• Auto123 gets in a first drive of the 2026 Kia EV4.
Barcelona, Spain - While many automakers backtrack on - or at least make adjustments to - their electrification schedules, Kia remains in full steam ahead mode. The Korean carmaker will soon be filling out its EV lineup with the new EV3 and EV5 all-electric SUVs, joining the Niro EV and EV9 already on the market here in Canada.
But it doesn’t end there. Kia’s bold approach is extending beyond the SUV segments to introducing an ICE-less car.
(And by the way, no we did not forget to mention the EV6 crossover, because while it remains in the Kia lineup for now, that will last only so long as inventories do. After that, it will be gone from the Canadian market, Kia preferring to direct customers to the more SUV-like EV5.)
But back to the EV4. We escaped the early Canadian winter for a first drive of the all-electric sedan, roughly the size of the company’s K4 gas-engine sedan. It is pegged to arrive on the market here early in 2026 in FWD configuration, with the AWD variant set to follow later in 2026 (as a 2027 model).
2026 Kia EV4 – What’s new?
It will be very interesting to see what kind of audience this EV4 finds, given how little precedent there is to go on in the North American small electric car segment. All the more so since Kia is taking an aggressive pricing approach as it seeks to fill the growing demand for affordable EVs. A lot of what the EV4 offers in terms of its powertrain, design elements, interior amenities and such is familiar from the other EVs in the Kia stable. It’s the sedan format that’s truly new, in fact this is Kia’s first global all-electric sedan.
2026 Kia EV4 – Versions and pricing in Canada
Canadians will have the choice of five distinct trims/configurations to choose from:
- - 2026 EV4 Light FWD Standard Range - $38,995 CAD (MSRP)
- - 2026 EV4 Wind FWD Long Range - $42,995
- - 2026 EV4 Wind Premium FWD Long Range - $45,495
- - 2026 EV4 GT-Line FWD Long Range - $48,495
- - 2026 EV4 GT-Line Limited FWD/AWD Long Range - $51,995
Design of the 2026 Kia EV4 – 8,0/10
As mentioned, Kia has given the EV4 the main standard design elements found across its contemporary models, both electric and non-electric. We have the signature Starmap lighting with vertical headlamps and taillights, as well as an adapted version of Kia’s tiger face front end, here adopting a more snub nose look. Seen from the side, it does feel like there's a lot going on, and some have, understandably it seems to us, shared their impression the front and back ends look like they're of different cars.
The model’s GT-Line trim, the version we drove, features unique design elements including the wheel designs on its 19-inch wheels.
Interior
Comfortable, roomy and ergonomically friendly, the EV4 shows again that Kia has largely understood what works with motorists today. The single 30-inch screen display encompasses both the 12.3-inch driver data cluster and the 12.3-inch infotainment system, which provides wireless access to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a 5-inch climate display, a sort of popup accessed via a haptic button – a clever way to avoid over-cluttering the display.
The Start button/shifter is found on the back side of the steering wheel, on the right, which further helps declutter the central console.
We found the seats in the GT-Line and GT-Line Limited trims to be comfortable if not quite the best we’ve ever come across. We also found the steering wheel lovely to look at and winningly designed with its flat top and bottom.
Standard features for Canada include heated front seats, acoustic windshield dual-zone automatic temperature control with rear A/C vents. Higher trim levels either include or can be bonified with dynamic ambient lighting, ventilated front seats with a driver-side memory system and a heated steering wheel.
Cargo volume for this fastback-style sedan is 408 litres.
Technology in the 2026 Kia EV4 – 8,0/10
In our view, there’s little more boring than detailing drive-assist systems that these days are found in the vast majority of new vehicles, so we won’t go there. Just know they’re there. Also know that some of them can be intrusive and annoying (hello Excessive Speed Warning), and you will want to turn them off via the settings menu and leave off forevermore.
Beyond that, the EV4 introduces Kia's i-Pedal 3.0 system, the new and improved edition of the automaker’s variable regenerative braking feature. This system, Kia promises, works in tandem with the EV4’s adaptive Smart Regenerative Braking function to help maximize energy recapture. There are four levels of increasingly aggressive ‘regen’ braking, and if you pull and hold the left paddle shifter on the wheel that lets you toggle between them, you get i-Pedal, which will bring your car to a stop when you release the accelerator pedal.
The EV4 also comes with available Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) functionality, which allow you to use the vehicle’s charge to power external devices like laptops, lights and smaller electronics.
Powertrain of the 2026 Kia EV4
The 2026 Kia EV4 is built on the manufacturer's dedicated 400V E-GMP platform, and offers a choice of two battery configurations: a standard 58.3 kWh battery (for the Light trim) or a long-range 81.4 kWh battery (for Wind and GT-Line trims). In both configurations, power goes to a front-mounted 150 kW motor, with output pegged at 201 hp in a front-wheel drive system (as mentioned, those wanting an AWD version will get it, but only later in 2026).
Range
Estimated all-electric range is an impressive 552 km in the Wind Long-Range FWD trim, and that’s via the tougher EPA calculations, meaning that’s, in theory, what Canadian buyers of the EV4 can expect.
That’s an optimal range of course, with smaller wheels and the bigger battery and sober driving habits and ideal temperatures. Otherwise, the Light Stand Range version delivers 391 km, and it goes from there to 488 km from the GT-Line Limited. That last was what we drove, and our vehicle showed 98 percent charge and 480 km of range, so about what’s promised.
With its 400V platform and standard NACS (North American Charging Standard) charging port, the sedan can be charged – again, in ideal conditions – from 10 to 80 percent state of charge in an estimated 29 minutes for the smaller battery (58.3 kWh) and 31 minutes for the larger one (81.4 kWh).
Kia promises having prioritized aerodynamics to optimize all these numbers and claims the EV4 has a drag coefficient as low as 0.23 Cd when fitted with enhancements like a full underbody cover.
Driving the 2026 Kia EV4
The Kia EV4 delivers a driving experience that was, in many respects, entirely predictable, given the way new-generation EVs have progressed. The low centre of gravity means you hug the road nicely, all the more so given the better aerodynamics offered by the sedan format in comparison with an SUV or crossover. Off the line, all of the torque is available to you so you can if you wish gleefully leave the gas-engine slowpokes behind when the light turns green.
And at 201 hp of output, the GT-Line delivers plenty of acceleration, even from, say, 100-to-120 km/h when in passing situations on the highway. The stretch of highway between Barcelona has its share of onramps and trucks so we had several occasions to see what the EV4 had in its electric guts and it responded well – and effortlessly – every time.
Steering is relatively responsive and is part of what makes the car such a pleasant handler; just don’t expect intimate conversations between your hands and the road surface below.
Overall, for a vehicle that’s being pushed by its maker as a more affordable EV option, the EV4 does not drive like a bargain-basement vehicle. That’s probably the most important takeaway for potential buyers.
The final word
The first draw of the 2026 Kia EV4 may well be its price point, its positioning alongside the EV3 and EV5 as more affordable all-electric options for consumers. But the electric sedan comes well-equipped, features a comfy, well-designed interior and delivers a positive driving experience.
At the same time, it ventures into near-virgin territory as it seeks to answer the question, is there a big market for an electric sedan when dealerships increasingly have a full roster of electric SUVs in their showrooms? It seems to us that is still an open question. On the other hand, the EV4 will have little direct competition in its segment to contend with.
2026 Kia EV4 - Competitors*
- - Hyundai Ioniq 6
- - Mini Cooper SE
- - Polestar 2
- - Tesla Model 3
*This electric sedan will likely compete as much with the Chevrolet Bolt EV, Nissan LEAF and other small electric SUVs of this world as with the electric cars listed above.
