- Kia hasn’t yet confirmed EV3 or EV4 for the U.S.—but we’d get each
- Unclear if EV3 arrives, whether Niro EV would proceed
- Kia PV5 WKNDR electric camper van is a test for U.S. interest
The longer term of compact EVs for Kia within the U.S. could possibly be so simple as this: It doesn’t need to be an either/or.
And that may mean that U.S. EV shoppers could get the more interesting compact EV market that America has been largely missing out on—due to the opportunity of Kia’s EV3 and EV4.
In October 2023, at its Kia EV Day event, the brand revealed the upright EV3 compact electric crossover, which is near the identical size because the Volvo EX30, and the somewhat longer, lower EV4 compact electric hatchback. At the identical event, it also showed a production version of the EV5 electric crossover, which is sized just like the Kia Sportage, Honda CR-V, and Toyota RAV4.
While Kia was quick at the moment to say that the EV5 was not U.S.-bound, it left the door open for the EV3 and EV4.
Kia EV4 concept
The production EV4 is anticipated to bow globally inside the following few months. But Kia has already, since last 12 months’s event, shown the production-bound EV3, with deliveries of it starting earlier this month in Europe. Amid that, there hasn’t yet been a U.S.-market confirmation for either the EV3 or the EV4.
Last week, on the Los Angeles auto show, Green Automotive Reports asked Kia America chief operating officer and executive vp Steven Center which of those two EVs we’d see.
“We might even see each,” replied Center. “And I believe that’s only a matter of segment management.”
Center elaborated that these are two quite different EVs, referring to the EV4 as an electrical corresponding to the K5 sedan, and the EV3 as “type of a Soul EV.”
2023 Kia Niro EV
Whether which means borrowed time for the Kia Niro EV, which Kia opted to bring to the U.S. as an alternative of the present Soul EV, Center wouldn’t say needless to say—but he hinted that Niro EV is built on an internal combustion platform, and it’s the second generation of a vehicle that was conceived when the corporate’s E-GMP EV platform didn’t exist.
Center also noted that in some unspecified time in the future soon, Kia may have two lines of vehicles—an internal combustion line, including hybrids and plug-in hybrids, and one which’s pure EV.
Meanwhile, the variety of U.S. Kia EV models will proceed to grow over the following 12 months, confirmed Center. Whether which means EV3, EV4, PV5, or something else completely—or a reference to the higher-power Kia EV9 GT also revealed on the show—rest assured it’s not sidelining its EV push in 2025.
Kia PV5 WKNDR concept
Kia PV5 WKNDR concept
Kia PV5 WKNDR concept
For a tease of what that something else is likely to be, Kia showed what we interpreted as a wild card on the LA show. Its upcoming PV5 electric van may primarily be focused toward industrial use and future robotaxis, the corporate has said up until now. However the recent debut of the PV5 WKNDR electric camper van concept on the annual SEMA show in Las Vegas earlier this month, along with its distinguished display on the LA auto show, beg one other query.
Is the brand on the brink of pitch the electrical vans within the U.S. as compact, activity-focused alternatives to the Volkswagen ID.Buzz—or, perhaps, much more in step with the unique ethos of the cult-favorite Honda Element?
Kia America vp for marketing Russell Wager replied to GCR, also on the LA auto show, that PV5 stays confirmed just for Korea and Europe, and the aim behind the SEMA concept was to check American customers’ reactions to “more of an overlander concept.”
“So we’re still evaluating what which means, potentially, for the U.S. market,” said Wager.
This Article First Appeared At www.greencarreports.com
