Kia won’t rest on its laurels with the EV6 and is planning a number of other EVs, a new report claims.
While recently speaking with Auto Express, Kia’s European product boss Sjoerd Knipping stated that the brand’s next electric vehicle will be a large SUV targeted at the U.S. market. It is also working on a second electric SUV, this time with a focus on Europe.
Details about the large SUV are limited but it will apparently be dubbed either the EV7 or EV8 while the more Euro-focused model could be known as the EV4. This model will act as a rival to the likes of the Volvo C40 and Mercedes-Benz EQA.
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Auto Express understands that the Kia EV4 will use the same Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) as the EV6, Hyundai Ioniq 5, and Genesis GV60 and could have dimensions similar to the European-spec Kia Sportage.
All signs pointed towards the EV4 using the same powertrain as the EV6, meaning it could be offered with 58 kWh and 77.4 kWh battery packs. The use of the E-GMP platform will also mean the EV4 makes use of an 800-volt electronic architecture that enables 350 kW fast-charging, allowing the 77.4 kWh battery to be charged from 10 to 80 per cent in as little as 18 minutes. Kia will probably offer at least two motor configurations, including a single rear-driven variant with 226 hp and a four-wheel drive variant with up to 321 hp.
Kia ultimately plans on selling 11 electric models by 2025 consisting of six standalone EVs like the EV6 and five electric versions of ICE models.
