Kia EV2 Is A Tiny Little SUV With A Splendidly Strange Design And Thoughtful Packaging

While auto shows definitely will not be relevant again within the U.S. yet, they’re beginning to flourish in Europe and Asia. Every Chinese auto show has seen major debuts from tons of brands, the Tokyo show has seen an enormous resurgence in importance, and last yr’s Munich auto show was awesome. The Brussels Motor Show is going on without delay, and it’s brought a bunch of essential reveals, including 4 from Kia — the best of which is the tiny EV2, an electrical crossover-y hatchback that was previewed by an idea last yr.

It’s only 159.8 inches long and 62 inches tall, making it over five inches shorter in length and an inch shorter in height than the dearly departed Kia Soul. It has a spread of as much as 278 miles on the European WLTP cycle, it charges pretty quickly, it seems spacious and well-packaged, and in Europe it should start at lower than €30,000. But the very best thing in regards to the EV2 is the way it looks. Is not it delightful?

The EV2 clearly a Kia, and clearly the younger brother of the awesome EV3, but I feel the EV2 is well Kia’s strangest design shortly — that is a very good thing. Other than having door handles and production-spec cutlines and windows, the outside design is essentially an identical to the concept. I really like the grille-less face, with angular split headlights and a subtle interpretation of Kia’s tiger nose motif. The proportions are great; it’s upright and blocky without being too SUV-like, and it manages to have a C-pillar design that does not feel generic. Kia specifically calls out the skinny A-pillars and lower tailgate for improved visibility.

Kia

It’s got an ideal rear shoulder line that continues all the best way across the tailgate, which is where it really gets weird. The L-shaped taillights are mounted low within the corners of the rear end, coming off the fender flares similarly to the Hyundai Kona. Together with the sleek tailgate and chunky rear bumper that has the license plate mounted in it, the EV2’s rear end looks unlike anything on the roads. After all, being a Kia, there are also some wacky wheel designs starting from 16 to 19 inches, and Kia will offer the EV2 in real colours including matte finishes. A GT-Line trim gets you sportier bumper designs.

Sadly, while the EV2 concept’s interior looked perfect for canoodling, the production EV2 doesn’t have front seats that slide all the best way back and switch right into a lounge. But thanks partly to the relatively long 100.9-inch wheelbase, the EV2 may be had with either a three-across rear bench, or two individual rear seats that may slide and recline for as much as 37.7 inches of legroom. For those who get the four-seater, the EV2 has a good 14 cubic feet of cargo space with the back seats up and slid forward. There is a frunk, too. 

Kia

The EV2’s cabin does look excellent, and Kia says it was inspired by picnic baskets. Its widescreen display (fabricated from a 12.3-inch gauge cluster, 5.3-inch climate panel and 12.3-inch center touchscreen) and overall control scheme and layout is essentially much like other Kia EVs, which isn’t any bad thing. Kia says the controls are “organized by frequency of use for intuitive, distraction-reduced operation.” The wraparound design of the dashboard is implausible, especially in one in every of the nice two-tone color schemes, and there is a ton of open space. I especially love the design of the low-down center console. Even within the photos of base models, the inside looks upscale. There’s a minimum of one fun easter egg: an illuminated “HELLO :-)” at the highest fringe of the door cards, and “HAVE A NICE DAY” engraved contained in the interior door handles.

Underpinning the EV2 is Hyundai Motor Group’s now-widespread E-GMP platform, with the EV2 using the 400-volt version like its EV3 and EV4 siblings. The usual-range EV2 has a 42.2-kWh battery pack with a 197-mile range, while the long-range model gets 61.0 kWh and that 278-mile range. Either way, the EV2 can DC fast charge from 10% to 80% in half-hour, and the model with the smaller battery charges quicker when just using an AC plug, needing as little as 2 hours and 35 minutes at 22 kW or simply over 4 hours at 11 kW. Each vehicle-to-load and vehicle-to-grid capabilities can be found, which is awesome for a automotive this low cost, and there is a pet mode, which cars just like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 have lacked. Standard-range cars have a 145-horsepower motor powering the front axle, however the long-range model may have a bit less.

Kia

After all, the EV2 can be offered with tons of safety features including adaptive cruise control with steering assist, a surround-view camera, blind-spot cameras and distant smart parking assist, and Kia says the ambient light synchronizes with turn signals “to offer each reassurance and intuitive driver support.” The automotive is able to over-the-air updates, and you possibly can get nice features like a Harman/Kardon sound system, heated seats and a heated steering wheel, and digital key tech. Kia says the EV2 will enter production in Slovakia next month, with the automotive to go on sale in Europe and Asia this yr. Unless something drastically changes in our country it’s highly unlikely the EV2 will come to the U.S. anytime soon, which is a rattling shame.