Kia has launched what is now the lowest priced electric vehicle in Canada.

The 2026 Kia EV4, which is available to order now, has a starting Canadian manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $38,995.

That MSRP undercuts the next cheapest EV in this country by about $1,000. The MSRP doesn’t include various fees and levies, which add a few grand to the purchase price.

Perhaps more impressive than the EV4’s low cost of entry is the all-electric compact sedan’s driving range.

The EV4 is available with two battery capacity options. The base model gets the standard 58.3-kWh capacity battery while long-range models get a capacity of 81.4 kWh. Even with the lesser battery, the range is still quite impressive, particularly at this price point.

Driving range

Estimated driving range is as follows:

• Light Standard Range FWD – 391 kilometres
• Wind Long Range FWD – 552 kilometres
• Wind Premium Long Range FWD – 515 kilometres
• GT-Line/GT-Line Limited – 488 kilometres

Canadian prices

Starting Canadian MSRPs are as follows:

• Light Standard Range FWD – $38,995
• Wind Long Range FWD – $42,995
• Wind Premium Long Range FWD – $45,495
• GT-Line – $48,495
• GT-Line Limited FWD/AWD Long Range – $51,995

Only the front-wheel-drive versions are available right now, while the all-wheel-drive model will be available sometime in 2026.

Powertrain and charging

The EV4 is Kia’s first global electric sedan, which offers buyers an alternative to SUVs.

It rides on the company’s E-GMP platform with a 400-volt architecture. Typically, 400-volt battery architecture doesn’t offer spectacular charging speeds, but in this case, the company said the EV4 will recharge from 10 to 80 per cent in as little as 29 minutes on models with the smaller battery and 31 minutes for the larger one. That is under ideal DC fast-charging conditions.

The North American Charging Standard (NACS) charge port (the same that’s used at Tesla Superchargers) is located at the front passenger side.

The front electric motor produces 201 hp.

Helping to improve the car’s efficiency, thus providing greater range, is its low drag coefficient of 0.23 Cd.

There’s a full underbody cover to help improve air flow under the car.

The EV4 also uses Kia’s latest i-Pedal 3.0 system. The system allows the driver to use a single-pedal feature, if desired, and it also works in tandem with the car’s adaptive smart regenerative braking function to recapture energy during braking.

Another neat feature of the EV4, it includes Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) functionality, allowing the car to power external devices such as laptops, small electronics and lighting.

Technology

Despite the car’s small price, the automaker has loaded up the EV4 with tech and comfort features.

It has an available Digital Key 2.0, allowing smartphones to act as a key.

The car has a widescreen display measuring nearly 30 inches. It is comprised of a pair of 12.3-inch screens and a five-inch climate display. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity is standard.

The EV4 also has standard heated front seats, dual-zone automatic temperature control with rear A/C vents, acoustic windshield, and available ventilated front seats with driver side memory and heated steering wheel.

Driver assistance

Kia also loaded up the EV4 with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), including Highway Driving Assist 2, which will automatically adjust the vehicle’s speed to match the posted speed limit and maintains a distance from vehicles in front.

It also has Driver Attention Warning, Forward Collision Avoidance Assist, Lane Following Assist 2, Blind-Spot Collision Avoidance Assist, and available Remote Smart Parking Assist.

A standard hands-on detection system senses whether the driver has their hands on the steering wheel, which allows the system to activate and deactivate ADAS warnings.

“The Kia EV4 provides the first accessible, all-electric sedan to Canadian consumers who are looking for affordability, without sacrificing advanced technology, cutting edge styling, and the driving experience only a sedan can deliver,” said David Sherrard, director of strategic planning for Kia Canada, in a news release. “The arrival of the EV4 further cements Kia’s commitment to providing widely accessible, EV mobility solutions to the Canadian market.”

The 2026 Kia EV4 is available to order now through Canadian dealerships. More information is available on the Kia Canada website.

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