Kia EV4 sedan, which is more efficient than EV3
Apr 24, 2025
|
Ahead of the EV4's test drive, news came that the Kia EV3, a small SUV, was selected as the `World's Car of the Year.' Competition is fierce as it has to meet various standards, including the number of new cars sold in the world that appeared in the same year, and unlike this year's cars by region, it targets the world.As such, it was an opportunity to confirm the high completeness of EV3.
The reason for mentioning EV3 is that EV4 has quite similar specifications, from battery to option to price composition. As he was quite satisfied with the EV3 test drive, he started the test drive with expectations for EV4 and curiosity about how he would have differentiated himself from EV3.
The test drive is a full option of'Earth Long Range'. The EV4 has two battery configurations: standard range and long range. The standard is equipped with a 58.3kwh battery and is certified to have a driving distance of 382 kilometers per charge based on a 17-inch wheel.
The Long Range is equipped with an 81.4kWh battery and is certified to have a driving distance of 533km based on 17-inch wheels. The motor and battery specifications are exactly the same as EV3, but the driving distance is 32km more based on the long range. It is a sedan with good aerodynamics, so you can guess that the efficiency has improved.
The color of the test car is Snow White Pearl, which is the most common popular color. Since the appearance of the white vehicle can be easily imagined, the filming was focused on colors that are difficult to see on the street.
The front design resembles the Kia K8, which appeared first. It is a vertical lamp that is difficult to see in sedans, and shows a different design direction from existing sedans along with a different ratio of the side.
The aspect ratio is even more different. It is easy to understand when compared to avante, which is common on the road. Its full length is 4730 mm, most similar to that of modern Avante by 20 mm. As an electric car, the height is 1,480, which is 60mm high due to the application of the lower battery pack.
The wheelbase also reaches 2,820 mm, which is 100 mm longer than the Avante due to the influence of the degree of freedom in electric vehicle design. A long tail design was applied to lower the coefficient of air resistance.Taking advantage of the characteristics of an electric vehicle without an engine, the Bonnet part was designed to be short.
The tail part is elongated, and when viewed from the side, it is finished in the form of a large arc, not in the form of a three-box of a general sedan. As a result, it has the lowest air resistance coefficient among the Kia lineup. It achieved 0.229 cd.The rear part has a stronger personality than the front part.
Like a headlamp, vertical lights were applied to the left and right ends. Since there is no front Tiger face decoration, the wide rear looks slightly empty. However, when I actually watched the back of the EV4 while driving, I felt the future image with unique spoilers applied to the loop. As such, the ratio of the current vehicle and rear design is different.
If the long-tail design and the different ratio of the back made it different from EV3 in appearance, the interior looks quite similar to EV3. Although there were differences in detailed button layout and material, you can feel the scent of EV3 is thick in the overall layout.
The interior composition of EV3 can be an advantage because it is well received. The steering wheel is the same. It is not a circle, but a polygonal shape with the top and bottom pressed. It is advantageous to see the instrument panel and has a good grip, so satisfaction is high.
The difference from EV3 is seat position. If EV3 sits high like an SUV, EV4's seat position drops even more. It is not as much as the subcompact and mid-size sedans of internal combustion vehicles, but it is compared to EV3. Due to the application of the lower battery, the floor is higher than that of the internal combustion vehicle..
Instead, the seat position may be lowered, and it may be difficult to adjust the posture according to the body type. The headroom is also not as ample as felt by the Hyundai sedan Ioniq 6. On the basis of column 1, the level of compliance is observed, but in the case of column 2, tall adults who sit may be uncomfortable. Instead, there are plenty of leg rooms in both rows 1 and 2. In particular, the second row has a flat floor like an electric car. Legroom also has as much space as an internal combustion mid-size sedan. Consumers who value the second row legroom must be highly satisfied. The EV3's second-row legroom is not narrow, but EV4's space is an advantage when comparing the two models.
The trunk space is also deeper and wider than expected, as felt in the long-tail exterior style. However, the disadvantage is that the trunk opening is narrow. The trunk's jaw itself is high and the upper part's degree of opening is small, so the space is large, but it can be inconvenient when loading a bulky load.
EV3 is advantageous if it is frequently loaded with bulky luggage or for car camping or chaknick purposes. It is regrettable that EV4's competitiveness would have been revived if the lift bag that opens to glass had been applied more boldly.
Press the start button on the column-type gear loaded on EV9 and EV3 to start the engine and go for a test drive. As the latest electric car, the initial acceleration is as smooth as it glides. Even with a little force on the accelerator, you can feel the rich power and feel the comfortable acceleration right away.
A small car is a part that eliminates the disadvantages of the internal combustion vehicles when they were relatively weak. They took a series of test drives on the highway and the winding road of the town. Electric motors, which exert a force of 150 kW and 283 Nm, are mounted on the front wheels and lead EV4.
It is not high output and torque for an electric car, but it weighs 1,800 kilograms, showing acceleration capability without shortage. In fact, it is an acceleration enough to think that more power is needed in a general domestic road environment.
There are five drive modes. You can choose Echo, Normal, Sports, My Drive, and Snow. Surprisingly, the acceleration reaction is relatively dull when driving with the echo, but I feel more comfortable. This is because it is most similar to the sense of an internal combustion vehicle. If you're a first-time electric car driver, you can feel enough power even in the eco.
In the normal, the accelerator reaction becomes more sensitive, and in the sports mode, if the power of the right foot is not well controlled, it will work burdensomely. However, unlike the acceleration reaction, the acceleration itself is almost similar even when selected in sports mode. The frequency of eco- or normal use is expected to be high. The sensitivity of the steering wheel is not much different from eco and normal.
The biggest advantage of EV4 is when it passes through manholes and bumps. The ride is excellent. The test car was gentle with the comfort of the ride, even though it was equipped with a large 19-inch size as an option. The bump also passed by gently absorbing the shock without a nervous reaction.
Frequency-sensitive dampers such as EV3 and hydro bushing applied to front wheels seem to have created this excellent ride. There was no electronic damper, and even though the four-season tires had 19-inch wheels larger than the body, the ride was not envious of the semi-large sedan.
EV3 was also quite satisfactory in terms of ride comfort, and EV4 felt better for every minute as it was a sedan model with a lower minimum ground level. Of course, it can be a feeling, but the biggest advantage of EV4 is the ride quality.
The regenerative braking mode is from 0 to 3. If you pull the left paddle long, you enter iPedal mode, and if you pull the right paddle long, you enter auto regenerative braking mode. Stage 0 of regenerative braking feels like the coasting of an internal combustion vehicle.If it's your first time riding an electric car, I recommend step 0.
Steps 1 and 2 are expected to be used the most, and step 3 has a high deceleration like the iPedal mode, so passengers may get motion sickness. If you ride it alone, iPedal will be convenient, but passengers can get motion sickness due to strong deceleration. I don't recommend using it if you have a passenger.
The second advantage of EV4 felt through the test drive is the battlefield. It has already predicted high efficiency through the one-time charging mileage certification value.Even though it was a harsh test drive for the test, the final shot was 7.1 km/kWh after the two-hour test drive.
If you drive with the goal of efficiency, you will be able to get a higher total cost. Among the reporters who conducted the test together, the reporter who recorded the best defense record recorded 8.4km/kWh.
After the test drive, EV4's position is likely to be compared to EV3, which is located in the same price range. If ride comfort and full cost are important because there is a lot of normal operation, it can be the best electric vehicle in the price range of 30 million won to 40 million won.
It is important to note that it may be difficult to hold a seat position depending on your height or body type. It's best to test drive, but even if it's difficult, I recommend you to sit in the exhibition car. EV3 if you want car camping or chaknick, EV4 can be a good option if you want a longer range with a comfortable ride and plenty of second-row legroom.
a line review
Advantage: Excellent ride comparable to superior vehicles..Best efficiency, more than 600km
Disadvantage: The floor is high and the roof is low, making seat position difficult..The narrow trunk entrance must be improved
Editor Song Moon-cheol mc.song@carguy.kr
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
