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Kia debuted its 2026 EV4 sedan at the New York International Auto Show on Wednesday , its first world-wide galvanising saloon and one design for customer looking for an affordable EV .
Whether U.S. customers will gravitate toward a sedan is an clear question — and one Kia is n’t of necessity betting on . The company launched gross sales of the EV4 in South Korea and plan to take it to Europe by the end of the year . sales event in the United States are expected to begin in the last quarter of 2025 or first quarter of 2026 , a Kia interpreter told TechCrunch .
Kia ’s primary slant with the EV4 is affordability , and with a sizeable range , interior features , and tech touches , it could finally give consumers another option . While Kia has n’t yet shared U.S. pricing , some have estimatedthat it would start at around $ 35,000 , sum another competition to the Tesla Model 3 . Eric Watson , VP of sales at Kia America , corroborate the ballpark price range to TechCrunch .
Tom Kearns , Kia ’s chief designer , said Wednesday that what “ many electron volt have in common is the pricing that leans more towards the high remnant . But our ultimate finish is to make electrify attainable driving for everyone . ”
That ’s why the EV4 is “ typical with a technical school - advancing design ” and is low-cost even with its “ many innovative features , ” many of which can be found in Kia ’s eminent end EV6 crossover service program vehicle and EV9 SUV .
For U.S. buyers , however , that attractive cost peak could be at risk . President Donald Trump ’s proposedautomotive tariffsthreaten to append 25 % to the cost of any imported vehicle — including the EV4 , which Kia plan to ramp up in South Korea and launch stateside in the first quarter of 2026 . With the tariff landscape shifting by the day , it ’s impossible to say what emptor will be facing a class from now .
Watson observe that Kia was exposed to explore the idea of bringing yield of the EV4 to the U.S. The automaker already has a facility in West Point , Georgia , where it work up its EV6 crosswalk utility vehicle and EV9 SUV for the U.S. market place , with SK On as its barrage fabrication partner .
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Despite Kia hold American manufacturing and domestically produce bombardment , Orth Hedrick , Kia America ’s VP of product preparation , order , “ There are still a lot of constituent that are open to tariffs . It ’s not good for business . We ’re hoping there will be some developments maybe over the summer . ”
The Kia EV4 does have several thing snuff it for it that could make a buyer hazard the tariffs , most notably its decent range . The stock 58.3 kWh battery , which come with the “ Light ” trimming , has a range of 235 miles , and the farsighted - range 81.4 kWh bombardment , which come with the “ Wind ” or “ GT - Line ” trim , can go up to 330 miles .
Kia say it focalize on aerodynamics for the EV4 , which likely helped boost those range number . The vehicle has a coefficient retarding force of .23 — the same as the Tesla Model 3 .
Both battery constellation provide power to the front - mounted 150 kW motors . And with V2L4 functionality , drivers can employ the railway car ’s battery to charge twist like laptop and smaller electronics .
The EV4 also charges with a DC firm battery charger at a estimable 30 minute of arc , and its NACS charge embrasure is locate on the front passenger side for well-to-do accessibility .
Kia also played up its i - Pedal 3.0 organisation in the Ev4 , which captures Energy Department and stores it in the battery , but pass driver more control over the speeding of deceleration using only the throttle pedal .
Now , on to the looks .
Kearns said Kia want an opportunity to do things differently with the 2026 EV4 , to violate the average of many EV makers that prioritise efficiency often at the disbursement of make a nerveless innovation statement .
And take care at it up near , Kia ’s EV4 does have an interesting aesthetic , sort of a commercial enterprise in the front , party in the back vibe . Head on , you’re able to see the low nozzle , long - tail silhouette , and fastback roofline of a definitive mutant cable car , and from the rearward , vertical taillights , a two - slice cap spoiler , and silky bumper design give it a more aerodynamic , tech - advancing bearing .
verbalise of technical school , the car boast your standard futuristic , minimalistic , high - technical school interior . Standouts include the two - spoke steering wheel , 64 - colour active ambient inflammation , a free - floating substance abuser interface compose of twofold 12.3 - in screens and a five - inch climate display. That ’s where you could incur all your pilotage and entertainment features , include wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto .
Like Kia ’s other electron volt , the EV4 also declare oneself the luck to enhance connectivity and entertainment characteristic through over - the - air update , let in tot up personalized presentation themes across the cockpit like your “ favorite NBA squad ” for all the surround - loving superfans out there .
In terms of other tech - forward feature article , the driver can access their EV4 via Kia ’s digital key fruit through their cellular phone phone , and Kia ’s AI Assistant uses part recognition and natural language processing to facilitate drivers control vehicle social occasion , plan trip , and more .
The EV4 also comes standard with a retinue of machine driver assist characteristic , including Kia ’s Highway Driving Assist , which mechanically adjusts the fomite ’s determined upper to tally the posted speed limit and maintains distance from the vehicle ahead . Kia ’s ADAS also let in assistance with forward hit avoidance , lane follow , distant smart parking , number one wood attention warning , and hands - on steering bicycle detection .
This article has been updated with more information from Kia congresswoman about design and tariffs .
