Affordable Kia EV2 release date confirmed: China fighter headed Down Under in 2026 with a sub-$40,000 price tag
Kia’s cheapest EV yet in Australia, the 2026 Kia EV2 SUV, has been teased ahead of its launch on January 9 at the Brussels motor show.
Built to battle the likes of the MG4, GAC Aion V, GWM Ora and the BYD Dolphin, the new Kia EV2 is set to arrive with a price that will dip below $40,000.
Thought to have been developed alongside the larger EV3, the new entry Kia EV shares its striking blocky styling with its larger sibling but has been tipped to come with different front and rear light signatures.
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Early spy shots suggest the baby EV2 will have rear lamps that ape the much larger Santa Fe SUV that’s made by sister brand Hyundai.
Elsewhere, the design will stay largely true to the EV2 Concept that was shown earlier this year.
Beneath its angular body is the same E-GMP architecture as the EV3 and EV5, with range-topping versions of the EV2 likely to come with a single front-mounted e-motor that will produce 150kW.
The EV3 is also offered with either a 58.3kWh or a larger 81.4kWh battery that provides for a range of more than 604km on the WLTP test cycle.
It’s thought the little EV2 will miss out on the big battery and will feature a range of around 500km.
Inside the EV2, despite being smaller and cheaper than the EV3, expect the same 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, plus a 12.3-inch infotainment and 5.3-inch climate control.
Previously, it was thought the EV2 manufacturing hub in Slovakia would rule out the little EV2 SUV and closely-related EV1 hatch (due in 2028) for Australia because of high import costs but both are now back on the agenda locally, confirmed Kia Australia CEO Damien Meredith.
“For us to be fully committed to plan S we need those models [EV2, EV1] coming through,” said Meredith speaking to EV Central earlier this year, adding:
“Nothing’s off the table … If EV1 comes to fruition, definitely it’s on the table.”
Internally, both the EV1 and EV2 are deemed essential to ensure Kia can go toe-to-toe with the aggressive Chinese brands on price and sales.
Kia Australia has already announced it is aiming for a record 11,000 EV sales in 2025 as part of a record 90,000 overall sales target.
With no timing announced, the Kia EV2 is likely to trail the fellow Slovakian-built EV4 hatchback and the Korean-built K4 sedan that are both for an arrival in early 2026.
So far Kia has consistently outperformed other legacy brands Down Under by running as high as third for electric cars sales locally, behind both Tesla and BYD.
