Kia EV4 Review

by AutoApp Editorial Team, 26 February 2026

Kia’s first electric sedan enters the market with its bold and futuristic design, but the EV4 also proves to be a comfortable and user-friendly ride.

Very few cars make it from concept to production virtually unchanged. But it seems like the Koreans are looking to push the boundaries of car design, with some of their recent offerings looking like they drove out straight from the design studio into the showroom.

The latest one to emerge is the Kia EV4, the first electric sedan from the brand. It is essentially Kia’s counterpart to the Hyundai Ioniq 6, but you certainly couldn’t tell that they are related given how different they look from each other.

A Big Chunk

The EV4’s wedge-shaped styling is certainly eye-catching indeed. It looks like something out of an 1980s computer game, designed using 16-bit pixels, with its straight lines and blocky chunks that stand in stark contrast with many of the curvy and bulbous EVs you see on the roads today.

There are plenty of fancy design details to look out for, like the vertical set headlights, the distinctive-looking thick set C-pillar, the twin mini roof ‘spoilers’ at the back, and the cool-looking wheel design that literally forms a square within a circle.

Even the colour looks unique. The test car’s shade (officially called Morning Haze) looks a dull grey under shade, but in natural sunlight, it gives off a slightly green-teal hue, which looks somewhat more interesting.

The EV4’s sloping roofline gives the car a sleek, almost coupe-like profile, but it also helps to mask the car’s size, because the Kia EV4 dimensions are pretty substantial.

The car measures in at 4,730mm long, which puts it on par with the likes of the Tesla Model 3, although it’s still a bit shorter than its Ioniq 6 sibling. The lengthy rear overhang though does make it a bit tricky to park, especially if you’re backing up against a wall.

Certainly, the EV4’s design can come across as a bit divisive. It won’t appeal to everyone, but personally, I do like it, simply because it looks rather different from the often-derivative styling of many other new EVs nowadays.

Distinctive Simplicity

There are elements of the EV4’s unique personality reflected inside too. The seats and door trims are made from a recycled fabric material, and the area around the window switches feature a faux marble-like finish that’s at least a departure from the plastics used in most cars.

But otherwise, the EV4’s cabin is a model of simplicity. There is the now-familiar large double screen setup, consisting of the 12.3-inch infotainment system and 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. Unlike many other EVs though, Kia has opted to also retain physical button controls on the dashboard, instead of having everything controlled via touchscreen.

The result is an extremely intuitive user experience, and you don’t need a PhD to figure out how to adjust the air con temperature. Most functions can be easily located and accessed, which feels quite refreshing in this day and age of over-complication.

At the back, the car’s sloping roofline does mean that taller passengers might find their heads brushing against the roof lining, but most average-sized folks should fit just fine. The large and expansive windows also do much to mitigate against claustrophobia, and the cabin generally feels like a comforting place to be in.

Legroom is pretty substantial as well, as is typical of many EVs these days. There’s also a three-pin plug socket under the seats, which is handy for those who would like to plug in their laptops, for instance, while working on the go.

The boot space is equally generous as with 490 litres of capacity on offer, expandable to a hefty 1,680 litres with the rear seats folded down. However, the shape of the boot opening is a bit odd and narrow, and the high sill does impede loading of larger items somewhat.

An Agreeable Drive

The Kia EV4’s pleasant demeanour translates into its driving experience too. It’s not going to set the pulses of enthusiasts racing, but there’s no particular area where it falls short either.

For now, the sole powertrain option for Singapore is the single motor, front wheel drive sedan that produces 201bhp and 283Nm of torque, which puts it into COE Category B. A Cat A version is supposedly in the works, but for now, this is the only EV4 you can get here.

It’s obviously not trail-blazing quick, with 0-100km/h coming in 7.5 seconds. But acceleration is decent, and it is effective enough to allow for overtaking manoeuvres without much fuss. The power does tail off a bit at the top end, but by that time you’ll be approaching triple digit speeds anyway.

Kia quotes a range of 546km for the EV4 when fully charged, but in reality, you’ll probably be able to eke out somewhere in the high 400s at best if you’re careful. Most folks will reach over 400km easily though, so it’s definitely good enough for urban commuting in Singapore.

Similarly, the EV4’s handling is mostly competent, if not exactly exciting. For a relatively low-slung car, there’s a surprising amount of noticeable roll while cornering. The steering feels decently weighty, but there’s fairly limited feedback, and you get the sense that the EV4 is a car that doesn’t exactly like being pushed too hard.

It does compensate for that however with its excellent ride quality. The suspension soaks up bumps extremely well, and the car is relatively hushed and silent even at high speed. Refinement is clearly a strong point with the EV4, and it feels like a car that can take on long journeys with great ease.

A Pleasant Proposition

The EV4’s price tag of $231,999 with COE (at the time of writing) does put it in a complicated position in the market. It slots right in between the Cat A-variants of its Ioniq 6 sibling and the recently-launched iM 5, but there are also other rivals that offer more power for a lower price, like the Dongfeng 007, Tesla Model 3, BYD Seal and even the Polestar 2.

Compared to the other electric sedans currently available out there though, the Kia EV4 definitely stands out with its unique style and pleasant user-experience. It is probably the closest you could get to a ‘regular’ driving experience from an EV thanks to its intuitive interior layout, while the design will definitely appeal to those who want something that looks different from the rest.

Technical Specifications

Kia EV4

Powertrain: Single Electric Motor, Front Wheel Drive 
Power: 150 kW (201bhp) 
Torque: 283 Nm 
Gearbox: Single-Speed (A) 
0-100km/h: 7.5 Seconds 
Top Speed: 170 km/h 
Battery Capacity: 58.3 kWh 
Drive Range: 546 km (claimed) 
Energy Consumption: 6.7km/kWh (claimed)
 Price: S$231,999 with COE (accurate at the time of this article)