Kia Ev4 vs Mitsubishi eK X EV
What's the difference?

Kia Ev4

$49,990 - $64,690

2026 price

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Mitsubishi eK X EV

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2023 price

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Summary

2026 Kia Ev4

2023 Mitsubishi eK X EV

By Andrew Chesterton

By Tony O'Kane

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Not Applicable, 0.0L

Fuel Type

Electric

Fuel Efficiency

0.0L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Comfortable, competent drive experience
Long range from bigger battery
Sharp pricing on entry-level grade

Makes the most limited space
Zippy urban drive
Decent equipment for the price

Dislikes

Design will polarise
Boot is a missed practicality perk
Service costs higher than most

Energy consumption should be better
Not confirmed for Australia
Won't have broad appeal

2026 Kia Ev4 Summary

Kia admits that, even a handful of years ago, a car like the EV4 likely wouldn't exist in Australia. With a forecast of 70 sales a month, or 840 a year, it won't come close to the brand's biggest all-electric sellers, and senior executives and product planners alike would have been wondering if it was worth the effort.

But times have changed, and so have regulations, and Kia is happy to roll the dice on as many EVs as it can get its hands on to lower its fleet emissions in the wake of the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES).

If you'll forgive the long and rambling intro, I'll now get to the point. Long live the NVES, because the EV4 is a good (if a little bizarre-looking) thing. It's quite lovely to drive, will cross vast distances in its long-range guise, and will undoubtedly make our roads a more visually interesting place.

But would you have one over the Tesla Model 3 or BYD Seal? Read on.

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2023 Mitsubishi eK X EV Summary

If EVs are to make a meaningful difference to our collective environmental impact, there's one thing standing in the way: price.

Complexity, competency and capability have all improved since EVs started entering new car showrooms a decade ago, but in that time the price tags haven't improved all that much.

Buying an EV is still a rich person's game and scarcity on the used-car market means there are few true bargains for those willing to go with something second-hand. Even the Chinese aren't selling electric cars below the $40K barrier yet.

And that's where the Mitsubishi eK X EV comes in - or at least it would, if Mitsubishi Motors Australia chose to bring it to our shores.

Though it's unconfirmed for our market for now, we took the opportunity to spend a bit of time behind the wheel in its home (and so far, only) market of Japan.

Appetite for eco cars has been strong in Japan for a long time now, and the eK X EV (along with its platform twin the Nissan Sakura) arrives at a time where Japanese motorists are crying out for more affordable all-electric options.

Though its diminutive size and limited single-charge range would exclude it from consideration for a large number of Aussie motorists, would the compact eK X EV nevertheless make sense in Australian cities as a low-cost runabout for urbanites? It's certainly a question worth asking.

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Deep dive comparison

2026 Kia Ev4 2023 Mitsubishi eK X EV

Verdict

An electric sedan is really shrinking the buyer pool, which is why Kia has such gentle expectations for the EV4 in Australia. But it's a lovely driving EV with plenty of perks, and the design alone will brighten up Australia's roadways. For my money, I'd either be going for the cheapest one that's sharp value with plenty of kit, or the flagship GT-Line that gets the big battery and the works in terms of equipment. The Earth for me sits in no-man's land.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

Note: The author, Andrew Chesterton, is a co-owner of Smart As Media, a content agency and media distribution service with a number of automotive brands among its clients. When producing content for CarsGuide, he does so in accordance with the CarsGuide Editorial Guidelines and Code of Ethics, and the views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.

Verdict

And that’s the core takeaway from our time driving the Mitsubishi eK X EV – it’s a near-perfect tool for dealing with inner-urban congestion and tightly-packed city streets. After all, while cars have become progressively more bloated, our roads haven’t expanded in sympathy with that. The tiny measurements of the eK X EV and its slick and seamless electric powertrain allow drivers to flip that paradigm.

But even if Mitsubishi's Australian office chose to bring it here, it wouldn't be the first time the company has experimented with an ultra-compact EV in this country. Remember the i-MiEV from a decade ago? That too was a kei car EV with similar performance stats, however it languished in obscurity thanks to a high $48K price tag and a generally ho-hum offering.

By comparison, the eK X EV feels much more complete and better-equipped, though its price will need to be considerably sharper than the i-MiEV's if it's to convince would-be EV adopters to look away from the entry-level options from Chinese automakers like MG and BYD.

Will Mitsubishi take the plunge? It'll be chasing a niche within a niche if it does, but provided that audience uses the car within its urban-only design parameters, and provided Mitsubishi can offer it for a compelling price, the Japanese company could carve out a meaningful toehold in the EV space at the entry-level end of the spectrum.

Kia Ev4 vs Mitsubishi eK X EV What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Kia Ev4 vs Mitsubishi eK X EV
What's the difference?