Kia said it is counting on its new EV4 compact to boost its electric vehicle portfolio, with plans to sell 160,000 units a year globally, half of them in Europe. To meet that demand, the South Korean automaker will begin production of the model in Slovakia at the end of August, marking the first fully electric Kia to be manufactured in Europe.
The EV4, built on the front-wheel-drive version of Hyundai Motor Group’s E-GMP platform, will roll off the assembly line at Kia’s Zilina plant, where combustion models such as the Ceed and Sportage are also produced. Deliveries are due to start in September. Kia said the EV4’s battery underwent extensive stress testing ahead of launch.
At 4.43 metres in length, the hatchback will carry a “Made in Europe” label, while a larger fastback version, measuring 30 centimetres longer, will continue to be produced in South Korea. The hatchback is expected to dominate regional sales, given compact saloons remain a niche product in Europe. The model starts at €37,590, nearly €10,000 less than the fastback version.
Kia’s decision to localise production comes as subsidy schemes in France and the UK increasingly consider the full vehicle lifecycle, including battery sourcing and assembly location. The company expects the European-built EV4 to appeal to price-sensitive buyers and to compete with Volkswagen’s ID.3 and Renault’s Megane E-Tech Electric.
The EV4 follows the strong performance of Kia’s smaller EV3 SUV, which sold 37,000 units in the first half of the year, lifting the brand’s European EV sales by 60%, according to market researcher Dataforce. Kia hopes the new compact will help reverse a slight dip in European market share, which edged down from 4.1% to 4% in the first half of 2025.
Source: Electrive