Kia is planning to introduce two electric SUVs, one large and one mid-sized, in the US and European markets in the near future
Kia EV6 was launched in the manufacturer’s home market of South Korea earlier this month. Pre-bookings for it have begun in the US and Europe as well, but the brand isn’t content with just that. As per a recent report, Kia is working on two new electric vehicles, both of which will be crossover SUVs.
As per Sjoerd Knipping, Kia’s European product boss, the next EV by the manufacturer will be a large SUV, targeted towards US buyers. This will likely be a 7-seater model, the same as Hyundai Ioniq 7. It will be followed by a mid-size crossover, designed primarily for Europe, which will rival the likes of Volvo C40 and Mercedes EQA.
Kia will likely name its full-size electric SUV ‘EV7’ or ‘EV8’, while the smaller one could be named ‘EV4’. As per the report, the EV4 will be based on the E-GMP architecture, and will likely be offered with the same powertrain options as the EV6. As such, we expect two battery options to be available – 58 kWh and 77.4 kWh.
The upcoming Kia EV4 will get 350 kW fast-charging capability as well. The vehicle is expected to be available in a single-motor (rear-wheel drive) and a dual-motor (all-wheel-drive) version. Knipping also stated that the E-GMP platform won’t be used on every future EV; the smaller electric cars will likely utilise 400V tech instead of the 800V tech, to save costs.
The EV4 is expected to have its global debut in 2022, and will go on sale in Europe likely during early 2023. The report doesn’t mention much about the upcoming, US-centric, large electric SUV, but it is expected to premiere in the first half of 2022, with the launch following a few months later.
Kia is planning to have at least 11 electric vehicles in its lineup by 2025, which will consist of six standalone EVs and five EVs based on IC-powered models. As for the Indian market, we’re not sure what Kia has planned, if it has, although sister company Hyundai is busy developing a new low-cost EV for our country.
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