- The EV4 sedan was scheduled to arrive in the US in early 2026.
- Kia had confirmed 58.3 kWh and 81.4 kWh battery pack options.
- Pricing likely would have started at roughly the low $30,000s
The Kia EV4 made its debut at the New York International Auto Show back in April, touted as Kia’s straightest shot yet at the Tesla Model 3. It seemed poised to stir up the affordable EV segment, but that momentum has stalled before it even reached the showroom.
According to the Korean automaker, the EV4’s American launch has been postponed “until further notice,” a decision that leaves would-be buyers of reasonably priced EVs with one less option in an already tightening field.
Read: Kia’s First Electric Sedan Is Here To Beat The Model 3 At Its Own Game
Kia had engineered both sedan and hatchback versions of the EV4 for different markets. The United States was due to receive only the sedan, while Europe and several other regions would get both body styles.
What seemed like a straightforward rollout has since collided with market realities. The American car landscape looks markedly different from when the EV4 was unveiled in April, and even more so from when Kia first mapped out its export plans.
“Kia’s full range of vehicles offers meaningful value and inspiring performance to customers,” a Kia spokesman told InsideEVs. “However, as market conditions for EVs have changed, the release of the upcoming EV4 electric sedan will be delayed until further notice.”
What Could Have Been
The EV4 sedan had been set to land in local dealerships in the first quarter of 2026. Kia never got to the point of announcing local prices for it, but with the $7,500 federal EV tax credit now a thing of the past, the math likely stopped adding up.
Without that incentive, the EV4 would have faced a steep uphill battle against more established competitors.
As in other regions, the American-spec EV4, built on Kia’s E-GMP platform, would have come with a 58.3 kWh battery and a 201 hp motor powering the front wheels. That setup promises about 235 miles of range, or roughly 378 kilometers.
Above it sit the Wind and GT-Line models, both equipped with an 81.4 kWh pack capable of up to 330 miles (531 km) on a charge. These figures placed the EV4 squarely in Tesla’s neighborhood, at least, that was the plan before the pause.