Kia Ev4 News

Believe it or don’t we’re almost halfway through the year and that calls for a round up of the cars that have stood out to us in 2026.So, we’ve asked our fellow test pilots around the CarsGuide office which new car has impressed them the most so far. Here’s our half-year top 5, in no particular order.Honda PreludeHonda’s reborn Prelude sports car is a reminder of the magic this iconic Japanese company can perform at a time when new Chinese brands are drawing our eyes away.A rival to the Toyota GR 86, Nissan Z and Mazda MX-5 the Prelude arrived in May with a hybrid powertrain and a drive-away price of $65,000.Based on the Honda Civic, the Prelude has a 2.0-litre four cylinder engine and an electric motor. Combined output is 149kW.CarsGuide contributor Byron Mathioudakis attended the Australian launch.“Firstly, the performance on offer goes far beyond the sum of its published numbers," he said."Secondly, the fluency of the chassis to communicate with the road and driver makes this a true enthusiast’s car. And thirdly, this leaves us wanting more."Long after the sensual lines are out of sight, your mind’s eye keeps looking back, yearning to return to the driver’s seat. All for $65K drive-away, folks."BMW M2 CSBMW’s new M2 CS arrived in May this year loudly announcing that angry performance petrol cars were still well and truly a thing - and a beautiful thing, too.The Competition Sport version of the mighty little M2 takes that little beast's straight-six turbo and squeezes out more grunt - 390kW and 650Nm.The M2 CS has been one of Senior Journalist Chris Thompson’s favourite finds of 2026 so far.“Small enough to still feel like a nimble sports car but it won't bite your hand too hard," Thompson said."Plenty of power and a healthy torque band, but enough compliance in the chassis/suspension that it doesn't feel entirely like driving a race car. Looks fully siq in Velvet Blue Metallic with Gold Bronze wheels."Denza B5BYD’s luxury brand Denza brought its Toyota Prado rival to Australia this year starting at a list price of just less than $75K.Production Editor Jack Quick drove this large super hybrid SUV at its Aussie launch and had this to say:“It rights the BYD Shark 6’s wrongs in terms of off-road capability and has undeniable value with the amount of high-end touches it has. Plus it’s ridiculously fast. However, it’s not perfect as it’s very heavy and has a busy ride.” Kia EV4 GT-LineKia’s fully electric EV4 sedan arrived in Australia in January looking slipperier than an eel.There’s a single motor making 150kW and 283Nm driving the front wheels and you can have it in three grades with the starting list price being $49,990.Deputy Editor James Cleary drove the EV4 and nominated it as one of the cars that impressed him this year."Polarising contemporary Kia exterior design... but I like it,” he said.  “Snappy, user-friendly interior. Strong performance and useful range. A $65K price tag for this flagship is in line with BYD Seal but $10K steeper than comparable Mazda 6e.” BYD Shark 6The BYD Shark 6 was awarded CarsGuide's Best Ute of 2026 and now it has returned with a more powerful engine (a 2.0-litre turbo petrol four cylinder) in the Performance grade.The new and improved plug-in hybrid ute addressed what was lacking in an otherwise outstanding vehicle - towing ability. Braked towing capacity has increased from 2500kg to 3500kg in the Performance.Dual motors (one at the front and one at the rear) combined with the petrol e engine make an impressive 350kW and 700Nm. Carsguide contributor Stephen Ottley was at the launch and said:“For grey nomads and others who have previously ruled it out, the BYD Shark 6 might suddenly be back on more shortlists.”

Kia’s head of global product planning has fired a cheeky shot at rival brands, said he believes no brand is as well-prepared as Kia for the world’s unpredictable automotive market.Spencer Cho, Kia’s Senior Vice President and Head of the Global Business Planning Subdivision, said it’s impossible to know what the industry might look like in the future, but being prepared for as many possibilities as reasonable is the best answer.Speaking with Australian media at the launch of the new-generation 2026 Kia Seltos, Cho said that he thinks no one can know how global events will affect the industry.Trying to predict the events that might change the way brands need to operate is impossible, he said, but understanding what needs to be done to respond can’t be known until after the fact.“Let me put it this way. If I can say that I can expect everything… that's not possible,” Cho said.The US-Israel war in Iran and the effects it has had on global oil shipping is front-of-mind for Cho.“No one can expect this kind of war will happen, and also a couple years ago for Russia and Ukraine, no one can expect that kind of thing.”"But what we are doing is we carefully monitor the market demand or market changes. And development of product takes quite some time. We should create very sound product strategies, and we have to maintain those strategies in a consistent manner.”Rather than scrambling to respond to changes in the industry, Cho said Kia has built enough options to be able to react quickly in a ‘here’s one we prepared earlier’ manner.“Thankfully, we studied the EV transition quite earlier than any other brand. There are also some ups and downs, but the transition and the trend stays the same, just the differences are a little bit of this slow down. So speed might be the difference.”He says the key is not drastically changing for short-term gain, rather slightly adjusting without removing options for the future. Essentially, giving EVs a boost shouldn’t mean forgetting to continue ICE development, he said.“But we stay in the course to maintain the development of the planned EV models entering each global market, step by step. Yet we're still developing the all new ICE models as well as you see in the new Seltos. “So one of the key strengths we have is all the technologies, the diesel or gasoline or hybrid and plug-ins and EVs.”“So we have all the options in our hands. “Certain market ups and downs… hybrid is rising, we can provide hybrid models. If EV is coming, we can provide EVs. So thankfully, we have all the technologies in our hands, and we have the all the product lineup as well.”Cho took a cheeky swipe at rivals, too, rare for a senior executive. He said Kia’s strength globally is its range of cars available from the budget end, Picanto for example, through to hybrids, plug-ins, and more expensive performance cars or large electric SUVS.“So that's probably one of the strengths Kia has compared to other brands. I don't know whether you can name any other OEMs better than us in the case of the product line-up as of today.”

I once attended a car launch where they enlisted the help of one of Australia’s leading designers to tell us that ‘good design requires no explanation’.Which made it awkward when the car company executive then spent 30 minutes explaining the design of the newest model…While it was awkward and undercut the whole point of the design-led presentation, at least it made sense, because it was not a good looking vehicle. And that’s because despite all the concept sketches, clay models and focus groups, sometimes car companies just get it wrong.Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and looks are very subjective, but sometimes you just need to call a spade a spade. And, more importantly, there have been some models that have clearly been impacted by their looks.For example, Ford’s AU Falcon is a cult icon now, but at the time it was released it was widely considered a case-study in getting design wrong. In fact, you can probably trace the decline of the Falcon (and arguably the locally-made large sedans) to the looks of the AU.Another example of design having a major impact on a vehicle’s performance is the divergent fates of the 2011 Mazda BT-50 and Ford Ranger. Both utes feature the same Ford-developed underpinnings, but whereas the Blue Oval went down a design path of ‘boxy, tough, truck’, Mazda went a very different way. It tried to carry across the design ethos of its then-popular CX-7 and CX-9 SUVs, which arguably made sense given the gentrification of utes. But as history has proven, ute buyers prefer boxy, tough and truck-like design. Within a few years Ford had more than doubled Ranger sales, while Mazda had grown only marginally.So, what are some of the other most ‘visually challenging’ vehicles on the market today? Below is our list, but we’d love to know what you think, so let us know in the comments or on social media which new vehicles have a face only its designer could love…Tesla CybertruckThankfully Australia has been spared the sight of the ‘dumpster-on-wheels’ on our roads. Clearly the American electric brand wanted to stand out from the pack when it entered the ute/pickup market. Unfortunately, it stands out the same way you might stand out in a crowd if you wrap yourself head-to-toe in tinfoil.It has become a symbol of Tesla the brand: unorthodox, but not necessarily in a good way.Kia EV4When it comes to Kia the Tasman is the easy whipping boy of the brand. But that would be a cheap shot to hit it again, especially as the design was deliberately created to help the Tasman stand out in a very crowded ute market. It was a swing and a miss.The more unusual car in Kia’s otherwise very attractive line-up, is the EV4. The electric mid-size sedan is the definition of ‘form over function’, shaped by the wind tunnel for maximum aerodynamic efficiency.It works, with the long range models capable of more than 600km of driving on a single charge (according to Kia’s claim), but that doesn't change the fact it is an odd looking vehicle.Mercedes-Benz C-Class EVIt’s not just the mainstream brands that occasionally strike design trouble. The German luxury brand’s latest addition is unlikely to go down as one of the brand’s most iconic creations. Memorable? Yes, just not for the right reasons.The front grille is as subtle as a Las Vegas casino and looks like you crashed into a diamante shop. While the rear has so many three-pointed stars stuffed into the design nobody should be in any doubt that you’re trying to ram down their throats you have a Mercedes-Benz.And then there’s the interior…I know the full-width ‘Hyperscreen’ is an optional extra, but it’s 39.1-inches of technology over-riding classy, sophisticated design.Subaru OutbackSubaru has taken a big gamble on its latest-generation Outback, abandoning its wagon roots for an SUV design… sort of. Actually, what they’ve done is try to splice the two concepts together and the result is neither a good-looking wagon nor a stylish SUV.Instead it looks awkwardly proportioned, with a grille that wouldn’t look out-of-place on a US pickup truck. And the new Wilderness addition only adds more stuff to make it look even more bulky and awkward.Hyundai Santa FeLike I said earlier, design is purely subjective and there’s every chance you disagree with every car I’ve put on this list. I say that with confidence because I don’t think the Santa Fe should be on this list, because I think it’s a fantastic looking SUV.But, ever since it has launched I have had people tell me they think it’s hideous. In particular, the rear-end styling, with the lights mounted too low on the body, seems to be a sticking point.Personally, I love the boxy, almost-Land-Rover-Defender looks, but I can understand why it polarises opinion.And that’s the same story for any car, because everyone sees design strictly through their own eyes. So let us know in the comments what you think are the cars that get it wrong on the styling front.

Kia will launch six EVs across 2026 as the Korean brand builds an all-electric lineup to rival Chinese brands such as BYD.The move forms part of Kia's incremental growth strategy for 2026, with the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (or NVES) unlocking niche electric vehicles that would normally be locked out of the Australian market. That includes the just-launched Kia EV4 Sedan, for which the brand is forecasting 700 annual sales – a number significantly lower than would be expected from the brand's bigger EV sellers, but which will critically still contribute to its fleet emissions under the new regulations.But the EV4 Sedan is just the start of Kia's EV story in 2026, with another five models planned for launch before the end of the year.First up will be a mid-life facelift for the EV6, including the EV6 GT, which will nab a bigger battery for more driving range, and across-the-board access to the Kia Connect app for remote vehicle access.Previously, the EV6 and EV6 GT launches were staggered, but this time all will arrive at once before the end of Q1 this year."They will arrive all together. Previously we started with the EV6 and then the GT, but this time it will be all at once," says Roland Rivero, General Manager of Product Planning at Kia Australia."The Kia Connect system is something that our owners have been asking for."That story then continues with the fire-breathing EV9 GT, which will lend serious performance to the brand's biggest electric offering, with the GT variant sporting dual electric motors that produce a combined 374kW and 740Nm. That means the 2.6-tonne beast will clip 100km/h in an astonishing 4.5 seconds. Other fun stuff includes an electronically-controlled limited slip differential, adaptive suspension, performance brakes and simulated gear shifts, a bit like you'd find in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.Next is the PV5, Kia's funky-looking electric van, which will arrive in Q2. The cargo variant will be first to arrive, with the medium van offered with three battery sizes and a working range in excess of 400kms. It will be followed by the passenger version – offered with two battery choices – which will arrive later."It gets a passenger variant with seven seats towards the back end of the year," Mr Rivero says. Finally, and also towards the end of the year, the EV5 will get its first update, though details are scarce for now. Also coming in 2026, though not strictly an EV, is the third-generation Kia Seltos, this time with a hybrid.And all of this, says Kia, will grow the brand's share in an otherwise stable market."In regards to 2026, it's our intention to grow. Where do we get market share? It will be what we've done over the past decade, we'll be gouging market share from anyone we possibly can," says Kia Australia CEO, Damien Meredith.

Kia Australia has confirmed the pricing and specifications of its new EV4 sedan ahead of first examples arriving at dealers later this month.The three-variant Kia EV4 sedan line-up starts at $49,990 before on-road costs and extends to $64,690 before on-road costs. This entry price sees it undercut the Tesla Model 3 RWD, but the entry-level BYD Seal Dynamic is cheaper again.All EV4 sedan variants are front-wheel drive and there are two battery pack options available – a 58.3kWh and 81.4kWh lithium-ion battery.The EV4 has received a local ride and handling tune that’s claimed to suit Australian road conditions.It’s worth noting that while Kia is launching the EV4 exclusively in the sedan body style for now, a hatchback body style is set to arrive in the second half of 2026.2026 Kia EV4 sedan pricing Australia 2026 Kia EV4 sedan engine and efficiency 2026 Kia EV4 sedan standard equipment2026 Kia EV4 Air Standard Range sedan:17-inch alloy wheelsTyre repair kitReflector LED headlightsLED tail-lights12.3-inch digital instrument cluster12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system5.0-inch climate control touchscreenWired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android AutoOver-the-air (OTA) software updatesDAB digital radioSix-speaker sound systemSatellite navigationDual-zone climate controlCloth upholsteryExterior vehicle-to-load (V2L) adaptorEV4 Earth Long Range sedan adds:19-inch alloy wheelsAuto-dimming rear-view mirrorCloth and synthetic leather upholsteryPremium mesh front headrests10-way power driver seat adjustmentHeated front seatsInterior V2L socketEV4 GT-Line Long Range sedan adds:GT-Line 19-inch alloy wheelsGT-Line exterior stylingGloss black wheel arch claddingProjector LED headlightsDynamic welcome lightingSunroofPower tailgatePrivacy glassAuto-folding side mirrorsHead-up displayEight-speaker Harman Kardon sound systemWireless chargerThree-spoke premium sport steering wheelHeated steering wheelAlloy pedalsInterior ambient lightingSynthetic leather upholsteryVentilated front seatsTwo-position memory driver seat10-way power front passenger seat adjustment‘Premium Relaxation’ front seatsRelax Mode2026 Kia EV4 sedan safetyThe Kia EV4 hasn’t been crash-tested by ANCAP just yet, though it received a four-star Euro NCAP safety rating without the Safety Pack and a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating with the Safety Pack.Standard equipment includes:Seven airbagsAutonomous emergency braking (AEB)Blind-spot monitoringSafe exit warningRear cross-traffic alertLane-keep assistLane centringLane-change assistDriver attention monitorIntelligent speed limit assistFront and rear parking sensorsReverse cameraKia Connect telematics (SOS emergency calling, remote control and vehicle status monitoring)EV4 GT-Line Long Range sedan adds:Rear AEBBlind-spot view monitorSafe Exit AssistPowered child-proof rear door locksSurround-view cameraRemote Smart Park Assist2026 Kia EV4 sedan dimensions 2026 Kia EV4 warranty and servicingThe Kia EV4 is covered by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, whereas the high-voltage battery is covered by an eight-year, 160,000km warranty.Logbook servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first. Three-, five- and seven-year pre-paid service packages are available and are priced at $688, $1308 and $1929, respectively.

Kia has tacked on an exciting announcement to the global reveal of its EV2 electric car — GT versions of three of its other EVs.The 2027 Kia EV3, EV4 Hatchback and EV5 will all have full-fledged GT variants by early 2027, with the brand confirming some headline specs and information along with the reveal of the new Kia EV2.With all three of those EV models (3, 4, 5) already or soon to be sold in Australia, and GT production to kick off in the second half of 2026, we could see the hot versions of those EVs land by the start of 2027, joining the Kia EV6 GT and EV9 GT.Full details of the three new GT models are light, with Kia only having revealed the drivetrain set-ups and some performance features of each, as well as the outputs of the EV3 and EV4 GTs.The smaller two of the trio will both use 215kW all-wheel drive dual-motor setups, while the EV5 GT will be AWD without a confirmed output just yet.The EV3 GT small SUV will score electronically controlled suspension, sporty ‘almost’ bucket seats, new ambient lighting and GT-specific design cues of course. It’ll run an 81.4-kWh battery, though Kia hasn’t confirmed a driving range yet.The EV4 GT looks to be getting more in terms of driver-focused additions, with a ‘GT’ driving mode, performance tyres, 20-inch wheels and a virtual gear shifter, likely similar to the system used in sibling brand Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 and 6 N. It’ll use the same battery and drivetrain as the EV3 GT.While the increased outputs of the EV5 GT are yet to be confirmed, the mid-size SUV will gain GT-specific chassis tuning with electronically controlled suspension and a road-preview function, as well as GT-specific design elements inside and out. “Our new electric Kia GT models prove that electrification can be emotional and resolute,” said Soohang Chang, President and CEO of Kia Europe. “The EV3 GT, EV4 GT, and EV5 GT will deliver an engaging, confidence-inspiring drive, combining the instant responsiveness of electric power with sporty character and all-purpose capability.“These GTs are crafted for those who seek the best of both worlds: excitement while embracing a future of responsible mobility.”

Best new cars coming to Australia in 2026

The Toyota GR Corolla is bringing some efficiency and structural updates that are set to sharpen up the Japanese hot hatch.The Kia EV4 sedan will be the first EV4 body style to arrive, with its production in South Korea meaning it's easier to get here first.Closely related to the EV3, the EV4 is longer, wider and taller than a Tesla Model 3.Built in Slovakia and set to arrive later, the Kia EV4 hatch will mirror the sedan in many ways, aside from being shorter.As with the sedan, a a 58kWh Standard Range or 81kWh Long Range pack are confirmed internationally.Want to know what other new models are due in 2026? Check out our rolling coverage by clicking on the links below. Best EVs Australia 2026Best Ute Australia 2026Best 4x4 Australia 2026Best New Cars 2026 AustraliaBest Family Cars Australia 2026Best Hybrid Cars Australia 2026Best SUVs Australia 2026

The electric car onslaught will continue in 2026 with the announcement of more than 20 new models in Australia.

Kia has confirmed that both the EV4 Sedan and Hatch will be launched in Australia next year – and that’s great news for buyers of the newly-released and very diesel-powered Tasman ute. Already offering one of the broadest ranges of SUV electric vehicles (EV) in Australia, including the EV3, EV5, EV6 and EV9, the company is keen for these plus the EV4 and the coming EV2 and eventually EV1 to offset the emissions (and potential subsequent penalties) of its diesel-powered models.