Kia EV2 Review

The Kia EV2 is the smallest and cheapest electric car the Korean manufacturer sells in Britain. That usually suggests a worthy urban runabout built to a price, with the interior ambience of a bare cupboard and unpainted bumpers. The EV2 has other ideas. Its upright stance, bold lighting and visual confidence make it appear at least one size larger and a couple of grades more expensive.

Prices start at £24,245 after the £3,750 Electric Car Grant. That buys the long-range Air, complete with a 61.0kWh battery and an official WLTP range of 275 miles. I drove the version Kia expects most customers to choose, the GT-Line, which costs £28,995 and offers 261 miles. Wolf Grey paint added £650, taking my test car to £29,645.

All 61.0kWh versions use a front-mounted electric motor producing 133bhp and 250Nm. The GT-Line reaches 62mph in 9.7 seconds and tops out at 100mph. Those numbers sound modest in an era of increasingly absurd electric performance, yet response is perfectly adequate around town and when joining faster traffic.

The styling gives the EV2 plenty of showroom presence. Its bluff nose, vertical lighting and square wheelarches echo Kia’s larger electric models, while the GT-Line adds flush door handles, gloss-black detailing, privacy glass and handsome 19-inch wheels. The cheaper Air wears 16-inch wheels, helping it travel 14 miles farther.

Practicality is respectable for such a compact car. The boot holds 362 litres, expanding to 1,201 litres with the rear seats folded. There is also a 15-litre compartment beneath the bonnet, suitable for charging cables and perhaps a couple of chapatis.

Kia has used the dedicated electric platform intelligently, with a flat rear floor, good foot room and decent headroom. Taller passengers should try it carefully, however. At just over 6ft 1in, sitting behind my own driving position left my knees pressed against the seatback. Adults of average height should fare considerably better.

The front cabin feels remarkably grown-up. A 12.3-inch instrument display, 5.3-inch climate screen and 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen dominate the dashboard, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto included. Happily, Kia has retained proper buttons for frequently used functions, including the heated seats, heated steering wheel and hazard lights. There is even a conventional starter button, sparing you the familiar electric-car guessing game about whether it is awake.

On wet British roads, the EV2 displayed its strongest quality: maturity. Despite the 19-inch wheels, the ride was composed and settled, wind noise remained well contained and the structure felt reassuringly solid. Steering feedback is limited, though the weighting builds naturally through bends and the handling remains predictable. It is no sports car, but it is satisfying rather than entirely anodyne.

Regenerative braking is controlled through steering-wheel paddles and includes an effective one-pedal mode. Maximum DC charging is 118kW, with Kia claiming 10 to 80 per cent in 30 minutes.

The Air remains the value champion, costing £4,750 less while travelling farther. GT-Line S adds ventilated seats, a sunroof, premium audio, 360-degree cameras and vehicle-to-load capability, but costs another £3,600 without improving performance. Even so, the better-looking and well-equipped GT-Line is the one I would choose. It delivers the equipment most buyers want without the indulgence of GT-Line S, while Kia’s seven-year warranty reinforces the impression of a compact EV designed to feel dependable, polished and properly finished.

Overall, the EV2 does everything a small electric car needs to do, yet feels more polished and substantial than its price and dimensions suggest. Its range is useful, the controls make sense, visibility is excellent and the driving experience is reassuringly composed. For couples, city dwellers and small families, the GT-Line is a compelling and genuinely grown-up choice.