We drive the Kia EV4 Fastback, a stylish zero-emission antidote to SUV ubiquity

The lazy line that ‘modern cars all look the same’ trotted out by otherwise intelligent people is easy to rebuff by juxtaposing an image of any two-seater sportscar alongside a pickup truck. But it is nonetheless fair to say there is a somewhat tedious middle ground to many global vehicle markets in 2026 populated by largely anonymous small-to-medium Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) or crossovers that could be more energy-efficient and where significant difference is hard to discern.

Hoping to shake up that space – albeit in a small way – enters Kia’s EV4 Fastback. ‘Many companies are so focused on SUVs that it can become a cul-de-sac,’ says Kia’s global head of design Karim Habib. ‘There are different ways of doing mobility, and it’s our job to propose them.

'What is fascinating is that these EV architectures have a certain flexibility in them that allows us to do these things,' he continues. 'The EV4 Fastback was part of the thinking that there should be, as we move to a new era, vehicles that symbolise it. A sporty car doesn’t need to be a long hood two-seater only. It can be different things.’

Habib is referring to the packaging possibilities of standalone EVs when they don’t have to optionally accommodate petrol or hybrid powertrains as well. Consequently, such EVs don’t require a long bonnet to house an internal combustion engine or a lumpy transmission tunnel down the middle of the cabin – which allows for a flat floor inside.

What full-electric long-range EVs do need though is space for big batteries, and a common spot to place them is low down between the two axles, so moving those axles further apart allows such battery room while also creating more space for front and rear passengers.

Given these possibilities Habib’s design team propose the EV4 Fastback – an elongated sedan-cum-fastback electric vehicle – which made production in late 2025 staying refreshingly close to the impressively unusual EV4 Concept first shown at Kia’s annual EV Day in October 2023. Present and correct are similarly long (4.73 m, low (1.48 m) and wide (1.86 m) proportions from the concept that also help create a large 490-litre boot space.

These dimensions mark the EV4 Fastback apart from other recent production coupé crossover EVs too – for example the higher and shorter Citroën ë-C4 X – although both models share a conventional boot lid opening and fixed tonneau cover section.

The EV4 Fastback’s exterior design sticks with Kia’s signature EV ‘closed mouth’ upper front face with slim headlights that define the wheel arches. These arches also feature graphically bold gloss black accents around them which connect to the side sills before rising again to meet the boot lid’s lip. The Fastback also adds twin truncated black rearward roof extensions, under which the rear windscreen tucks in.

Inside, the EV4 Fastback is equally elegant – if not quite so original. Sharing design features with many other modern Kia EVs it nonetheless offers an airy cabin with a relatively low dashboard and wide and horizontal combined centre touchscreen and driver display perched atop. The UX software could do with some finessing, but a star-marked steering wheel shortcut button to minimise too many safety alerts and simple Apple CarPlay mirroring make it quickly functional and more acceptable.

Comfortable and smart narrow-rib, artificial leather front seats are topped off with unusual front headrests featuring a see-through mesh which are both delightful to rest against while also creating a lighter-feeling cabin. Rear passenger space is also good for outboard occupants with useful headroom carved out of the ceiling, but the fifth rear middle seat, where the ceiling dips lower, is only for shorter folk.

To drive, the EV4 Fastback is easy work. All versions are front-wheel drive, 204 hp single motor models providing smooth if unspectacular acceleration (7.9secs 0-62mph), with gently weighted steering and well-damped suspension largely masking road imperfections, despite the 19-inch alloys on this test car. Its 81.4 kWh battery pack offers an excellent 380 miles of range, with its aerodynamic lower roof and longer tail helping. Indeed, the EV4 Fastback is Kia’s most aerodynamic EV ever, recording a 0.23 Cd.

If this standout design feels like too much of a jump, Kia also offers a shorter EV4 Hatchback from £33,245, with a more accessible, if smaller, 435-litre boot. It’s a fine electric update of the family hatch shape pioneered by the VW Golf, but if you really want to avoid driving down the over-populated SUV cul-de-sac, the EV4 Fastback is surely the more interesting lane to investigate.