The Korean brand enters the hatchback era of its EV revolution from a successful starting point. By John Challen.

What is it? C-segment electric hatchback  How much? From £34,695  Range: 273-388 miles (WLTP)  Charge 10-80%: 29 mins (150kW DC)

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We’ve waxed lyrical in these pages about Kia and its impressive portfolio of electric vehicles – winners of countless awards, including models being voted the best car in the UK two years in row. So going into the launch event of the EV4, we were expecting good things.

The EV4 is the first electric hatchback from Kia and sits alongside a Fastback (saloon) version of the car. The former is likely to take the lion’s share of sales in the UK, so that’s the one we’ll concentrate on here. There is plenty of choice: two battery packs (58.3kWh and 81.4kWh) and three model grades (Air, GT-Line and GT-Line S).

Sticking with a winning formula seems to be the approach from Kia, with the exterior look adopting the family design language from the likes of the EV3, EV6 and EV9, and the interior also having a certain familiarity about it. That’s a good thing in our eyes, because people like what they’ve seen and it makes it easier to keep things the same when moving up or around a brand’s models.

From the driver’s seat there are high-quality materials (regardless of grade), seats set lower for a more driver-centric feel and twin 12.3-inch central touchscreens, which sit alongside a smaller (5.3-inch) climate control screen. One departure from other Kia ‘EV’ models is the repositioning of the gear selector to the steering column – a move that saves space and makes the cabin look that bit cleaner. Despite the lower roof of the hatch, there’s plenty of space inside the cabin and also in the boot – 435 litres of luggage space is available, increasing to 1,415 litres when the rear seats are folded.

All EV4 models have the same power output figures (204hp and 283Nm) and top speed (105mph), with zero to 62mph speeds all recorded at 7.9 seconds or quicker. The real variation comes in the battery size and how many miles are on offer. The base Air model is offered with the standard-range lithium-ion battery, which boasts a still-impressive 273 miles (WLTP) and a 10-80% DC charging time of 29 minutes (at 150kW). The Air also comes with the long-range 81.4kWh battery pack, which pushes the theoretical driving range up to 388 miles and takes two more minutes to hit 80% charge from 10% under the same conditions as above. The GT-Line and GT-Line S are only available with the bigger battery and both offer 362 miles of range (WLTP).

Spec-wise, there are plenty of technologies and safety features as standard on all EV4 models. Starting with the Air, drivers get automatic air conditioning, four USB-C charging points, wireless smartphone connectivity, 17-inch alloy wheels and heated front seats. Move up to GT-Line and there are 19-inch wheels, automatic flush door handles, electric lumbar support and customisable ambient lighting. Finishing off the range, the GT-Line S model has ventilated front seats, electric driver seat adjustment with memory, LED lights and a customisable head-up-display.

It makes perfect sense that the EV4 should be every bit as good as the EV3 and that certainly seems to be the case. Taking the best elements of an impressive SUV and implementing them in a hatch has certainly worked – Kia’s hope is that there are enough non-SUV drivers out there to take advantage.

The Lowdown

EV4

Key fleet model: GT-Line

Thumbs up: Choice, decent range, interior

Thumbs down: Growing competition, a bit pricey

Seven-word summary: Kia kicks on with an electric hatch

Also consider: MG4, Renault Megane E-Tech, Vauxhall Astra Electric