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The Kia EV2 electric car has been spotted in Europe ahead of its debut – but one caveat means it’s unlikely to reach Australian showrooms.
The next electric vehicle in Kia’s growing line-up has been spied ahead of its unveiling.
The 2026 Kia EV2 is an electric SUV expected to be similar in size to the Kia Stonic – and a rival to the Ford Puma Gen-E and Mini Aceman – but there’s a caveat.
With the EV2 set to be manufactured at Kia’s factory in Slovakia for the European market, the electric car is unlikely to reach Australia due to cost.
Kia Australia product boss Roland Rivero told Drive earlier this year that the brand “would like” to offer the EV2, but its country of origin will be a “barrier” with higher logistics costs and a five per cent import tariff.
“EV2, we would like, but sourcing out of the Slovakian factory is pretty tough for a couple of reasons,” said Rivero.
“One, we don’t have a free trade agreement with Slovakia and two, just the logistics of vehicle movement … In the past when we had ProCeed and Sportage built in Slovakia, it wasn’t a very pleasant experience.”
Under the skin, the EV2 will reportedly have two battery sizes, a 42kWh lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) module in entry-level models and a 62kWh nickel-maganese-cobalt (NMC) unit in flagship models for a 300 to 440 kilometre driving range, respectively.
It is expected to be exclusively offered with a single-motor front-wheel drive setup.
At approximately 4000mm long with a 2555mm wheelbase, the EV2 will be slightly larger than the Korean-built Hyundai Inster electric hatch.
Hyundai has confirmed the Inster will be sold in Australia where it will compete with the MG 4, BYD Dolphin and GWM Ora – at least on price.
A similar model to the Inster from Kia – codenamed AY1 and unrelated to the EV2 – will launch in India but it is unclear if it will be offered elsewhere, including Australia.
A smaller Kia electric car, potentially called EV1, could be sold in Australia for buyers on a budget.
“We will be looking at something, hopefully down the track, that can fill that void,” added Rivero.
For now, the Kia EV3 small SUV will become the most-affordable electric car in the brand’s local line-up, slotting below the recently-launched $56,770 drive-away EV5 medium SUV.
In addition to the soon-to-launch EV3 – and the EV5, EV6 and EV9 models already available – Kia will also unveil the EV4 hatch and sedan in 2025 to rival the Tesla Model 3 and BYD Seal.
Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
