.

Should it arrive, a Kia EV1 GT is most likely to adopt a single-motor on the front axle, and a modest power increase as opposed to a twin-motor, all-wheel-drive setup as used by the likes of the Kia EV4 GT, and its larger sibling, the 641bhp EV6 GT.

We will publish more details on the Kia EV1 as things develop.