- The 2026 Kia EV4 is a forthcoming electric sedan from the Korean brand, and now we have our first look at the production car.
- Along with the sedan body style, Kia will offer the EV4 as a wagon-like hatchback.
- Kia hasn’t yet confirmed if the EV4 will be sold in America, but the company plans to release more detailed information on February 27.
Kia is going against the grain. Not only because its new design language diverges from many mainstream automakers, but because the Korean brand is actively working to keep the sedan alive. Sure, you can still buy a new Honda Accord or Toyota Camry or several others, but the body style has been incrementally replaced in the United States by the more popular SUV format. The new 2026 Kia EV4 could help counteract that trend—if the company sells it on our shores—and now we have our first look at the production-intent version.
Kia first revealed the EV4 concept back in 2023 at its EV Day event. That version featured a face that’s familiar with some of the brand’s other electric models, including vertical headlights such as those on the three-row EV9 and a sloping hood with peaked fenders that’s a lot like the sleek EV6’s.
Flash forward to the EV4 models that Kia has now revealed and it’s clear the production version doesn’t look too different from the concept. While the wheels aren’t as big and there are real-life side mirrors, the exaggerated fenders and raked rear roofline remain. We also get our first glimpse of the EV4 GT-Line model (the blue car below). It wears unique 19-inch wheels and will likely have a power bump compared with other trims.
Kia also showed off a hatchback version of the EV4 (pictured above), which appears to have a wagon-like shape—another disappearing body style. While Kia hasn’t revealed any details about the EV4’s powertrains, we expect it to ride on the company’s ubiquitous E-GMP platform, which is shared with electric Hyundai and Genesis models. Existing configurations offer rear- and all-wheel-drive setups and power ranging from 168 to 641 horsepower. There are also several battery sizes, with the bigger ones boasting between 84.0 and 99.8 kWh, which could give the EV4 over 300 miles of driving range.
We’ll learn more details about the EV4’s design and features as well as Kia’s future plans at the end of the month when the company hosts its annual EV Day event on February 27.
Eric Stafford’s automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a journalism degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual ’97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a ’90 Honda CRX Si.
Source: Motor - aranddriver.com
