Kia anticipates a resurgence of hatchbacks, beginning with the EV4 later this year. Kia’s first electric hatchback, the EV4, is anticipated to be in high demand.
Kia wants the new EV4 to revive hatchbacks.
Kia displayed four fully electric EV4 models—two sedans and two hatchbacks—at its EV Day event earlier this year.
Kia’s new entry-level EV portfolio, which also includes the EV3, EV5, and the soon-to-be EV2, includes the EV4.
Kia is getting ready to release the hatchback model in Europe after launching the EV4 sedan in Korea in March. Kia believes the EV4 might be its hidden weapon as an electric substitute for the Volkswagen Golf and other well-known models. It will launch a new hatchback line.
Ted Lee, the executive vice president of Kia, thinks there is still a “large volume” of hatchbacks available in Europe. Lee recently stated that Kia would introduce a new line of hatchbacks in an interview with Autocar.
Later this year, the EV4 is scheduled to launch. Kia will manufacture the EV4 hatch in Europe, in contrast to the sedan. It will be the first electric vehicle produced in Europe by Kia at its Slovakian plant. South Korea will be the source of the sedan version.
In October, Kia will introduce the EV4 hatchback in the UK. Following that, the new K4—which will also come in hatchback form—will join the lineup. Both the hatchback and sedan versions of the K4 will be imported from Kia’s Mexican factory.
Lee claims that Kia has a “strong position in Europe“, particularly in the United Kingdom. The Korean carmaker is just 300 units away from overtaking BMW as the third-best-selling brand in the UK.
The business is stepping up its efforts in the area, despite his admission that new Chinese models are making the market “difficult”.
Lee clarified that Kia will avoid becoming embroiled in a pricing war. Rather, the corporation wants to keep promoting the “sustainable growth” that it has established in recent years. Since 2020, Kia’s sales in Europe have grown by 30%.
Following its January introduction, Kia said that the EV3 “started with a bang” and quickly rose to the top of the UK’s retail electric car market. During the first quarter, Kia’s small EV was the top-selling retail EV in the UK and the fourth-best-selling model overall.
With almost 52,000 cars sold through May, SMNT’s most recent registration data shows that sales of the Kia brand are up 4% this year. Its market share increased from 6.05% to 6.11% this year.
The EV3 has two battery pack options: 58.3 kWh and 81.48 kWh, and it starts at £33,005 ($42,500) in the UK. The extended range option offers a driving range of 599 km (375 miles), whereas the normal battery has a WLTP range of up to 30 km (270 miles).
Kia is setting the stage for the “sustainable growth” it wants with the EV3 off to a great start, the EV4 following it, and the release of its first electric van, the PV5.
Just 831 EV4 cars have been sold in Korea so far, according to Electrek’s story from yesterday. However, “limited inventory” was the reason for the first sales month’s poor performance.