Kia EV2: Kia’s new compact electric aiming for under €25,000

We’ve been calling the Kia EV3 Kia’s most compact and most affordable electric car - but we won’t be able to say that for much longer. That crown is set to pass to the Kia EV2, which has now made its first appearance in “caught” spy photos.

Despite the gloomy backdrop for EV sales in Europe, Kia doesn’t appear fazed: the EV family keeps expanding quickly and with clear intent. The EV3’s arrival in Portugal is just around the corner, and we now have an initial look at what should be - unless anything changes - Kia’s smallest and cheapest fully electric model.

Ambition: under 25,000 euros

Here, the word “cheap” effectively means targeting the psychological €25,000 threshold - the price point that looks set to attract a growing number of 100% electric models over the next couple of years.

Several cars are already known to be positioned at, or aiming for, this level or below: Renault 5, Citroën ë-C3, FIAT Grande Panda, Skoda Epiq and Volkswagen ID.2.

Another one needs mentioning too: the Hyundai Inster, which shares a strong family link with the EV2 and carries the same ambition of coming in under 25,000 euros. The Inster impressed us when we drove it in Germany, especially thanks to its “big-car” interior:

If Hyundai can get the Inster below 25,000 euros, then Kia should be able to do the same - and it may even be easier.

That’s because the Inster will be built in South Korea and shipped to Europe, whereas the EV2 will be manufactured in Europe, in Slovakia, where Kia already builds the Ceed and the Sportage. It will be the brand’s first 100% electric model to be produced on the “old continent”, which also signals clearly where its main market will be.

What should we expect?

In the spy shots, the EV2 is wrapped in heavy camouflage that hides almost every styling detail.

Even so, it’s possible to see that its proportions are very close to its Hyundai “cousin”. Like the Inster, it will be a city-focused car with crossover cues, and dimensions that place it somewhere between the A-segment (city cars) and the B-segment (superminis).

Just as it’s easy to tell the related Hyundai i10 and Kia Picanto apart, the same should apply to the EV2 and the Inster, following the principles of Kia’s “Opposites United” design language. To get a clearer idea of how the EV2 might look, take a look at the EV9 and EV3: it shouldn’t stray far from that approach, simply in a more compact form.

The closeness to the Inster also gives us concrete clues about likely specifications. Unlike Kia’s other EV models, the EV2’s platform (and the Inster’s) won’t be a dedicated EV architecture; instead, it’s an adaptation of the i10 and Picanto underpinnings.

The Inster is offered with two batteries - 42 kWh and 49 kWh - paired with two power outputs, 97 hp and 115 hp respectively. Everything points to the future Kia EV2 adopting the same figures, so it’s reasonable to expect a range from just over 300 km with the smaller battery up to 355 km with the larger one.

Other anticipated highlights include features such as bidirectional charging and a generous tech package - particularly for connectivity and driver-assistance systems - more commonly found in higher segments.

When will it arrive?

We’ll still have to wait more than a year for the Kia EV2 to launch. Production is scheduled to start in 2025, but the first deliveries are only expected in 2026, according to comments from Kia chief executive Song Hu-sung.

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