2026 will kick off with the presentation of KIA's most affordable electric city car

The European car industry is responding to everyone who complained that electric vehicles were too expensive. With the launch this year, which is about to end, of models such as the Renault 5, the Hyundai Inster, the FIAT Grande Panda and the BYD Dolphin Surf, which we can already see on the streets of European cities, those critics have run out of arguments. The best, however, is still to come next year, 2026, when the most affordable electric cars will reach the market.

One of them will be the KIA EV2, which will be officially presented on January 9 at the Brussels Motor Show 2026, becoming the South Korean manufacturer’s bet on offering its European customers an efficient urban vehicle that fits the budget constraints of most people.

As its name suggests, the EV2 will sit one step below the EV3 in the South Korean manufacturer’s range. It will not, however, be a conventional city car. KIA has opted for a mini-sized SUV design, probably very similar to the prototype we saw back in February this year. At least that is what the images the manufacturer has just leaked suggest, showing a very similar silhouette.

More details to consider about the EV2

As for its technical specifications, the EV2 will use the E-GMP platform version with a 400V architecture and front-wheel drive, the same as the rest of the South Korean manufacturer’s range up to the EV5. It will also be possible to choose between two battery packs to power its single motor. The most affordable version will come with one using lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells, while the higher-capacity one will be NMC. Although KIA has not yet revealed the exact capacity of either, what we can practically take for granted is that it will be lower than the 58.3 and 81.4 kWh of the two packs available for the EV3.

The EV2 will be produced in Slovakia, and its development has been carried out by KIA with particular attention to the tastes and needs of European customers, although it will also be sold in South Korea and some other markets. This new small electric SUV will, in short, be a close relative of the Hyundai Inster, but with an important difference. Because it is a fully electric model from the outset and not an adaptation of a combustion model, its level of efficiency and performance, as well as its interior space, should be greater.

Alongside the EV2, KIA will also present in Brussels the GT versions of the EV3, EV4 and EV5, which promise superior performance and to be much more fun to drive. Although there is no news yet about a possible future GT version of the EV2, which seems quite normal since the standard EV2 has not even been presented yet, it would not be surprising to hear something about it over the next year.

Finally, regarding the price: although we will have to wait for the manufacturer’s official confirmation, it will probably be close to 30 thousand euros, so it does not seem that it will be more affordable than some of its rivals. However, in return the EV2 will probably offer more rear-seat space, greater range and faster charging.