According to South Korean media reports on January 29th, Kia Vice President Woo-Jeong Woo shared an information regarding KIA EV4 delay during the latest conference call. The company aims to launch the EV3 in the first half of this year and the EV4 early 2025. Previously, during the 2023 Kia EV Day event on October 12 last year, Kia first mentioned the launch schedule of these two new cars. The EV4 was initially planned to be released before the end of 2024.
Vice President Joo stated in the conference call, “Electric vehicles are the biggest influence on Kia’s sales and profits. We plan to flexibly respond to market changes in the medium to long term. The EV3, EV4, and EV5 will be launched sequentially, and we are determined to make these three models successful.” The reason for the delay in the EV4’s launch was not mentioned, but it is interpreted as a decision to enhance the product’s quality.
Meanwhile, from the EV3 to EV5, all will be dedicated electric vehicles using the E-GMP and positioned as follows: EV3 as a small SUV, EV4 as a compact sedan, and EV5 as a compact SUV. Especially, the compact sedan K3’s successor model ‘K4’ is expected to be launched globally in the first half of this year, although its release in Korea seems unlikely. Thus, the EV4, taking over from the K3, will play a more critical role as the only compact EV sedan in the brand.
The EV3 is still on track and will be released before Summer 2024
Currently, in the domestic electric car market, there is no compact sedan, with the mid-size sedan segment occupied by the Ioniq 6. Therefore, the release of the EV4 is expected to indirectly compete with imported electric vehicles like the Tesla Model 3. Kia has announced that the EV3~EV5 will be launched in the global market for $35,000 to $50,000.
Meanwhile, Kia recently completed preparations for electric car production at the Gwangmyeong Plant 2 after eight months of conversion work. This former factory that produced Pride and Stonic has secured the capacity to produce 150,000 electric vehicles annually. As Hyundai Motors has not yet established a dedicated electric vehicle production base in Korea, Kia’s Gwangmyeong Plant has taken the title of the group’s first.
Details about the EV4’s specifications are not yet widely known, but it is likely to be front-wheel-drive based on the E-GMP. The budget lineup may include a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery and a 400V system, as previously released in the Chinese market with the EV5. An interior maximizing the advantages of dedicated electric vehicles, with a completely flat floor and minimalist design, is expected.
