Kia EV2 review: a small electric SUV with big-car appeal
Kia’s smallest electric SUV has the space, equipment and range to be more than a second car. Just think carefully before spending extra on a higher specification
Kia's latest design language feels like a refreshing "up yours" to the really rather dreary onslaught of SUVs and crossovers polluting the automotive landscape, and this family style guide has carried over to a stylish new EV called the EV2.
It's the smallest of a group of electric-only offerings headed up by the enormous EV9, and I can't help wondering when the EV1 will grace us with a fun little city car - something Kia is notoriously good at.
But I digress. The EV2 feels bigger than you'd think, given it's the current baby of the range, at just over four metres long, with SUV styling, and an enormously practical interior.
And despite its attractive looks, the interior is perhaps the star of the show here. Even the entry-level Air version gets a decent 12.3-inch instrument display, a matching central touchscreen and a smaller climate display between them and it's all very nicely laid out, with useful storage solutions dotted around and fine ergonomics.
Rear passengers are well catered for, with their own USB sockets and plenty of space, and the boot offers a useful 362 litres.
Battery choice is where things start to get interesting, because the version that makes the most sense isn’t necessarily the one with the smallest battery.
The Air has a 61kWh battery and an official range of up to 275 miles. The more lavishly equipped First Edition uses a smaller 42.2kWh battery, with a claimed 195 miles. Those are laboratory figures, naturally, and cold weather or a long motorway run will bring them down, but I've been getting decent miles per kWh during my week in an EV2.
Here's a small car, then, that doesn't need to be confined to second-car duties.
Charging is respectable, too, with a 10 to 80 per cent top-up taking around half an hour under suitable conditions. It doesn’t have the exceptionally rapid charging of Kia’s more expensive electric models, but that’s a manageable stop on an occasional longer journey.
The driving priorities are similarly sensible. Smooth progress and easy controls take precedence over excitement, and the Air’s smaller wheels would make it the more appealing choice for comfort.
Larger wheels might improve the showroom appearance, but they aren’t necessarily doing you any favours on a battered British road.
The steering could offer more feedback, and a bumpy country road can expose some untidiness in the ride, but this isn’t a car that particularly rewards being hurried. For ordinary journeys its straightforward nature is rather more relevant.
Prices start at £26,995 and the base spec comes with plenty of standard kit. Heated front seats and a heated steering wheel are included on the Air, and that's a good thing, because the top-spec GT-Line S can top out at north of £37,000.
Of course, there's Kia's reassurance of a seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty, a well-respected dealer network, and tempting finance deals.
The EV2’s greatest strength is that it doesn’t make choosing a smaller car feel like accepting a lesser one. There’s character, useful space and, in the right version, enough range to make it a convincing everyday proposition.
It won’t be the obvious choice for anyone who enjoys a spirited drive, and I wouldn’t get carried away with the options list. But in the right spec, with the right battery, it's a very sensible place to start.