Kia EV2: new electric B-SUV offers up to 448 km of range

We have been hearing about the Kia EV2 since 2024, when it was confirmed as the South Korean brand’s smallest and most affordable electric car for Europe. The wait is now over: the new EV2 has made its international debut at the Brussels Motor Show, which opened to the public today, 9 January.

Scheduled to reach showrooms during the first quarter of the year, the EV2 sits in the B-SUV segment and will provide an alternative to models such as the Renault 4 E-Tech and BYD Atto 2.

Kia had said that the prototype unveiled almost a year ago, which previewed the EV2, was already 99% representative of the finished model. That promise has been kept: the production car retains an almost identical robust-looking design, including the low-mounted rear lights, whose placement is likely to attract attention.

Its measurements have also changed very little, if at all: it is 4.06 m long, 1.8 m wide and 1.575 m tall, with a 2.565 m wheelbase. These proportions place it squarely in the B-SUV class.

Four or five seats

The most significant development concerns the cabin, which can be specified in two distinct layouts - with four or five seats - to make the best possible use of the available space.

It is the four-seat arrangement that stands out. In this version, the rear seats not only recline but also slide on rails. Moved fully rearwards, they provide what Kia claims is the segment’s greatest rear legroom, at 958 mm.

With the seats slid fully forwards, luggage capacity receives the benefit instead, increasing from 362 litres to 403 litres. A further 15 litres is available beneath the bonnet in the frunk. In the five-seat configuration, the Kia EV2 does without sliding rear seats and boot capacity remains at 362 litres.

Even so, Kia is equipping the EV2’s interior with features that are unusual in this segment, bringing its smallest electric SUV closer to models from higher classes in terms of space and practicality.

The same argument applies to the technology, despite the EV2 operating in a segment where cost-cutting measures are commonplace.

One example is the adoption of the same three-screen layout fitted to EV family siblings such as the EV4 and the much larger EV9. There are two 12.3-inch displays - one for the instruments and another for infotainment - separated by a smaller 5.3-inch screen for climate controls.

Kia EV2 range of up to 448 km

Underneath its bodywork, the new Kia EV2 uses the E-GMP architecture found in the brand’s other electric models. While this platform can accommodate batteries as large as 100 kWh in bigger vehicles, the EV2 is offered with two more modest packs: 42.2 kWh and 61 kWh. Both use a 400 V electrical architecture, with 800 V reserved for higher market segments.

With the smaller battery, the EV2 claims a combined WLTP range of up to 317 km. The Long Range version, fitted with the larger pack, raises that figure to up to 448 km. Whichever battery is selected, electric motor output remains unchanged at 108 kW (147 hp).

Charging brings a new feature, too: the EV2 is Kia’s first electric vehicle to support 11 kW and 22 kW AC charging. For DC charging, the manufacturer has not disclosed a maximum charging rate, but says either battery can be replenished from 10% to 80% in 29–30 minutes. This suggests that two different charging outputs are available.

Like the other Kia EV models, the EV2 will also feature V2L (vehicle-to-load) and V2G (vehicle-to-grid) systems, allowing owners to power external devices or feed electricity back into the grid.

How much will it cost?

The Kia EV2 will be built in Europe at Žilina, Slovakia, where the South Korean manufacturer already produces the EV4, and is expected to arrive on the market during the first quarter. Prices have not yet been confirmed, although the entry-level version is expected to cost less than €30,000. That would put it in line with its key rivals.