2026 Kia EV4 GT | PH Review
The Kia GT EVs have been good thus far - how does the new 4 measure up?
For those who want the artificial DCT engagement of Hyundai’s electric N cars without the brash wheels and wings of its 5 and 6, sister brand Kia has launched its first performance take on the EV4 hatchback. The EV4 GT borrows the engine- and gearbox-simulating tech of its sister brand's hotrods (as well as the existing Kia GTs) and blends it into a more discreet package, promising a more rounded character for added comfort and extra range.
Or at least that’s what you’d hope, given that the EV4 GT can only convert a twin-motor configuration into 292hp, which is less than half what you get in the shoutier N models. Even more significantly, that output is 10 per cent down on what the Cupra Born VZ and VW ID.3 GTI can muster up. At £49,345, the 4 is the most affordable Kia GT yet, though noticeably more than the £45k Cupra. Which could be a problem.
Until you consider the practicality on offer here. The EV4 is (much like the Ioniq 5 N), bigger than it looks in pictures, so this GT model can claim to have more rear legroom and pretty much exactly the same boot space as its electric rivals. In fact, the space in the back is more comparable with a sleek SUV than your usual hatchback, so for those regularly carrying several adults or growth-spurting teenagers, this is a near-300hp EV you can buy (or finance) with your head.
Yet it also has a silly side, thanks to that Virtual Gear Shift tech, which means at the click of a button, an ‘engine’ that sounds very much like a turbocharged five-cylinder gargles into simulated life. Other than a few flashes of luminous green - which can be found on the brake calipers, seat stitching and dash strips - the EV4 GT is a handsome but understated car. But given that you can ‘rev’ it into a simulated limiter and flick a pair of paddles, it can claim to possess something completely different from the alternatives.
But before we get to that, it’s worth highlighting just how good the underlying EV4 base is, because thanks to it never really being particularly hot, it’s not reached PH prior to this moment. The interior feels remarkably solid and well built, something it absolutely needs to be given Kia’s seven-year factory warranty, while the blend of mechanical and digital buttons means it’s easy to get to grips with the tech and climate control. It’s more than just a bit nice.
Those familiar with recent Kia cabins will recognise the EV4’s two favourite buttons, which can be customised to get you to key features like the fake engine and gear setting or, say, the ADAS menu. Although handily, for the most annoying driving assistance features - lane keep assist and speed limit alert - you don’t need that menu. Instead, you need only to press and hold the volume button and lane assist buttons on the wheel for two seconds. Then they’re fully off and you’re nanny-free.
It also couldn’t be much easier to switch between drive modes thanks to the buttons on the wheel, meaning the EV4 GT’s comfortable, adaptively damped ride can be firmed up in a matter of seconds, should you spot a bend or roundabout that needs attacking. Do that and the car’s Pirelli Elect P-Zero tyres, which come wrapped around 20-inch rims, give the car fantastic grip on turn-in, although thanks to the front-biased output, there’s none of the power oversteer potential of Hyundai’s N-badged models.
Instead, the EV4 GT is all about cross-country pace, with its electronically-controlled dampers doing a remarkable job of dealing with mid-corner bumps, even if they arrive at pace (don’t be fooled by the continental pictures; our drive took place in the UK). While body control is strong, if you’re really pressing on there’s a little roll to confirm the car’s two-tonne-plus heft. But the way the GT can tuck into a corner and then power out without falling away from your line is confidence-inspiring to say the least. It’s a bit like a Golf R of old, in that regard, albeit with an extra few inches on the waist and kilos on the scale.
Were that it, the EV4 GT would be a certified electric Q car, but with the fake engine and gearbox tech we know well from the Hyundais, it has a whole other personality. The five-pot-aping noises are pretty convincing, yet it’s the accuracy of the gearshifts and believable torque band for each ratio that makes it so engaging. Kia’s even gone so far as to add a tenth-of-a-second delay between your paddle clicks and the cut in power for each gearshift, to make it feel more GT appropriate than the instantaneous N system. Similarly, the ‘rev limiter’ is softer than in the N cars, and ‘engine’ braking feels lighter.
It makes for a less extreme and less exciting simulated experience - but that was almost inevitable in a car with less than half the power and a front-biased delivery. What matters most is that we have a spacious and comfortable electric car that’s fast and fun enough for its Kia GT badge. The rear-drive Cupra and VW models it faces might well be the more dynamically talented machines, but they lack the simulated engine tech that is easy to appreciate. And that’s food for thought at least.
At the very least, it helps to make up for the fact that the EV4 GT is lacking when it comes to range. The VW Group’s alternatives both promise 373 miles to the Kia’s 313, and to make matters worse, a modest 128kW charging peak means it’ll need a few more minutes at the plug to gather the same mileage. It’s not night and day, but for those who hammer up and down the motorway for work, those differences matter. When it comes to having the most amount of fun on a B road, however, I know which one I’d prefer to drive.
SPECIFICATION | 2026 KIA EV4 GT
Engine: Twin electric motors, 81.4kWh gross NMC battery, 400 volts
Transmission: Single-speed, all-wheel drive with six-speed Virtual Gearshift
Power (hp): 292 (197hp front, 95hp rear)
Torque (lb ft): 345 (209 front, 136 rear)
0-62mph: 5.6secs
Top speed: 105mph
Weight: 2,060kg (unladen)
Efficiency: 3.4 miles / kWh (128kW DC charge 10-80% in 31mins)
Electric range: 313 WLTP (we achieved 3.3 miles / kWh for 250-260 miles)
Price: £49,345
Also the range is a bit shocking for 2026?
300bhp just isn't enough; it could and should have had at least 400bhp given they clearly want to introduce some driver involvement with the simulated shifts.
Hopefully Hyundai can muster up something with 400-450bhp with the driver engagement of the Ioniq 5 & 6 N ,for circa £50-55k.
Idiots in EVs regularly accelerate far too fast in urban areas where I live. Idiots in ICE cars do too, but they're much noisier, so you know they're doing it. There are also far fewer of them because fast ICE cars are more expensive - Teslas are cheap.
If manufacturers carry on making family cars so powerful, the EU will decide it's a safety issue and legislate against it - and that will affect all cars.
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