Hot damn! New Kia EV4 GT hot hatch costs more than a VW Golf R
Kia’s first electric hot hatch focuses on responsiveness and driver engagement, rather than extreme acceleration
The new Kia EV4 GT is now available to order, with the 288bhp all-wheel-drive hot hatch starting from £49,345 – nearly £2,500 more than the Volkswagen Golf R, which is its closest petrol-powered equivalent.
The EV4 GT’s dual motors pump out a maximum 468Nm of torque, and allow it to do 0-62mph in 5.6 seconds. That’s exactly the same time as the new Volkswagen ID.3 GTI, which has more power (322bhp), but is rear-drive only. The Golf R is more rapid than both electric cars though.
However, the Korean company says it tried to avoid the “traditional fast-EV approach of point-and-shoot, straight-line speed” when creating the EV4 GT, focusing more on making the zero-emission hot hatch feel precise and engaging to drive.
So as well as the extra power, front-biased all-wheel drive and launch control, Kia has fitted the EV4 GT with its virtual gearshift system, which mimics the feel and sound of an ICE-powered car through the car's speakers and throttle mapping.
The company has also focused some attention on the chassis, fitting adaptive dampers with unique tuning for the GT model. There’s also a set of larger 20-inch wheels and high-performance tyres, plus a unique GT driver mode that alters the steering feel, throttle mapping and dial packs.
Kia’s styling updates are subtle, just as on its other GT models, so you’ll have to look closely to see the acid green elements and tweaked bumpers. Inside, a set of more supportive seats and more acid green details are included, but the otherwise tidy and contemporary interior design of the standard EV4 remains.
The new GT is powered by a 81.4kWh battery pack that provides up to 313 miles of range and has a maximum charging rate of 128kW, allowing a 10 to 80 per cent top-up in 31 minutes from most rapid chargers.
The EV4 GT has gone on sale at the time as Kia’s new hot SUVs, the EV3 GT and EV5 GT, with the hatch expected to be the most popular of the trio. Deliveries should commence before the end of the year.
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