South Korea car maker Kia has received approval for its first electric sedan in Australia, the EV4, which will include three variants and could arrive on our local shores later this year.
The EV4 will be available in standard range with 17-inch wheels on the entry level model. The long range and GT-Line models will feature bigger 19-inch wheels.
It comes months after the release of the Kia EV3, the company’s smallest SUV, which followed the release of the popular larger electric SUV, the EV5, and the EV9 people mover.
The new Kia EV4 will be offered with two battery packs, the first is a 58.3 kWh for the standard range model, while the long-range models get an 81.4 kWh.
These battery packs look similar to the recently released EV3 which gets a 58.3 kWh battery pack on standard range entry model, delivering 436 km of WLTP range. More range is offered in the Long Range variant, with the 81.4 kWh delivering a claimed range of up to 604 km on the WLTP cycle.
All three variants on the EV include a front-wheel-drive (FWD) powertrain with no all-wheel-drive (AWD) version spotted in the approval documentation.
Speaking of the powertrain, it’s been hinted to have a 150 kW front-mounted motor and given its specifications in the overseas markets, it’s likely to have a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of just over 7 seconds.
From a dimensions point of view, the sedan is 4.73 metres in length with a height of just under 1.5 metres. Running clearance has also been provided in the documentation at 140 mm, which is the same as the EV3 small SUV.
The standard variants weigh 1,805 kg and can tow up to 500 kg while the long-range versions have a weight of over 1,900 kg, with braked towing capacity limited to 1,000 kg.
Along with that, like other new Kia models, the upcoming Kia EV4 will have the company’s 7-year/unlimited km warranty, giving buyers peace of mind.
More details on the upcoming Kia EV4, including key local specifications and pricing, are likely to be announced later this year.
At this stage, though, we expect the starting price of this model to be closer to $50,000, slightly above the entry-level EV3 Air Standard Range, when it is announced closer to launch.
Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.