Kia formally lifts the veil on new EV4 here are photos & specs and is slated to arrive in markets during 2024 Kia first previewed this model as a concept last year KIA has unveiled the production version of the EV4, its all-electric SUV that sits between the EV3 crossover and the full-sized EV6 SUV-coupe in the automaker’s expanding EV lineup. The 4’s teaser design paints a pretty picture of what’s to come, including a dramatic look and a variety of body types.
One of the more unique features about the EV4 is that Kia will offer it from launch with two body styles, giving buyers a coupe-style long-tail saloon or a more practical five-door hatchback. This has allowed Kia to diversify its product offering and adapt it to various customer preferences around the globe. Whether you’re after a long-range electric vehicle with a sharp exterior design, a confident GT-Line trim, or simply a versatile package that’s easy to live with, the EV4 is for you.
1. Dual Body Style Options: Saloon and Hatchback
Interestingly, the main draw of the new Kia EV4 is that it is being launched in both saloon and hatchback forms. Kia is not giving customers a single appearance on each market, but is instead catering to various requirements and preferences around the world. The long-tail saloon has an upmarket, streamlined look, while the five-door hatchback has a shorter, more compact shape. Both body styles mean that EV4 now has a broader potential customer base, while also providing everyday practicality and ease of use.
EV4 Body Style Choices:
- Sleek long-tail saloon
- Practical five-door hatchback
- Different lifestyle requirements
- Wider global market appeal
- Distinctive electric vehicle design
Providing both options enables the unmistakable EV family experience to be enjoyed by customers in ways that best fit their individual daily lives and preferences,” said Kia Executive Vice President and Head of Global Design, Karim Habib. “It also increases Kia’s flexibility in markets where hatchbacks and saloons have varying degrees of demand. Rather than serve one style to all our customers, the EV4 provides two variations of the same EV family concept and preserves its familiar lineage.
2. Distinctive Exterior Styling and Tiger Face Front End
The production EV4 will follow the design language of the EV6, but will have its own distinct sharp and modern look. At the front, there is a lowered bonnet complemented by the modern reinterpretation of Kia’s signature Tiger Face design. The front end has a compact look and forward-leaning stance thanks to a low bonnet line and front intakes, resulting in a distinctive road presence for the EV4. The EV4 also uses some design cues from Kia’s smaller EV3.
EV4 Exterior Design Features:
- Low-slung bonnet design
- Modern Tiger Face
- Upright LED headlights
- Star Map lighting signature
- Flush-fit door handles
Visual emphasis on these areas is focused on the front corners, which feature vertically-placed LED headlamps with Kia’s signature eye-catching Star Map lighting. These give the EV4 a distinctive visual identity, while also linking it to the company’s smaller EV3. On the flanks, sleek, uninterrupted body panels keep the visual appearance pure and tidy, with flush-fitting door handles complementing the SUV’s aerodynamic stance. All of these touches add up to give the EV4 a svelte stance that sets it apart from more typical electric hatchbacks and saloons.
3. Aerodynamic Long-Tail Silhouette and Two-Piece Spoiler for the Saloon
EV4 design language The EV4 has a low nose and a beautiful long tail that is a slender, streamlined shape designed with aerodynamics in mind. When viewed from the side, the EV4 features a long, shallow glasshouse with extended trailing rear flanks tapering gently to a compact tailgate. This gives the EV4 a striking form that sets it apart from any other four-door saloon, yet which is both stylish and aerodynamic from practically every angle.
EV4 Saloon Design Details:
- Low aerodynamic nose
- Long-tail body silhouette
- Shallow glass panel
- Extended rear flanks
- Two-piece rear spoiler
The tail lights of the saloon extend outward into the rear wheel arch areas at the back, creating an eye-catching overall width and highlighting the special proportions. The most noteworthy feature is the split, two-piece rear spoiler, which reinforces a sporty feel in contrast to the refined lines of the design. It’s a bold visual feature, helping to finish the saloon body style with a dramatic flourish and setting its rear design apart from conventionally styled four-door electric vehicles. It’s a body style in which aerodynamic character and visual identity take center stage.
4. Agile Design and Standout Details of the Hatchback
The EV4 hatchback, by contrast, is a much shorter and more practical-looking rear-end. Rather than highlighting the length of the car, it has a more punchy, substantial and squarer look. It boasts a shorter rear overhang and more upright tail, a neat and compact appearance that forms a perfect base for the slim rear light units that run from rear wheel arches to the tailgate, giving a continuous horizontal band of illumination at the rear of the car.
EV4 Hatchback Design Features:
- Shorter rear overhang
- Upright rear profile
- Slim rear light units
- Full-width rear spoiler
- Distinctive black C-pillars
Sticking with a single full-width rear spoiler mounted over the rear glass as opposed to the way the saloon has a split version, the hatchback features contrast black vertical C-pillars, shapes geometric treatment around the lower portion of the car, and chunky 19-inch wheels that give the hatchback a more anchored stance on the road. Aside from the unique rear end treatment, the hatchback looks quite different from the saloon with its more upright stance.
5. Expected Powertrains and Battery Range
While all the mechanical details hadn’t yet been confirmed before the launch, it’s likely that the EV4 would use the same core battery and motor hardware as the EV3 crossover. A 201bhp electric motor, in this case, would produce the instant ‘zing’ of torque that modern electric cars have become known for, and should pair nicely with the EV4’s aggressive exterior styling as well as being practical on the daily commute.
Expected EV4 Powertrain Options:
- 201bhp electric motor
- 58.3kWh entry battery
- 81.4kWh long-range battery
- 250–350-mile projected range
- Up to 375 miles potentially
Dual battery options are also expected to be on offer, a 58.3kWh starter pack and an 81.4kWh long-range version. Estimated range with the largest pack (81.4kWh) is reported to be around 250-350 miles, while the aerodynamic saloon body shape suggests it’s capable of even greater efficiency, with some versions of the 81.4kWh long-range pack reported to be capable of 375 miles. This combination of bigger battery capacity and the aerodynamic saloon shape should make the EV4 suitable not just for daily short-distance motoring, but for long-distance travel, too.
6. GT-Line Trim Enhancements
Kia is introducing a single dedicated GT-Line version of the EV4 available for both saloon and hatchback body styles. While retaining the look of the production car, the GT-Line enhances the EV4 for those seeking a more aggressive and sporty styling interpretation, featuring a host of bespoke exterior details designed to accentuate the EV4’s lower, wider, more planted stance. The GT-Line version is aimed at those seeking a more expressive EV4 design.
GT-Line Styling Features:
- Available on both variants
- Redesigned front bumpers
- Redesigned rear bumpers
- Wing-shaped bumper contours
- Unique 19-inch alloy wheels
Exterior styling updates for the GT-Line include new front and rear bumpers, with eye-catching wing-shaped contours, which help give both body styles a more assertive road stance. Kia rounds out the GT-Line look with specially designed 19-inch alloy wheels featuring eye-catching triangular shaped pattern, and a selection of contrasting colour body accents and sharper body contours. The GT-Line specification aims to make the electric EV4 look raring to go even when it’s still.
7. Market Positioning Against Major Rivals
The EV4 will be pitted up against a number of well-established EVs, with the body styles in the lineup selling into slightly different types of competitor. For example, the EV4 hatchback will go head-to-head with mid-sized options like the Volkswagen ID.3, BYD Dolphin and Renault Megane E-Tech, where it looks to compete on a more extreme and angular design. The hatchback also boasts its smaller footprint and five-door layout to help Kia compete on traditional EV buyer priorities.
EV4 Competitive Positioning:
- Volkswagen ID.3 competitor
- BYD Dolphin competitor
- Renault Megane E-Tech
- Tesla Model 3 rival
- Hyundai Ioniq 6 rival
The saloon is designed to go toe-to-toe with bigger rivals such as the Tesla Model 3, Polestar 2 and Hyundai Ioniq 6. With a target starting price near or below $35,000, Kia hopes to market the EV4 as an affordable alternative while maintaining similar cabin volume and aerodynamic efficiency. This twin-model approach helps strengthen Kia’s presence in both European and North American markets. Offering both a long-tail saloon and small hatchback, the Korean brand can cater to owners of both car types without depending on a single body form.
8. Upcoming World Debut at 2025 Kia EV Day
The complete Kia EV4 was likely to get its official world premiere on Thursday, February 27, through the 2025 Kia EV Day occasion within the nation of Spain. This occasion was to disclose the remaining tech specs customers had been ready for, together with the inside structure, specs, and official vary figures. The EV4 manufacturing automotive was to lastly be unveiled, transitioning from the extensively previewed mannequin to a totally revealed mannequin.
Kia EV4 World Premiere Plans:
- 2025 Kia EV Day
- February 27 premiere
- Event held in Spain
- Full technical specifications
- Official range figures
The EV4 had been due to be shown with the new PV5 electric van from Kia, as well as the EV2 concept car (a compact model), showing what the company’s entire electrification plans might look like, and offering us a clearer idea of what its future models could be. The pre-production-ready EV4 would then become open to order or leasing sometime later in 2024 or early 2025, with deliveries set to begin in 2026. That would then be the latest significant addition to Kia’s growing portfolio of electric vehicles, embracing a striking appearance, a choice of body styles and simple, consumer-focused performance.
