Kia EV4 GT-Line – A review. And it’s Not All Good.

For me, the Kia EV4 in this on test, Flame Blue paint and in GT-Line spec looks fantastic. In the UK, we get it in hatchback and in fastback-saloon guise-unlike North America who only have the choice of the rather (ahem) ‘polarising’ fastback version.

EV4 ‘Fastback’ version, slightly hidden by an attractive model

And at first glance it seems like a pretty sensible package. Loads of spec, excellent range and the usual Kia assurances like their 7 year warranty (8 on the battery).

Whilst it’s probably not quite the definition of an estate car -due to its dimensions- I’m happy to call it one. And more EV estate cars is something that is desperately needed in my opinion.

Range and practicality

Range is one of the EV4’s big strengths. This 81.4kWh GT-Line is officially rated at 362 miles WLTP.

So, if you’re looking for an EV that can cover ground and be efficient, the EV4 is likey going to be high on the short-list.

The boot is 435 litres with the seats up, which is perfectly respectable for the class. In the patented CtrlAltRefuel SSM (Standard Spaniel Metric) it scores three spaniels in a row and two lengthways.

What you don’t get however is a front froot (frunk). Now, I know some people couldn’t care less about a frunk, but I still think it’s a missed opportunity on a modern EV. Even a small one is useful for the charging cable and keeping the boot free for actual luggage. There is a fairly useful under-floor storage in the boot and you can store the Type 2 cable there.

Inside

The GT-Line interior is probably my biggest visual gripe, as outside, for me (especially in this colour) the car is a real looker in the metal. Inside however, there is a lot going on-behind the steering wheel especially. All the stalks and levers are here. Indicator, wipers, drive selector, and two regen paddles, plus the ‘start’ button. Like in the Renault 4, I feel this approach is just too much.

The interior, seats, dash and door cards also feel rather ‘busy’ and a bit jazzy/gaudy for my tastes. This GT line version gets this two tone fake leather, ribbed, perforated seats and the dash and door cards are also two tone. The ambient lighting strips are a bit much for me, but you can change the colour to something not bright pink.

The seats have electric adjustment and lumbar support for both front occupants (on these higher trims). You also get heated front seats and a heated steering wheel on the GT-Line. Ventilated front seats are reserved for the range-topping GT-Line S.

The driving position is good and the seats are comfortable. Head and legroom are great also. This gangly big oaf had no legroom issues, and there’s lots of extra headroom above my shiny dome. The rear is equally accommodating. I could sit behind myself fine, with a bit of room to spare. Flat floor/bespoke EV architecture for the win here!

GT Line interior

Screens and Infotainment/Ui

The main screen itself is wide and clear enough, but it isn’t particularly quick. There’s still a noticeable second or two of lag, which is frustrating. There’s also a section on the far right of the display showing HVAC and seat settings. From the driver’s seat, most of it is hidden behind the steering wheel. (I guess it looks different on a LHD car) and the passenger can see it all, but it’s daft that you can’t see it as the RHD driver. Thankfully there are a couple of physical buttons for the HVAC.

This newer Kia software is an improvement over the previous generation, but it falls short when compared with other stuff I’ve been driving recently like Leapmotor’s Ui, which is a league above. Probably two. Tesla, as ever, another division up again. That isn’t something I expected to be saying about a Kia. The system looks nice enough and does what it needs to do, but overall it feels dated already. I would just have to continue to use CarPlay.

The Drive Mode selector is another tiny irritation. You can scroll through the modes in one direction, ECO, Normal, Sport, Custom and Snow- but you can’t go back the other way. So if you’ve gone past the one you wanted, you have to go all the way around again. There is at least a programmable ‘favourite’ button that you can set up to activate your own preferred settings.

Prices

The base model 81.4kWh Air is currently £36,995 on the road, although the current Electric Car Grant takes qualifying cars down by £3,750. The GT-Line I have here is £39,445. Range-topping GT-Line S is £43,945,

A heat pump is only available on the GT-Line S and it’s a £900 option.

Vehicle To Load (V2L), ventilated front seats, pano-roof and electric tailgate are again reserved for the top spec trim. As is a front and a 360-degree camera. The lesser GT-Line we have here on test gets a reversing camera plus front and rear parking sensors.

EV 4 Reversing Camera

Much of this is standard fitment with other makes now, and are the sort of thing you reasonably expect to see on cars at this price point.

Charging

The EV4 disappointingly, isn’t on Kia’s 800V architecture like the EV6 and EV9 are. Maximum DC charging is up to 128kW peak, with Kia quoting 31 minutes for 10-80% on this battery

On the road

The driving experience is actually one of the better bits. The steering has decent weight and feel to it. It’s slightly on the heavy side compared with some cars, but I quite like that. It feels reassuring rather than artificial. The chassis is firm and planted and the EV4 handles well. There isn’t anything particularly sporty about it, but it feels controlled and well mannered through the corners.

The ride is comfortable, and despite the firm feel to the chassis, it doesn’t beat you up and it works well as an everyday car. The throttle tuning and regen is excellent. You get proper selectable, strong one-pedal driving- which is exactly how I like an EV to behave around town.

Wind noise is fine too, but road noise is a little more noticeable than I’ve become used to recently. I imagine perhaps that’s down to the 19 inch wheel and tyre combo. It’s not noisy enough to be a problem- although in the rain it was more prominent-but it is something I noticed and it’s not say, Tesla quietness. However, I had the radio off for filming, so I think it wouldn’t be an issue in usual life. It’s shod on decent tyres - Michelin Primacy 215/50/19’s

19 inch GT-Line Alloys

Visibility is good. You can see out easily enough and I didn’t have any issues judging where the car was. It’s just a shame that if you want the 360-degree surround view, or more importantly, the front camera, you have to move up the range.

The Big However.

Now sadly, we get to my main issue with the eV4. And it’s the perennial problem with front wheel drive cars with some ‘poke’.

I used to own a Kia e-Niro, and one of my biggest complaints with that car was exactly the same thing this suffers from: give it some throttle, particularly in the wet, and the front tyres would happily light up and scrabble for grip. The EV4 is a ground-up EV that’s six or seven years further down the road, and yet here I am, finding exactly the same issue again.

In the wet, traction disappears remarkably easily when you ask for some of the available power. Even in the dry, stamp on it too much from a standstill, and you find the front tyres scrabbling for grip and you invariably wheel spin.

It’s not that the EV4 is ridiculously powerful. It isn’t. It’s 201bhp and 283Nm. It’s just that putting decent amounts of electric torque through the front wheels clearly still isn’t working for Kia (and others). For me, it should have been rear wheel drive. There is an AWD version coming but that will mean spending even more money again.

Summary

It’s a perfectly good car. In fact, I suspect a lot of people will buy one and be happy with it. But it just left me a little cold and ambivalent towards it.

The front-wheel-drive traction issue however, is the main bugbear. I really couldn’t live with it, and after spending time with it, in mixed weather and road conditions, I wanted to like it more than I actually did, and found myself trying to make excuses for it.

And perhaps that’s the biggest let down from me, a ‘Kia Guy’. The EV4 feels newer and better than the E-Niro, sure, but it already feels dated and poor value for money compared with the competition.

I could forgive it for its shortcomings, if it was much cheaper, and we mustn’t forget that the range is excellent- but there’s nothing here that made me think, I’d have one of these over other things that are available.

The EV4 feels like a perfectly decent ‘car’ rather than a particularly exciting one or a great ‘EV’. And at this money, “perfectly decent” isn’t quite enough for me.