STYLISH NEW EV4

If there’s one car maker that has encompassed the serious push toward electric models in a most sensible manner by offering family motorists a wide choice of spacious, comfortable and stylish cars that are also affordable too, then it has to be the Koreans at Kia.

- BY DAVID WARD

AT A GLANCE Model: Kia EV4 Air 81.4kWh FWD Price: £36,995 Power: 81.4kWh battery producing 201bhp Performance: 0 to 62mph 7.7 seconds top speed 105mph Transmission: Automatic Driving Range Combined: 388 miles on 17-inch wheels Recharging Times: Using fast charge - 10 - 80% 31 minutes Insurance Group: 35D Warranty: 7yrs/100,000

Their success is being reaped with record sales here and in other countries and with a steady stream of new or updated models en route - the latest now being the small EV2 - it’s hardly surprising that the company also keeps winning top industry awards everywhere.

Their latest successful model is the EV4 (tested here) which is the Korean’s first European made EV (produced in Slovakia) and can best be described as a mid-sized family hatchback which crucially has been developed on European roads.

Importantly too it’s the first of all Kia's current batch of all-electric cars that has a battery range over 380 miles which means buyers should opt for the larger of two battery packs on offer such as the 81.kWh on the test car.