Road Trip Rides: 2026 Kia EV4

Published April 25th, 2026

Photos by Jay Kana

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The 2026 Kia EV4 features up to 552 km of range.

Kia’s all-new electric vehicle, the 2026 Kia EV4, is, at the time of publishing, Canada’s most affordable EV and features up to 552 kilometres of range. Complete with unique styling, the EV4 can be taken on longer road trips, provided you do a bit of homework on finding charging stations along your routes.

Yes, “range anxiety” is slowly declining with the introduction of new charging stations. Smartly, Kia has incorporated the Tesla-style charging ports, giving EV4 drivers access to the vast network of superchargers across Canada.

As new, more affordable electric vehicles come to Canada, paired with longer range, plus the reintroduction earlier in 2026 of the Federal rebate of up to $5,000, there just might be an increased interest in EVs.

Key Info

Body type: Four-door sedan, five seats
Battery: 58.3 kWh or 81.4 kWh 201 horsepower, 209 lb-ft. of torque, front-wheel drive
Range: 391 via 58.3 kWh battery; 488 to 552 via 81.4 kWh battery
Drive type: Front-wheel drive
Charging speed 10-80%: 58.3 kWh battery - Approximately five hours via Level 2, one hour via Level 3 at 50 kW and 30 minutes via 350 kW.
81.4 kWh battery - Approximately seven hours via Level 2, 80 minutes via Level 3 at 50 kW and 31 minutes via 350 kW.
Fuel economy converted to Le/100 km: 1.9 to 2.1 combined
Cargo space: 408 litres

As with all electric vehicles, the EV4 sees brisk acceleration from a standstill. It’s not head-snapping-back fast but you’ll certainly feel a modest jolt forward.
In the city, the EV’s small-ish footprint makes it maneuverable in tighter spots, compete with its polarizing appearance; you’ll never lose this car in a parking lot!
At higher speeds, the EV4 quietly zips along with smoothness and comfort, complete with ample power for passing situations.
Smartly, there’s a steering wheel paddle-based battery regeneration system with various levels. It’s easy to adjust depending on your preferences and traffic conditions, opposed to screen-based controls. It’s on all Kia/Hyundai/Genesis electric vehicles, definitely a smart move.
Sightlines are good throughout and there’s a several standard safety systems, including blind spot monitoring, forward collision alert, lane keep assist and rear cross traffic alert.
The energy consumption is fairly consistent with the battery size, meaning that there’s a relatively accurate representation of the true range/remaining range in the EV4. Some EVs have a 500 km range but in ideal weather conditions, only get 350. That’s not the case here.

The EV4’s interior is coated with modern design elements, from a standard 12.3-inch infotainment screen that’s highly responsive and matching 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, an open design in the centre console with an available speedy wireless charger, and storage space and this is thanks to the gear selector mounted on the steering column. It looks quirky but overall, it helps free up functional space.
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are a nice touch as well.
The steering wheel controls are smartly designed and to free up even more space in the centre console, the heated/cooled seat and heated steering wheel controls are on the door.
Higher trims feature a three-in-one climate control system, consisting of basic physical controls, a small five-inch screen, which can transform into a 12.3-inch screen. Truly the best of all worlds.

Rear seat space is surprisingly generous given its size, where yours truly can comfortably fit behind myself, with ample head and leg/knee space.

Looks are certainly subjective and I’ll give Kia credit for continuously designing unique exteriors that are eye catching, for better or worse.
A quirk is that it’s an all-new sedan entering a world dominated by crossovers. Yes, the sedan market still exists but subcompact/compact crossovers are the style of choice for the majority of Canadians.

With four of the five trims coming with an MSRP of below $50,000, meaning they’re eligible up-to $5,000 CAD federal rebate.
The Wind trim has the highest range at up-to 552 km, while the GT-Line trims pack the most features with up-to 488 km.

Can you do a road trip with an electric vehicle?
Of course! I’ve put together a guide on how to plan a road trip with an electric vehicle here!
It takes a bit of extra planning but with the rise of electric vehicle offerings and improving public charging infrastructure, you can explore Canada by road via battery.

Click here for more reviews on electric vehicles I’ve reviewed!

3 Perks

Excellent standard features
Impressive and exciting drive feel
As of April 2026, four of the five trims are below $50,000 CAD MSRP

3 Irks

No all-wheel drive version available
Sedan body isn’t as popular as crossovers
Polarizing exterior