Currently on display at the Brussels motor show, the electric small Kia EV2 family car is set to enter production in Europe, with British buyers eventually able to choose from two different EV2 powertrain options.
The EV2 will be Kia’s smallest and cheapest electric model when it arrives in the UK this year, sitting below the larger EV3 which was awarded The Car Expert’s ‘Car of the Year‘ accolade in 2024.
The crossover is set to challenge compact SUVs like the Renault 4 E-Tech and Ford Puma Gen-E, but has slightly smaller supermini measurements, being a similar length and width to the Mini Cooper Electric but with more ground clearance.
Kia’s brief for the EV2 is offering the brand’s electric powertrain tech and intuitive on-board tech offered with the EV3 and EV4 in a ‘more accessible’ package, while still offering the interior space and versatility required for family ferrying.
The car’s boxy silhouette and exterior design draws many parallels to the larger EV5 SUV, including the brand’s ‘Star Map’ daytime running lights and chunky wheel arches. Opting for the ‘GT-Line’ trim level also adds black high gloss accents (shown below) to the car’s front end.
The car will be available in both four-seat and five-seat configurations, the former coming with sliding and reclining rear seating. The car sits on 16- to 19-inch alloy wheels and opening the boot lid reveals 403 litres of luggage space – 57 litres less than the Kia EV3. The crossover also has 15 litres of ‘frunk’ space under the bonnet.
Built on 400V architecture (not the more advanced 800V architecture that features in the much larger EV6 and EV9), the EV2 range will include two different powertrain options – an entry-level 42kWh ‘Standard Range’ unit delivering a reported 197 miles on a single charge, and a more expensive 61kWh ‘Long Range’ battery allowing up to 278 miles without charging.
Both are compatible with DC rapid charging, the ‘Standard Range’ taking 29 minutes to charge the battery from 10% to 80%.
Stepping inside, the crossover has a triple-screen infotainment setup, consisting of a 12-inch driver display behind the steering wheel, a 12-inch central touchscreen and a five-inch climate control screen in between. This infotainment setup will be compatible with over-the-air updates, meaning Kia can update or add new features to the car’s tech suite from your driveway in the future.
‘Standard Range’ models are set to enter production at Kia’s factory in Slovakia next month, with ‘Long Range’ and ‘GT-Line’ variants starting to roll of the production line later in June. Kia is yet to announce the EV2’s UK price list, or exactly when the car will be available to order, but considering that prices for the larger EV3 currently start at £33k, we expect the EV2’s pricing to start under the £30k mark.
