2026 Kia EV2: everything we know about the most affordable electric Kia

SO, you know how Kia trademarked the names EV1 to 9 for its electric car range? Well, this is the mini, SUV-like Kia EV2. Cute, isn’t it?! It's going up against other small-ish cars like the Citroen e-C3, Jeep Avenger, VW ID.2, Hyundai Inster and Renault 5 - along with the forthcoming Skoda Epiq.

And yes, this is a concept car but if previous Kia concepts - like the EV3 and EV9 - have taught us anything, it’s that this probably looks very similar to the final production car. I’ve been out to have a look around the car, so keep reading to find out everything we know so far about the new Kia EV2, and you can also watch the video on the Electrifying Youtube channel.

How big is the Kia EV2?

Kia hasn’t released tech specs and dimensions for the EV2, yet, but it’s a very similar size to the Hyundai Inster; a touch shorter and longer, but close to 3.8-metres long and under 2.0-metres wide including the side mirrors, which actually makes it a fraction more compact than the Renault 5 and Citroen e-C3.

I think it looks great, though. I like the rugged, SUV touches like the bumpers and wheel arches – actually very practical for the UK’s potholed roads and trolley-bump prone car parks!

There’s also the trademark Kia vertical daytime running lights, and you can definitely see the blocky styling that we’ve come to know and love on the Kia EV3 and EV9 – and on the new Kia EV4.

As with all of its cars, Kia is focusing on making the EV2 as efficient as possible so it gets Kias active aero flaps that open and close at the relevant speeds to improve aerodynamics, among lots of other clever details

What’s particularly interesting about the Kia EV2 concept, though, is the rear-hinged back doors – rather like the BMW i3 had, back when it was in production. The EV2’s doors do look brilliant with the hidden door handles, and (provided there’s room to open them fully) they gives great access to the rear seats. Will these trick rear doors make it to production? Not sure yet, but I suspect that they won’t as they’re expensive to produce.

How practical is the Kia EV2?

Really quite practical, for a small car. For a start, the rear seats fold up, which leaves more space for the sliding front seats to slide right back, which gives more comfort and versatility when the car’s parked up. Maybe you want to stretch your legs out in the front while the car charges? Well, you can with the EV2, despite it being such a compact car. Clever, eh? Not only that, but the triangular speakers can be taken out and used as portable speakers, so there’s definitely a bit of a lifestyle vibe, with the EV2. With the flexible seats, vehicle-to-load charging and portable speakers, this is a car that can make a camping trip with mates into a proper party atmosphere.

There are also pop-up sliding luggage dividers and straps in the boot, to keep your karaoke gear, air tent and alcohol-free beer from moving about in the boot. Not only that, but Kia's ‘message lighting’ tech that’s showcased on the Concept EV2 allows occupants to display text messages through the vehicle’s windows. For communicating with pedestrians and other road users, apparently… Not sure about this, to be honest! Feels like it’s going to be a distraction, more often than a useful tool. I suspect it won’t make the production car, anyway.

What will be the Kia EV2’s range?

There’s nothing official on the Kia EV2’s range, yet, but I’d expect it to use the smaller battery of the two on offer in the EV3. That would mean a 55kWh lithium-ion NMC battery, and I reckon it’ll better the range of its nemesis, the Renault 5, with a top range of around 270 miles (or 400km). I’m also pretty sure that we’ll see a smaller capacity LFP battery going in here - it could well be the 43.3kWh option we’re going to see in Kia’s new van range, which I’d guess would manage an official range of around 185 miles in the Kia EV2.

How fast will the Kia EV2 charge?

Again, Kia hasn’t confirmed charging details of the EV2 – it really is keeping the tech specifics under wraps for now. But the EV2 is based on the same e-GMP platform as the other electric Kia models, so it’ll likely rapid charge at around 120kW, which would be good enough for a 100 mile top-up in around 15- to 20 minutes.

Not only that, but the EV2 Concept also gets vehicle-to-load (V2L) charging, which is great news.

Is the Kia EV2 fast?

Hmm. I don’t have a crystal ball, you know!! But we do know that the EV2 will use the same E-GMP platform as the Kia EV3, which will mean that the motor is up front and drives the front wheels. Using the EV3 figures as a guide that would suggest performance of up to 200bhp for the 55kwh battery, and a 0-62mph time somewhere in the region of 7.5 seconds. Obviously, the shorter-range LFP model will be a bit more moderate than that.

Kia has openly said there will be a performance version of EV2 so don’t rule out a hot hatch version arriving down the line, to rival the Alpine A290.

How much will the Kia EV2 cost?

Of course we haven’t got pricing confirmed yet – we haven’t even seen the production version of the Kia EV2! But it’s safe to say that Kia’s got the Renault 5 firmly in its sights, so expect pricing to start at around £25,000, with higher spec models likely to cost around to £30,000. I’d be very surprised if the EV2 doesn’t also arrive with monthly finance deals that bring costs in at under £300 per month…