CHARGING AHEAD

FED-UP with SUVs? Feeling the trickling of desire for a hot hatch? Kia is your man - or rather marque.

- BY MAGGIE BARRY

With yet another wave of its instinctively successful magic wand, it has introduced the EV4 into its award-winning electric stable.

This time the choice for this mid-range EV is between the hot hatch and the fastback - Kia's first saloon since it decommissioned the Stinger. And it is a mark of how far we have come on the drive along “electric avenue” that Kia can nonchalantly drop into the mainstream market a car that will easily go up to 388 miles on one charge.

It looks smooth and clean at the front with what Kia calls its Star Map LED lighting signature, sweeping to the rear and either a powered tailgate or that coupe fastback.