New EVs Unveiled on Kia EV Day

Kia cars showcased a total of five new pure EV models at its first global EV Day event in South Korea. The new display included models like the KIA EV6 and the KIA EV9 along with three brand-new models, the production-spec KIA EV5 SUV, the radical-looking KIA EV4 sedan, and the compact KIA EV3 SUV.

The automaker stated that these models will join its global lineup in the near future, helping the brand achieve 1 million annual EV sales by 2026 and 1.6 million units by 2030. We take a closer look.

KIA EV4 Concept: Will Rival BMW i4, Tesla Model 3

The EV4 concept features a striking design with a nearly fastback rear end. The front end is sharp, featuring Kia’s now signature vertically positioned headlights, large air intake contrasted in black, and a quite prominent front bumper.

While the silhouette of the EV4 is generally similar to the EV6, it has a lot of unique design elements like the angled nose and the tapering roofline. The EV4’s side profile features a strong shoulder line that starts behind the rear doors, merges with the flared wheel arches and rounds out into the vertical LED tail lights. The triangular pattern alloy wheels are similar to EV6 and EV9’s wheels. At the rear, it gets an integrated spoiler, a sculpted bootlid, and a tall bumper.

Moving inside, the EV4ms interior gets a minimalistic design. The dashboard is dominated by a single display unit that functions both as the infotainment system and digital instrument cluster. It gets a ‘Mind Mode’ feature that adjusts the ambient lighting and animated ventilation patterns. The EV4 also features a ‘Perform’ mode where the driver gets all the info they need to perform at their limits. Meanwhile, ‘Serenity’ mode shows various  digital graphics for a relaxed driving experience.

Kia EV3 SUV Concept: Future Replacement for Soul

Unveiled alongside the EV4 was the EV3, which will be positioned as Kia’s entry-level EV in its global line-up. The compact SUV borrows a lot of design cues from the larger EV5 and EV9, with Kia stating it gets the brand’s new CMF (Colours, Material, and Finish) design theme. It features a boxy styling that is mixed with curves and cuts with flared wheel arches, while the rear end features a tapering roofline and a highly-raked windscreen. The alloy wheels get a chunky and colour-block design as well.

The EV3 Concept’s interior has the same minimalistic design as the larger Kia EVs, with a single display controlling most of the features. The automaker says that it has used multiple sustainable materials used in the EV3’s interior with some handcrafted designs on a few interior panels that give off a 3D look to the electric SUV’s interior.

Kia EV5: Smaller Sibling of EV9

Kia had already showcased the production-spec EV5 a couple of months ago in China. But at Kia EV Day, the SUV was showcased as a global product, with the automaker confirming it will be produced in China and Korea for the international markets.

The EV5 will be available in three variants, standard, long-range, and long-range AWD. Powering the electric SUV’s standard variant is a 64kWh battery pack that is paired with a 160kW electric motor, offering a claimed fully charged range of 530 km. The long-range variant gets a larger 88 kWh battery pack but the same 160kW motor, the former helping it to a range of 720 kms on a single charge. Meanwhile, the flagship long-range AWD model uses the 88 kWh battery pack and pairs it with a 230 kW dual-motor setup, offering a range of around 650 kms while fully charged. Kia mentioned that the EV5 will be offered with different battery pack options depending on the market, with a performance-oriented GT variant set to join the lineup a little later.

Inside, the EV5’s cabin features multiple seating configurations like the larger EV9. It also shares the larger SUV’s three-screen layout that controls the infotainment, instrument cluster, and climate controls. The EV5 also features ADAS-tech with V2L which we have seen on the EV9 and EV6.

Kia: EV Plans for India

The Korean automaker currently only sells the EV6 in India, with a lower-cost, mass-market EV set to be launched by 2025. The EV9, Kia’s global flagship, is slated to be introduced in our market by mid- to late-2024.

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