Jake Groves is CAR’s News Editor, and has been part of the CAR team since April 2017.
is its smallest yet – a boxy but funky looking city slicker. From the off, it’s an interesting thing to look at, coming across as cute and charming without needing to be retro . The brand’s ‘opposites united’ design language is applied here as it is with all modern Kias, with this one coming with quite a cute and chunky set of design features and a boxy shape that’s meant to maximise space.
Kia’s NVH engineers are keen to point out their hard work, too, claiming the EV2 is jam-packed with padding and sound insulation designed to keep things quiet on the move. As well as insulation in the wheelarches and on the bonnet, engineers have added a damper to the steering wheel to limit vibrations there as well as sophisticated bushings in the suspension. Go for a GT-Line model and Kia adds bespoke insulated tyres – a move designed to counteract the larger wheel size.Two powertrains will be offered, both with self-explanatory names: Standard Range and Long Range. Standard Range is the only one on sale to start with; Long Range models launch in the summer. The Standard Range model features a 42.2kWh LFP battery, a 145bhp single e-motor driving the front wheels and a claimed range clocking in at 197 miles. We’ve tested a Standard Range model for our review here. The Long Range that arrives in the summer uses a larger 61kWh NMC battery pack that claims up to 281 miles of range – something Kia says makes the EV2 the longest-range car in its segment. Weirdly, a power figure hasn’t confirmed for the Long Range just yet, but we’ve been told to expect it to be slightly down on power due to how the e-motor works with the different battery chemistry – even if the torque figure is the same at 184lb ft. That means the Long Range model will sprint to 62mph in a slightly slower 9.5 seconds.Performance is perfectly reasonable, having just enough shove to zip around town easily and yet not be a menace to other road users at motorway speeds. You can adjust the amount of regeneration on the fly via paddles on the steering wheel, and there’s a one-pedal driving mode should you need it. The EV2, as it turns out, is also likely to be very efficient; our test route around the streets and highways of Lisbon, as well as some cliffside country roads, netted an efficiency figure of 4.14 miles per kWh. The EV2’s best quality, though, is its ride. It’s remarkably pliant and well-balanced, with the refinement and NVH features working their magic. Rough tarmac doesn’t seem to bother the EV2 that much, and only the most jagged and deepest drain covers introduce any jolt into the cabin. This is definitely a positive over the Renault 4, for example, with its harder-edged suspension setup. All that focus on killing noise and vibrations has also worked, with the EV2 feeling remarkably quiet – even by electric car standards. There’s still a little bit of buffeting from the flat front end when wind speeds are high, but it’s a refined cruiser and manages to handle the sharpest of potholes and drain covers well. It does bong and beep quite a lot, though. Some of these can be turned off quickly , while others will require a bit more of you to turn off. Any complaints here? Not really. The steering is perhaps a little inert for the tastes of the keenest drivers, but it’s nothing disappointing. The EV2 is very clearly designed to be a relatively sedate and calm car to drive more than some zippy go-getter – and it behaves like that very well.For this class of car, what impresses most is the build quality, which feels pretty much identical to larger Kias like the. That makes sense, given the EV2 largely shares a lot of the tech and design as those bigger electric cars. Having a similar interior design to those cars means two screens set together in one panel atop the dashboard, with the EV2’s infotainment being pretty much the same slightly menu-heavy software as those cars, too. We suspect some dosh has been saved on processors, though, as there’s a little bit more lag navigating the system here than in others. Still, though, you can somewhat get around that using some welcome physical controls for climate and access to certain menus and a rather busy steering wheel with plenty more to prod and poke. It’s not all the same as those other Kia EVs, though. The dashboard itself is topped with hard-wearing fabrics and Kia proves that everything doesn’t have to be black, with lighter greys on the upholstery choice list peppered with pastel blue or lime green interior inserts. Spot other details like the smiley face on the windowsill or the ‘have a nice day’ marker inside the door handle cutout. Kia’s design team is also very keen to point out the number of sustainable materials used in here, like recycled plastics or paint with no harmful elements in it. Again, lighter seat upholstery colours help brighten the whole place up. The EV2’s clever packaging results in good storage, with a high armrest hiding some useful space and big cubbies in the lower centre console area. There’s also a fixed place to put your phone which can be upgraded with a wireless charger. That space also extends to the second row. Here, Kia offers a standard five-seat layout with a fixed rear bench, or an optional four-seat setup that allows you to individually slide the rear seats. Testing legroom in both showed the five-seat layout was only just good enough for a 6’+ adult, while having the seat all the way back in the four-seat car meant better legroom. That said, the fifth seat in the middle of the standard setup feels largely useless because it’s so skinny. Either way, headroom is good – even if you spec a sunroof. Boot space is an interesting one, largely due to the EV2’s slightly strange luggage area shape. It’s a very short space front to back but goes quite deep – and features a false boot floor to keep things tidy. For the standard five-seat model, there is 362 litres of space – around 60 litres smaller than an R4. Choose the four-seat version and your boot space measures as little as 321 litres with the seats furthest back and 403 litres with them furthest forward – a number Kia claims is larger than the now-departed Ceed hatchback. Giving you two options allows you to prioritise; some may use the boot space more than the rear seats, which makes opting for the four-seat version the smarter choice.Three trim levels are confirmed for the UK: Air, GT-Line and GT-Line S, with basic ones expected to start under £25k – Kia UK hasn’t officially told us a price yet at the time of publishing. Given the EV2’s design, development and manufacture are almost entirely Europe-based, it’s also highly probable it will be eligible for the largest amount of the UK Government electric car grant. Base Air models have 16-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, dual-zone climate control and a whole load of safety tech as standard. But Kia UK predicts the GT-Line will be the biggest seller; this one has 19-inch wheels with noise-insulating tyres, a sportier bodykit and details like a wireless charger and leather-like recycled material upholstery. This part of the market is growing in competition for the EV2, with the closest cars being ones like the very good. Comparing our experiences with the R4 to this, the Renault’s boot is a better size, but rear legroom is far better in the Kia regardless of rear seat choice. I’d also argue the Kia feels better built inside and rides sweeter, too. Then there’s theIt’s a bit annoying that we’re still waiting for some final clarifications on price for the UK market as we publish this review, but that doesn’t dampen what feels like a great small car that will be competitive in its class. The EV2 rides very smoothly, feels supremely quiet to be in and has well-built interior, dispelling the idea that small cheap cars must be compromised or feel like they’re made of tin. An R4 might be slightly sharper to drive but, given this is meant to be a sedate suburbanite for school runs and shopping trips, the EV2’s mix of interior space, good range and likeably cutesy looks is a hugely impressive combo.BYD Atto 2 review: an urban EV with some occasional talentsToyota Urban Cruiser prototype review: one question remainsJake has been an automotive journalist since 2015, joining CAR as Staff Writer in 2017. With a decade of car news and reviews writing under his belt, he became CAR's Deputy News Editor in 2020 and then News Editor in 2025. Jake's day-to-day role includes co-ordinating CAR's news content across its print, digital and social media channels. When he's not out interviewing an executive, driving a new car for review or on a photoshoot for a CAR feature, he's usually found geeking out on the latest video game, buying yet another pair of wildly-coloured trainers or figuring out where he can put another car-shaped Lego set in his already-full house.
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