2026 Affordable Electric: Latest Updates and Analysis

2026 Kia EV4 Is an Affordable Electric Sedan Americans Can Buy

The 2026 Kia EV4 debuts as the brand's first electric sedan, and it'll be sold in the United States.

The 201-hp front-wheel-drive EV will offer two battery sizes, and we expect the larger [website] pack will provide 330 miles of range.

The EV4 sedan should start at around $35,000 when it reaches [website] dealerships near the end of this year or in early 2026.

Sedan fans shopping for an affordable EV have very few options: the $38,900 Hyundai Ioniq 6 or the $44,130 Tesla Model 3. Kia is looking to expand that segment with its new EV4 compact sedan and will begin selling it late this year or early next year.

We estimate the EV4 will start at about $35,000 and rise toward the EV6's $43,995 base price. Like the EV6 and the upcoming EV3, the EV4 is built on the brand's familiar E-GMP architecture. At [website] inches, the EV4 sedan is a couple of inches longer than a Honda Civic sedan, but the Kia's [website] wheelbase is on par with the Accord's [website] wheelbase. The EV4's package has a spacious rear seat and a deep and cavernous 17-cubic-foot cargo hold behind the elongated trunk lid. A hatchback version of the EV4 will be available and built in Europe, but there are no plans for it to come stateside.

The interior design is largely shared with the EV4’s platform-mate, the EV3. A [website] screen faces the driver and butts up next to a [website] screen that handles HVAC information. Next to that is another [website] touchscreen that handles infotainment and various vehicle settings. The three screens fill a 30-inch display that dominates the fabric-adorned instrument panel. A GT-Line appearance package with 19-inch wheels and aggressive-looking front and rear fascias will be optional, but the extra-cost option won't add any performance to the mix.

Presumably to hold costs down, the EV4 has a 400-volt architecture instead of the EV6's 800-volt system. On a Level 2 connection, the EV4 will suck down electrons at a rate of 11 kW. Kia didn't provide details on the speed of a DC fast-charge but promises a 10-to-80-percent charge for the [website] battery will take 31 minutes. A smaller [website] battery is also available and achieves the same charge in 29 minutes. Kia promises the battery can be used to power various electric appliances for both campers and power-loss sufferers. The ability to send power back to the grid is also touted, although it remains to be seen how that will work in customer hands.

No matter the battery, the EV4 has a front motor with 201 horsepower. Kia indicates that will help the sedan with the larger battery go from zero to 62 mph in [website] seconds. The smaller-battery model should do the deed in [website] ticks. The 201-hp setup is shared with the EV3 and is presumably the same motor that motivates the Kia Niro EV to 60 mph in [website] seconds. Kia hasn't , but we'd expect it to be in the neighborhood of the Niro EV's 3715 pounds. If that bears out, expect a similar time to 60 mph.

clients might be more interested in driving range. Based on the very optimistic European WLTP test cycle, the EV4 sedan scores an impressive 390 miles, which we believe will result in a 330-mile EPA range for the larger battery. The smaller battery nets a claimed 267-mile range in the same Euro test, a likely 225-mile result using the EPA's methodology.

Korean-market versions will begin production in South Korea this March. [website] examples will be built in the same plant in Korea and should start rolling off the assembly line late this year.

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2026 Kia EV4

Kia's electric vehicles so far have taken the shape of SUVs, but that's about to change with the introduction of the 2026 Kia EV4. The EV4 will be offered as a low-slung four-door sedan when it eventually goes on sale in the United States. Behind the EV4's aerodynamic face is a front trunk (frunk for short), and inside is an airy interior that boasts an abundance of ambient lighting and a minimalist dashboard design. All models are powered by a 201-hp electric motor that drives the front wheels. For those who want more visual panache, the sportier-looking GT-Line occupies the top spot in the EV4 lineup. Two different battery sizes will be offered, with the standard version offering around 225 miles of range and the long-range one likely capped at around 330 miles. A wagon-like hatchback model is also being produced, but Kia doesn't have any plans to sell it in North America.

The Kia EV4 will break the SUV mold for Kia EVs as the first electric sedan in the brand's stable. The EV4 will be offered in two different body styles, but only the sedan version will be sold on our shores. The EV4 will be built on Kia's E-GMP platform and is expected to offer a driving range of over 300 miles per charge with the larger of the two available battery packs. The [website] version is expected to enter production in Korea sometime late this year and reach dealerships before the end of 2025 or in early 2026.

The price of the 2026 Kia EV4 is expected to start around $39,000 and go up to $52,000 depending on the trim and options. Light $39,000 (est) Wind $47,000 (est) GT-Line $52,000 (est).

We think the EV4 will start at around $39K, which will put it up against sister business Hyundai’s electric sedan, the Ioniq 6. The top-of-the-range GT-Line is the only trim Kia has confirmed so far, and it wears more assertive styling elements and unique 19-inch wheels. When we get a more effective breakdown of the EV4’s trim levels and each one’s equipment offerings, we’ll revision this story with a recommendation for the one that represents the best value.

A 201-hp electric motor drives the EV4’s front wheels. An all-wheel-drive version hasn’t been showcased but given the fact that the Ioniq 6 offers such a setup, it’s possible that option could be added later on. We haven’t had a chance to test drive the EV4 yet, but we know that a three-mode regenerative-braking system is on hand to provide some customization for driver preferences.

With the standard battery pack, Kia claimes the EV4 will be capable of hitting 62 mph in [website] seconds. If you opt for the larger (and heavier) long-range battery pack, that acceleration estimate is slightly slower at [website] seconds. These times certainly don’t sound all that thrilling, but we’ll evaluate the EV4’s acceleration for ourselves when we get a chance behind the wheel.

The standard battery is a [website] pack that Kia says is enough for a 267-mile range on the optimistic European WLTP test cycle. The EPA hasn’t weighed in on [website] range estimates, but we think buyers can expect that model to come in at 225 miles of range when it hits our streets. The larger [website] battery will likely be more attractive to those who drive longer distances, and we estimate it will provide up to 330 miles of range. Kia says the long-range model can be charged from 10 to 80 percent in 31 mins on a DC fast charger (29 minutes for the smaller-battery model).

The EPA hasn’t yet released fuel-economy estimates for the EV4 yet, but we'll upgrade this story when that information becomes available. We will also test the EV4’s fuel economy for ourselves on our 75-mph real-world highway route once we get the chance. For more information about the EV4’s fuel economy, visit the EPA's website.

The EV4’s interior looks more spacious than Kia’s K4 compact sedan, and the EV attributes reclining front relaxation seats with pop-up leg rests so you can lounge while you charge at public charging stations. Interior mood lighting can be set to a variety of themes too. There’s even a theatre mode which creates a cozy cabin atmosphere for watching a movie or show on the infotainment display while parked. Legroom looks generous in both rows, and the EV4’s mostly minimalist interior design is punctuated by an asymmetrical steering-wheel design and textured trim patterns on the dashboard and door panels. .

A floating [website] glass panel stretches two-thirds of the way across the EV4’s dashboard and houses a [website] digital gauge cluster, a [website] infotainment touchscreen, and a [website] touch panel for climate controls. individuals can stream Youtube, Disney+, and Netflix while parked; games and karaoke attributes are also included. Digital key access is possible via smartphone and Apple Watch apps, and Kia's infotainment system is capable of over-the-air updates. An eight-speaker stereo is standard, but audiophiles will probably want to upgrade to the optional Harman/Kardon eight-speaker setup.

A host of driver-assistance aspects are standard on the EV4, including an adaptive-cruise-control feature with lane-centering. For more information about the EV4’s crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. Key safety aspects include:

Standard lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist.

Standard adaptive cruise control with a lane-centering feature.

Kia provides one of the best warranty plans in the industry. Unfortunately, unlike Hyundai, it doesn't come with any complimentary scheduled maintenance.

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2026 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Spied with Three-Pointed Star Headlights

Mercedes-Benz confirmed last week that a refreshed 2026 S-class is on its way, and we spotted the updated sedan testing in Sweden.

The S-class prototype—which could be a Maybach model—has a reworked front end, including headlights with LED three-pointed stars, similar to the taillights on the 2024 E-class.

The 2026 S-class could get updated powertrains, and Mercedes has confirmed that the V-12 engine is sticking around.

The Mercedes-Benz S-class is among the brand's most critical models, serving alongside the G-class as the pinnacle of the luxury automaker's lineup. The flagship sedan may not move a ton of units—its 8809 [website] sales last year only beat out the GT and SL sports cars among the firm's gas-powered vehicles—but the S-class has been critical to Mercedes-Benz's reputation as a purveyor of opulence. Now, the brand is readying an enhancement to the S-class for the 2026 model year, and we just spotted a prototype of the refreshed luxo-barge testing in Sweden.

Amid a flurry of announcements last week, which included the confirmation of a "baby" G-wagen, Mercedes noted it was developing a "major upgrade" for the S-class that would go on sale in 2026. While Mercedes didn't spill any details, the spy photos give a taste of what to expect from the S-class's visual changes. The most obvious difference is the headlight design, which appears to have adopted a slightly different shape. The headlights also feature an LED three-pointed star motif, a theme that first appeared on the taillights of the 2024 E-class.

The shape of the grille also seems to be a bit different, stretching lower on the bumper, while the bottom vents also appear to be reworked. Another curious detail is a cutout in the camouflage on the front fender for a forward-facing camera, which could form part of a bolstered driver-assistance package. The 2024 S-class, along with the electric EQS, already offers Drive Pilot, a Level 3 autonomous-driving system that allows the driver to both keep their hands off the steering wheel and their eyes off the road for lengthy periods.

The rear end carries over mostly unchanged, although the taillights look to also include a three-pointed star element in a similar vein to the headlights. We think the prototype seen here represents a Maybach model, due to the extra chrome trim around the side windows and the camouflage on the C-pillar, where a Maybach logo typically resides on the ultra-luxury models. The wheels aren't as glamorous as the units normally found on Maybachs, but that's likely just because this is a prototype. The test unit next to the Maybach appears to be a standard S-class and shares many of the same changes at the front.

Obviously, a "major revision" for the S-class should bring more than just visual tweaks. That could mean changes to the S-class's powertrains, which currently include a 442-hp inline-six, a 496-hp V-8, and a plug-in-hybrid setup. The Maybach versions come with either the V-8 or a 621-hp V-12. Although both the inline-six and V-8 already come with a 48-volt hybrid system, we wouldn't be surprised to see more electrical assistance as Mercedes aims to remain in compliance with increasingly strict European emissions regulations. Mercedes did confirm last week that the V-12 will remain in production, although it will only be available in certain markets. We should learn more about the 2026 Mercedes-Benz S-class later this year.

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