2026 Kia EV4 electric sedan confirmed for Australia, but hatch unlikely
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Technical specifications of the 2026 Kia EV4 sedan and hatch have been detailed, with the model confirmed for Australian showrooms.
The 2026 Kia EV4 has been unveiled in full to rival the Tesla Model 3 sedan and MG 4 hatch, with an Australian launch confirmed.
Shown at the 2025 Kia EV Day in Spain this week, the EV4 is Kia’s first dedicated electric passenger vehicle with similar dimensions to the K4 small sedan and hatch – but an elevated height like the Polestar 2 sedan with SUV-like wheel cladding.
Kia Australia has confirmed it will offer the EV4 in local showrooms – but it is likely to only take the Korean-built sedan as the hatchback will be manufactured in Slovakia for the European market.
MORE: 2025 Kia EV4 electric car revealed to take on Tesla Model 3 sedan, MG 4 hatch
“Kia Australia is pleased to confirm the EV4 will join the range of Kia's battery electric vehicle models in Australia,” the brand said in a media statement.
“Further information regarding timing, variants, features, and pricing will be announced in due course.”
While the brand has not confirmed what versions of the EV4 it plans to introduce, it said the smaller EV2 city SUV due in 2026 is “highly unlikely” for Australia due to higher costs caused by it being manufactured in Slovakia – a decision which could be mirrored for the EV4 hatchback.
MORE: 2026 Kia EV4 electric hatch – MG 4, Cupra Born rival spotted at the Nurburgring
Production of the Kia EV4 sedan will commence in South Korea in mid-March, while the hatchback will be built in Slovakia from the second half of 2025 for the European market.
At launch, the EV4 will be available in Base (standard-range) and Long Range variants with 58.3kWh and 81.4kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt battery packs, respectively, matching the related EV3.
The base variants have 430km (sedan) or 410km (hatch) range ratings on the European WLTP lab-test standard, while the Long Range can travel up to 630km (sedan) or 590km (hatch) – beating the longest-range versions of the Tesla Model 3 and MG 4.
Other rivals for the Kia EV4 sedan include the BYD Seal and Polestar 2, while the hatch is a competitor to the Volkswagen ID.3 and Cupra Born in Europe.
All versions of the EV4 have a 150kW electric motor – likely with 283Nm – sharing its front-wheel-drive E-GMP underpinnings with the smaller EV3 with a 400-volt electrical architecture, rather than the 800-volt rear-wheel-drive version used in the EV6 and EV9.
Kia claims a 0-100km/h acceleration time in 7.4 seconds for the base variant and 7.7s for the Long Range, with a 170km/h top speed.
Direct-current (DC) fast-charging from 10 to 80 per cent is claimed to take 29 minutes for the base variant, or 31 minutes for the Long Range.
The EV4 GT-Line adds 19-inch wheels – up from 17 inches – “wing-shaped” front and rear bumpers, a three-spoke steering wheel, and two-tone black and white seats.
A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 5.4-inch climate control display and a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen will be standard, while available features include a 12-inch windscreen-projected head-up display and an eight-speaker Harman Kardon audio system.
In-car streaming options will be available with YouTube, Netflix and Disney+ support, as well as built-in games and karaoke.
Owners will be able to add up to 15 devices with its Digital Key 2.0 function, including an Apple Watch.
The brand said it is targeting a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating – under the same criteria as ANCAP – when fitted with “optional” safety functions.
Its roof will hold “more than five times” its total weight, Kia claims, and a multi-rib structure in the rocker panel will enhance occupant protection in a side-impact collision.
Safety features will include autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, a blind-spot view monitor, safe exit warning, intelligent speed limit assist, driver attention warning, and automatic high beam.
It will also feature navigation-based adaptive cruise control, a 360-degree camera, front, rear and side parking sensors, and remote smart parking assist.
The Kia EV4 sedan measures 4730mm long, 1860mm wide and 1480mm tall, with a 2820mm wheelbase, while the hatch is 4430mm long and 1485mm tall with an identical width and wheelbase.
Luggage capacity is rated at 490 litres for the sedan and 435 litres for the hatch, which Kia claims is the “largest in class”.
More Australian details on the 2026 Kia EV4 will be confirmed closer to its local launch.
The post 2026 Kia EV4 electric sedan confirmed for Australia, but hatch unlikely appeared first on Drive.
