Kia is reportedly preparing to launch its entry-level electric vehicle, the Kia EV1, in 2028 with a starting price of between 20,000 euros ($22,000) and 22,000 euros in Europe, according to comments attributed to a senior company executive.
British automotive publication Auto Express reported that Ted Lee, executive vice president and head of global operations at Kia, said the EV1 is expected to launch at around 20,000 euros in mainland Europe and approximately £17,000 in the United Kingdom.
The report said Hyundai Motor Group is jointly developing a new electric vehicle architecture for both Kia and Hyundai entry-level EVs.
According to Auto Express, the platform will also underpin a future Hyundai-branded model that could be marketed as the Hyundai Ioniq 1.
The publication said the Hyundai model may eventually replace the discontinued gasoline-powered Hyundai i10 as well as the Hyundai Inster, although Hyundai has not officially confirmed those plans.
Lee reportedly told Auto Express that the EV1 will become Kia’s first “software-defined vehicle,” featuring the company’s next-generation software and connectivity technologies.
The report said the compact EV is expected to introduce features such as motorway automated driving capabilities.
Kia previously announced development of a dedicated Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) architecture in 2024, aimed at separating hardware and software development processes to reduce costs and shorten development cycles.
According to the report, the EV1 has already been in development for about two years and is still around two years away from launch, reflecting Kia’s longer-term approach to affordable EV development.
Industry observers widely expect the EV1 to replace the Kia Picanto as Kia’s entry-level model lineup transitions toward electrification.
The current third-generation Picanto has been on the market since 2017 and received a major facelift in 2023.
The EV1 would become the sixth model in Kia’s EV lineup, joining the Kia EV2, Kia EV3, Kia EV5, Kia EV6 and Kia EV9.