Kia EV2 Is A Tiny Little SUV With A Wonderfully Strange Design And Thoughtful Packaging

While auto shows definitely are not relevant again in the U.S. yet, they’re starting to flourish in Europe and Asia. Every Chinese auto show has seen major debuts from tons of brands, the Tokyo show has seen a big resurgence in importance, and last year’s Munich auto show was awesome. The Brussels Motor Show is happening right now, and it’s brought a bunch of important reveals, including four from Kia — the coolest of which is the tiny EV2, an electric crossover-y hatchback that was previewed by a concept last year.

It’s only 159.8 inches long and 62 inches tall, making it over five inches shorter in length and an inch shorter in height than the dearly departed Kia Soul. It has a range of up to 278 miles on the European WLTP cycle, it charges pretty quickly, it seems spacious and well-packaged, and in Europe it should start at less than €30,000. But the best thing about the EV2 is how it looks. Isn’t it delightful?

The EV2 clearly a Kia, and clearly the younger brother of the awesome EV3, but I think the EV2 is easily Kia’s strangest design in a while — that’s a good thing. Aside from having door handles and production-spec cutlines and windows, the exterior design is basically identical to the concept. I love the grille-less face, with angular split headlights and a subtle interpretation of Kia’s tiger nose motif. The proportions are great; it’s upright and blocky without being too SUV-like, and it manages to have a C-pillar design that doesn’t feel generic. Kia specifically calls out the thin A-pillars and lower tailgate for improved visibility.

Kia

It’s got a great rear shoulder line that continues all the way around the tailgate, which is where it really gets weird. The L-shaped taillights are mounted low in the corners of the rear end, coming off the fender flares similarly to the Hyundai Kona. Along with the smooth tailgate and chunky rear bumper that has the license plate mounted in it, the EV2’s rear end looks unlike anything else on the roads. Of course, being a Kia, there are also some wacky wheel designs ranging from 16 to 19 inches, and Kia will offer the EV2 in real colors including matte finishes. A GT-Line trim gets you sportier bumper designs.

Sadly, while the EV2 concept’s interior looked perfect for canoodling, the production EV2 doesn’t have front seats that slide all the way back and turn into a lounge. But thanks in part to the relatively long 100.9-inch wheelbase, the EV2 can be had with either a three-across rear bench, or two individual rear seats that can slide and recline for up to 37.7 inches of legroom. If you get the four-seater, the EV2 has a respectable 14 cubic feet of cargo space with the back seats up and slid forward. There’s a frunk, too. 

Kia

The EV2’s cabin does look excellent, and Kia says it was inspired by picnic baskets. Its widescreen display (made of a 12.3-inch gauge cluster, 5.3-inch climate panel and 12.3-inch center touchscreen) and overall control scheme and layout is largely similar to other Kia EVs, which is no bad thing. Kia says the controls are “organized by frequency of use for intuitive, distraction-reduced operation.” The wraparound design of the dashboard is fantastic, especially in one of the great two-tone color schemes, and there’s a ton of open space. I especially love the design of the low-down center console. Even in the photos of base models, the interior looks upscale. There’s at least one fun easter egg: an illuminated “HELLO :-)” at the top edge of the door cards, and “HAVE A NICE DAY” engraved inside the interior door handles.

Underpinning the EV2 is Hyundai Motor Group’s now-widespread E-GMP platform, with the EV2 using the 400-volt version like its EV3 and EV4 siblings. The standard-range EV2 has a 42.2-kWh battery pack with a 197-mile range, while the long-range model gets 61.0 kWh and that 278-mile range. Either way, the EV2 can DC fast charge from 10% to 80% in 30 minutes, and the model with the smaller battery charges quicker when just using an AC plug, needing as little as 2 hours and 35 minutes at 22 kW or just over 4 hours at 11 kW. Both vehicle-to-load and vehicle-to-grid capabilities are available, which is awesome for a car this cheap, and there’s a pet mode, which cars like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 have lacked. Standard-range cars have a 145-horsepower motor powering the front axle, but the long-range model will have a bit less.

Kia

Of course, the EV2 will be offered with tons of safety features including adaptive cruise control with steering assist, a surround-view camera, blind-spot cameras and remote smart parking assist, and Kia says the ambient light synchronizes with turn signals “to provide both reassurance and intuitive driver support.” The car is capable of over-the-air updates, and you can get nice features like a Harman/Kardon sound system, heated seats and a heated steering wheel, and digital key tech. Kia says the EV2 will enter production in Slovakia next month, with the car to go on sale in Europe and Asia this year. Unless something drastically changes in our country it’s highly unlikely the EV2 will come to the U.S. anytime soon, which is a damn shame.