Previews

Electric Kia EV2, everything you need to know about the new compact for Europe

Scheduled to arrive in early 2026 with a debut at the Brussels Motor Show. It is based on the concept car that anticipates the production car almost exactly. It will have a fashionable, suv-like style and a spacious cabin. And it will be produced in Europe

by Corrado Canali

2 December 2025

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Kia has started the countdown to the launch of its new electric city car, the EV2, which will be unveiled in early 2026 at the Brussels Motor Show. The car will fit into the Korean brand's range as Kia's entry model for Europe, where it will be produced in Slovakia. It will not, however, be on sale in Korea where the most compact Kia will still be the EV3.

Manufactured in Slovakia in the vacated place of the Ceed

The EV2 will be produced from 2026 in the space vacated by the Ceed that recently went out of production at Kia's plant in Slovakia. Kia justified the decision not to sell the new EV2 in Korea on the basis of the domestic market's penchant for larger models, which represent a sort of status symbol in the Asian country, so much so that the EV3 is currently considered the Korean brand's compact model par excellence.

The public debut is scheduled for the Brussels Show

The EV2 Concept, first unveiled at the Kia EV Day in Spain earlier this year, will thus become an electric-powered city car capable of competing with models such as the Citroën e-C3 and Volkswagen ID. Polo, when it goes on sale, of course. At an estimated price starting at around 30,000 euros. It will later be joined by the so far unreleased EV1, a city-only electric car designed to compete with the future VW ID.1.

SUV design and brand-tuned styling for the EV2.

The EV2 concept anticipates many details of the now imminent production car that will arrive in early 2026. Based on the example already seen for both the EV3 and EV4 that Kia presented two years ago as a concept. The difference between the production car and the concept car was almost the same as for the EV2. The upright stance and side profile as a compact SUV is identical, starting with the vertical daytime running lights and the dimensions as a robust and brilliant car in urban traffic.

Details typical of small SUVs, but with more sober styling

The lighting system, typical of Kia's latest electric and other models, has been partly modified at the rear of the EV2, with a large tailgate arrangement that will serve to emphasise the EV2's width to the maximum. The small SUV details are fully confirmed, as are the interior trim and bumper inserts. Finally, large four-spoke wheels will also complete the aesthetic impact for a design that will nevertheless be more sober than the concept.

Hitech interiors and industry-leading technology

Interior roominess will be a strong point of the new EV2. In fact, the concept features a folding, sliding and reclining rear seat that even lifts up at the base. At Kia, they are working on an almost similar solution for the production version ahead of the launch. Alternatively, the colours, some materials and 3D-printed elements could undergo some very understated variations in the final design phase of the new production EV2.

Inside, the dashboard will remain almost of the concept

The dashboard with its new, more minimalist layout and dual screens are expected to change a lot between now and the final presentation of the car. In addition, the concept's rear-hinged doors will not be available on the EV2, but Kia's brand parent company, Hyundai Motor Group, is working on offering them on a production model that has not yet been announced, as this is a very practical solution that will only be spent in the future.

Battery specifications, architecture and positioning

The EV2 is expected to be available in a single-engine version only, and will certainly use the same dedicated E-GMP platform for electric cars as the top model, the EV3. Following in the footsteps of when offered by both the EV3 and later EV4 and EV5, it is expected that the EV2 will have a 400-volt electric architecture, with a choice of batteries of varying availability as well as designed to fit the car's positioning in the urban SUV sector.

An entry-level for a range of over 480 km

It is possible that an entry-level variant with a battery of around 40 kWh will be offered, in addition to a larger 58 kWh unit already available on the EV3, which can travel up to around 430 km on a single charge. It is possible, however, that the much smaller EV2 could also exceed 480 km. Kia also confirmed that the EV2 will be equipped with Vehicle to Load (V2L) and Vehicle to Grid (V2G) technologies as well as over-the-air (OTA) upgrades.

The estimated price and reference competition

At the EV Day in early 2025, the Korean leadership had, albeit only hinted, that the EV2 will be launched at a list price of around 30,000 euros. Which means the car will rank just above the Citroën e-C3, but will also aim to compete with models like the Jeep Avenger and Ford Puma Gen-E. It will certainly arrive in time to compete with the Vw ID. Polo and the Cupra Raval, two of the most anticipated small electric cars of 2026. As well as making way for the future EV1.