Kia’s on an absolute electric vehicle tear right now, debuting new models left, right and center. We’ve already seen the EV6 wagon-ish thing, the EV9 three-row crossover, the EV5 compact crossover, and the Niro EV small crossover either in production form or already on sale, and early signs of this shift are promising. However, do you notice anything conspicuously absent? That’s right, Kia doesn’t yet have an electric sedan, but if the EV4 Concept is any indication, one should be just around the corner. Likewise, the EV3 Concept illustrates the next entry point in the electric Kia lineup. So, shall we take a deeper look?
In Kia’s EV range, the smaller the number, the smaller the car. After all, the EV9 is an enormous three-row crossover while the EV5 is sized like a RAV4. The size of the EV4 is less intriguing than its styling:
The EV4 Concept looks like someone tossed an EV6, an EV9 and a K5 in a Blendtec and set it to puree. Combining the forward-swept greenhouse of a current midsize sedan with sleek EV6-like surfacing and blocky, vertical lighting doesn’t sound like something that should work, and yet, it comes together in an oddly intriguing way. From a profile view, the EV4 concept has a short front end and an abundance of derrière, but despite this, there’s something strangely compelling about this strange electric sedan.
Inside the EV4 Concept, natural-dyed cotton, woven fabric, and a console made of hemp fibers should keep the magic crystal crowd happy while providing interesting texturing for the rest of us. How about those mesh headrests reminiscent of a Herman Miller Aeron?
What’s more, the EV4 deviates from the concept car norm by providing concessions to real world usability. There are no awful camera mirrors here, nor the conspicuous absence of an interior rearview mirror. There are plenty of cutlines for bumpers and trim pieces, and hey, are those regulator-satiating retroreflectors in the rear bumper? If the EV5 and EV9 are any indication, don’t be surprised if this exterior styling makes it through to production virtually unchanged.
What if a sedan isn’t your cup of tea? What if you want your driving experience to include mushrooms? Well, Kia also pulled the wraps off the EV3 Concept, and this thing’s gunning for the sensible entry level of the electric car market. Like the EV4 Concept, the EV3 Concept looks surprisingly production-like, except it’s about the size of a Kia Seltos, which would make a production version a subcompact crossover that should appeal to a more budget-constrained audience than say, the EV5.
Like the EV5 and the EV9, the EV3 has an upright, boxy styling language, although it distinguishes itself with little flourishes. The slim black C-pillar inlay is very Volvo, and the lack of a rear quarter window gives the design an extra dose of minimalism and solidity. Overall, this is an extremely appealing small crossover, even if the flight-of-fancy interior will never make production.
Like the EV4 Concept, Kia’s gone all green on the interior of the EV3 Concept. But instead of hemp fibers, the center console in this little crossover is made of mycelium, a root-like fungi structure commonly eaten by dirt-dwelling invertebrates. The result is a center console that cannot be killed in any way that matters, for fungi is decay as a form of life. On a less philosophical note, I’m digging the knit textiles on the seats, and hope Kia’s bold enough to put a green interior colorway into production.
In any case, Kia hasn’t been the sort of manufacturer to debut concept cars all willy-nilly, so there’s a good chance that both the EV3 Concept and the EV4 Concept could see production at some point. In the EV onslaught, the only way forward is down, and a future with more entry-level EVs is far more exciting than another six-figure battery-powered luxobarge.
(Photo credits: Kia)
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Ah yes, the most overrated office chair of all time. Just an unattractive-looking thing. The clunky orthopedic shoes of seating arrangements.
That’s what I definitely don’t want in a car.
I’m most disappointed that all these new EVs look more like the EV9 and the Ioniq 5 than they do the EV6. I would much rather have a few more cars that looked like that amazing shape than a bunch of cars from Apex Legends
Hot damn, the are really pushing the envelope. Noone would have believed it just 20 or even 10 years ago. Whatever you think of that design, they are raising the bar for the entire car industry, which in the end is great for everyone.
Donckerwolcke is a genius
If the EV4 is the Hyundia Ioniq 6 clone with 361 EPA range, then put some decent (not Fugly) wheels on it and sign me up.
I took a crack at it with an image editor.
I jammed some Porsche 911 wheels on it and then I had to fix up that horrible sloping roof. So it became a hatchback. And I’m okay with that:
https://autopian-images.neocities.org/21320_Concept_EV4.jpg
Thank you. That’s a whole lot better looking. I don’t mind the sloping roof provided tall folks can sit in the back, I like those sweet Mi / kWh and I suspect the sloping roof helps out with that.
Is the EV4 really a sedan? It looks like one of those slope SUVs, but that could be a trick or the eye
Getting very strong BMW i3 vibes from the EV3. Which is of course an endorsement.
Are those little pods housing turn signals located on the trailing corners of the EV4 roof?
Have they been listening?
There’s a video presentation of them in which they don’t look so chiseled (nor as good IMO). The shadows in these photos are doing a lot of work.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7RUQZzOdUQ
Assuming low-mid trim levels will have more reasonably sized rims except of the cartoonish ones seen in the photos, the EV3 is a nicely styled trucklet which doesn’t look like it is pretending to be a rock crawler while also avoiding the generic EV/ICE crossover profile, but the EV4 is grossly overstyled. Maybe it’s the unnecessary cladding, pinched windows or all the weirdness going on in the rear.
They might need the stagecoach wheels just to fill the enormous holes, that front fender is like 5% fender and 95% wheel
“But instead of hemp fibers, the center console in this little crossover is made of mycelium, a root-like fungi structure commonly eaten by dirt-dwelling invertebrates.”
Nice of Kia to give a shout out to the people who keep stealing their cars.
I can’t decide how I feel about those wheels. Especially for the squares on the EV3. Once those don’t line up anymore, my OCD will have issues. However, regular wheels won’t look as good here, I don’t think.
I dig em both and would drop a deposit on that EV3 if it comes with AWD and decent range
Now all the need to do is get decent dealerships too.
For real. Imagine spending $80,000 on an EV9 and having the same sketchy experience as a someone financing a used $9,000 Rio.
I’ve tried to get my EV6 it’s 8000 mile, it’s only a tire rotation, inspect a bunch of stuff and apply whatever software update it needs as they don’t do everything with OTA updates.
I call, get thru to service and the phone rings for over 5 minutes, I called back reception says they must be with customers.
This has happened at least three times now, maybe more.
If you’re busy then get an answer phone that takes messages and call me back, don’t just ignore me and make me feel unwanted, or I’ll go elsewhere.
Act like you want my business. Especially as EV’s need less service, so in the future you’ll be scrambling for customers…
Well I would go elsewhere but the other local dealer asks if I bought the car from them, (no), well the earliest appointment is 10 weeks out…
TLDR
Love the car, really really dislike the dealerships.
Do they not have online booking? (I honestly don’t know.. never dealt with a Kia dealership…)
They do, however the Kia dealership has my previous E-Niro in the system still as the only option, so pulls up wrong service schedule info. I have told them in person when they did some software updates to the EV6 (so they’ve seen it and worked on it) and over the phone multiple times, that I no longer have the E-Niro…
I didn’t think it would be this difficult, it’s not rocket science, so it leads me to the conclusion that they just don’t care enough to try and be better.
“The result is a center console that cannot be killed in any way that matters, for fungi is decay as a form of life.”
My center console cannot be killed in any way that matters either because it’s made of plastic.
I thought they made a big stink about wanting everything looking different? This all just looks like smaller EV9s.
Am I mixing up another brands PR?
Kia: EV4 WAGON please: Level out the roofline, slide it on back, reslope the back window like an Ioniq 5 or whatever the Kia version is…
I have a terribly MS Painted mockup that I can’t upload, but build one of those!
Or at least put a rear wiper on that EV4 widow.
And the EV6 too please!
I kludged one together too:
https://autopian-images.neocities.org/21320_Concept_EV4.jpg
That ain’t half bad. I pulled the roofline back a little farther (I grew up with an old Grand Marquis and currently drive an Outback, so I like my wagons a little more wagony) but yours does look sharp.
Hey, Kia! Look over here!