Cut-price Kia electric SUV could be here sooner than you think: Small Kia EV2 prototypes caught in the wild testing as the brand goes on product offensive with new EV3, EV5, EV9 GT and even the diesel Tasman ute

Kia’s electric car portfolio is getting rolled out at breakneck speed.

Several years ago it only had the EV6 SUV, but that number has exploded to cover nearly every segment on the market.

It launched the EV9 seven-seat SUV about 12 months ago, which was followed by the EV5 mid-size SUV this year and the EV3 compact SUV in 2025.

One of the final pieces in its electric SUV puzzle is the micro EV2, and it could enter production next year,

It will be built in Europe, due to that market's focus on small electric cars, but that doesn’t count it out for Australia where affordable electric cars are relatively strong sellers.

Advanced prototypes have been spotted testing in Europe, which is a good indicator the vehicle is close to being shown in production guise with sales to start soon after that.

It is expected to use the lower capacity 400-Volt charging architecture, which is likely to limit DC fast charging to about 120kW - that is well below the EV6 and EV9’s 350kW max. It is roughly on par with the EV5 and EV3 that share the same components.

It will be helped by a smaller battery that is expected to deliver up to 480km, thanks to the vehicle’s smaller size and weight.

We haven’t had a good look at the EV2 yet, but expect it to share similar styling to the EV3 and EV5 with a boxy shape, short bonnet and dynamic LED lighting front and back.

Expect it to be roomier inside than its pint-sized dimensions 

It’s wheels will be pushed all the way to the corners with a big distance between the front and rear wheels, which translates to a more spacious cabin than petrol powered vehicles of the same size.

Kia’s boss has previously said it was aiming to break the US$25,000 ($38,000) mark. 

This would put it head to head with cut-price vehicles from China and give it plenty of breathing room to the larger EV3 that is mooted to start at about $50,000.

Stay tuned for more updates on the EV2 and Kia’s other new models in 2025.