Kia EV2 review

8

Kia has dived head first into a supermini-sized EV sector – can the EV2 take the fight to Renault, Skoda and VW?

Find Kia EV2 deals
Other Services
Sell your car
84% get more money with

It’s already clear that Kia’s latest and smallest electric SUV, the Kia EV2 is poised to give similarly sized baby EVs a very hard time in the market.

Aimed squarely at the incoming Skoda Epiq and Volkswagen ID Cross siblings, this 4.0m-long crossover is expected to match its European rivals on price, coming in at around £25,000 and rising to around £30,000 for the Long Range version, which is tipped to be the volume seller in the UK.

The Kia EV2 has arrived at a time when European brands are going big on the B-segment market. The Volkswagen Group alone will roll out the Skoda Epiq, Volkswagen ID Cross, ID Polo and Cupra Raval this year.
Sam Phillips
Senior Staff Writer

One glance at its cheeky “family” styling, plus a scan of the spec sheet, shows it has most of the credentials for the job. Kia is certainly expecting success here: it is already predicting sales of 12,500 units in 2027, the EV2’s first full year on sale, which will make it one of the marque’s two strongest-selling EVs, with the usefully bigger EV3. Between them they’ll do about half of Kia’s all-electric volume.

New Kia EV2 cars in stock

 Kia EV2 61kWh Air Auto 5dr opens in a new tab
£22,995
 Kia EV2 61kWh GT-Line S Auto 5dr opens in a new tab
£30,595
 Kia EV2 42.2kWh First Edition Auto 5dr opens in a new tab
£26,745
 Kia EV2 42.2kWh First Edition Auto 5dr opens in a new tab
£26,745
 Kia EV2 61kWh GT-Line Auto 5dr opens in a new tab
£28,145
 Kia EV2 42.2kWh First Edition Auto 5dr opens in a new tab
£26,000
 Kia EV2 42.2kWh First Edition Auto 5dr opens in a new tab
£27,145
 Kia EV2 61kWh GT-Line S Auto 5dr opens in a new tab
£32,795
 Kia EV2 42.2kWh First Edition Auto 5dr opens in a new tab
£26,995
View all 72 cars

Advertisement

DESIGN & STYLING

8
Kia EV2 GT Line review 2026 002

At 4060mm long, 1800mm wide and 1575mm tall, the EV2 is shorter than the Kia Stonic but slightly wider and lower than its combustion-engined counterpart.

It looks like a shrunken EV5, featuring design hallmarks from its various larger siblings, with a boxy silhouette and a revised version of Kia’s ‘tiger nose’ front end.

There's a proper SUV vibe to the way the EV2 looks, with its chunky bumpers and wheel arches.
Sam Phillips
Senior Staff Writer

Two versions of the EV2 will be available. The Long Range comes fitted with a 61kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) battery, which yields a range of up to 275 miles, depending on spec. This puts the EV2 right at the top of the class, upstaging the Epiq (267 miles) and Renault 4 (249 miles).

The entry-level Standard Range uses a smaller, 42.2kWh lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery and can travel 195 miles on a charge.

Unusually, the higher-line model offers slightly less power from its single front-mounted motor (134bhp against 145bhp), which makes it slower to cover the 0-62mph benchmark sprint (9.7sec against 8.7sec). The reason for giving it less power, says Kia, is to enhance the Long Range's WLTP range.

Like the EV3, the EV2 uses a 400V electrical architecture that allows for a 10-80% charging time of less than 30 minutes and features both vehicle-to-grid and vehicle-to-load technology.

All versions of the EV2 are fitted with a front-mounted motor and a torsion-beam rear axle, as opposed to the multi-link arrangement used by larger Kia EVs.

INTERIOR

8
Kia EV2 GT Line review 2026 007

The GT-Line is nicely appointed inside, with a well-sited array of controls for critical features, along with a sensibly configured central screen. Indeed, the dashboard layout is familiar from the rest of Kia’s EV line-up, featuring 12.3in displays for the digital gauge cluster and infotainment either side of a 5.3in climate control touchscreen.

Equipment is comprehensive and Kia’s haptics seem better developed than many Chinese competitors arriving in Europe with equipment inventories just as generous. The EV2 may go heavy on hard plastics, but they’re smooth, while softer materials cover the key touchpoints, such as the armrests. The fabric across the dashboard adds a layer of premium feel and overall perceived quality matches Kia’s £25k target price.

Kia has given the EV2 its own playful Easter eggs, which are dotted around the car. In the insert for the door handle, it says: 'Have a nice day'. It's a bit of a gimmick, but at least it's a fun one.
Sam Phillips
Senior Staff Writer

Up front, the EV2 has a big-car feel for its well-accommodated front passengers, but the rear seats are for small people only (kids, ideally). In the UK, we don't get the sliding rear bench that's optional in other countries, unfortunately. 

The boot is short and shallow and will house up to 362 litres, which is some way off the 420 litres you get in the Renault 4.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

7
Kia EV2 GT Line review 2026 022

The Standard Range produces 145bhp and 184lb ft of torque for a 0-62mph time of 8.7sec, while the Long Range has a lower output of around 134bhp in order to maximise efficiency. 

The performance deficit in the Standard Range is certainly noticeable. It's not slow, and is responisve enough, but rivals are quicker.  

Even with the regenerative braking system turned off, the pedal feel is good.
Sam Phillips
Senior Staff Writer

The regenerative braking system is smooth, controlled and easy to adjust via paddles behind the steering wheel. There are a number of modes to choose from, including i-Pedal, which enables you to rely solely on the regenerative brakes to slow the car to a stop. 

RIDE & HANDLING

7
Kia EV2 GT Line review 2026 023

Kia put significant development resources into reducing wind and road roar, as well as noise from the powertrain, hence every EV2 is fitted with an acoustic shield under the frunk and motor, while higher-spec cars gain thicker glass and acoustic tyres. It has worked, because the EV2 is smooth and easy in traffic, and notably quiet when cruising around 70mph on the motorway because wind noise is exceptionally low.

The ride is variable: good damping controls pitch at speed better than many small SUVs do, and most of the time the EV2 is notably quiet over most suburban bumps. It doesn’t cope too well with ruts, though. 

I really liked how the EV2 performed on the motorway. It was quiet, refined, comfortable and had the big-car feel of something dearer
Sam Phillips
Senior Staff Writer

The steering, created like the rest of the car for Europe, is rather a disappointment. The gearing and rim effort are good but it feels wooden and lacks precision around the straight-ahead, missing the feeling of agility expected from this model’s 4.0m-long compactness.

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

9
Kia EV2 GT Line review 2026 001

The EV2 range looks a little odd at first sight, because at £24,245, the Long Range Air is actually cheaper than the Standard Range First Edition, at £26,995. That's because the Long Range version gets the full £3750 government EV grant, whereas the Standard Range version gets only £1500. The First Edition also comes with more kit. Still, with heated seats, adaptive cruise control and a full-featured infotaiment system as standard, the Long Range Air seems like the best buy. If you want the Long Range and more equipment, you can upgrade to GT-Line or GT-Line S.

On our test route in the Standard Range car, we saw 4.0mpkWh, which is only marginally short of Kia’s claimed 4.1mpkWh. Rapid charging is possible up to 118kW.

A heat pump is available, but only as an option on GT-Line S
Sam Phillips
Senior Staff Writer

VERDICT

Kia EV2 GT Line review 2026 024

In all, the new Kia EV2 is an impressive car and a strong ownership proposition, given its sensible pricing, quality manufacture, long range and long warranty. It’s just a shame it doesn’t drive with quite the elan its cheeky styling promises.

Sam Phillips

Sam Phillips
Title: Senior Staff Writer

Sam joined the Autocar team in summer 2024 and has been a contributor since 2021. He is tasked with writing used reviews and first drives as well as updating top 10s and evergreen content on the Autocar website. 

He previously led sister-title Move Electric, which covers the entire spectrum of electric vehicles, from cars to boats – and even trucks. He is an expert in new car news, used cars, electric cars, microbility, classic cars and motorsport. 

Sam graduated from Nottingham Trent University in 2021 with a BA in Journalism. In his final year he produced an in-depth feature on the automotive industry’s transition to electric cars and interviewed a number of leading experts to assess our readiness for the impending ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars.

Illya Verpraet

Illya Verpraet Road Tester Autocar
Title: Road Tester

As a road tester, Illya drives everything from superminis to supercars, and writes reviews and comparison tests, while also managing the magazine’s Drives section. Much of his time is spent wrangling the data logger and wielding the tape measure to gather the data for Autocar’s in-depth instrumented road tests.

He loves cars that are fun and usable on the road – whether piston-powered or electric – or just cars that are very fit for purpose. When not in test cars, he drives an R53-generation Mini Cooper S or a 1990 BMW 325i Touring.

Steve Cropley

Steve Cropley Autocar
Title: Editor-in-chief

Steve Cropley is the oldest of Autocar’s editorial team, or the most experienced if you want to be polite about it. He joined over 30 years ago, and has driven many cars and interviewed many people in half a century in the business. 

Cropley, who regards himself as the magazine’s “long stop”, has seen many changes since Autocar was a print-only affair, but claims that in such a fast moving environment he has little appetite for looking back. 

He has been surprised and delighted by the generous reception afforded the My Week In Cars podcast he makes with long suffering colleague Matt Prior, and calls it the most enjoyable part of his working week.