Introduction to the 2025 Kia EV4 Fastback
Kia has been, to coin a phrase, killing it in the EV market. The big EV6 has been a strong seller in Ireland's EV space, and while the bigger EV9 might not rack up quite so many registrations, it has won critical plaudits for its style and comfort. Then there's the little EV3, which looks great, is priced right and is very practical.
You might assume that the Kia EV4 is an electric follow-up to the Ceed, but it's much bigger than that, closer to being a replacement for the old Kia Optima than anything else, especially when we're talking about the four-door EV4 Fastback.
Pros & cons of the 2025 Kia EV4 Fastback
Pros:
• Very good range
• Cool styling
• Excellent cabin
Cons:
• Some fiddly controls
• Limited DC charging
• Styling won't be to all tastes
Exterior & design of the 2025 Kia EV4 Fastback
• Cool shovel-style nose
• More distinctive than EV4 hatchback
• More aerodynamic than an SUV
At the front, the low-set shovel-style nose has faint overtones of Bertone concept cars from the 1970s, set off nicely by the slim, upright LED headlights at either side.
The sides of the EV4 Fastback are clean and neat, and kept aerodynamically efficient by flush-fit pop-out door handles.
The GT-line comes with black-and-silver 19-inch alloy wheels, which are almost a three-spoke design, but the real star of the styling show is at the rear.
Where the EV4 hatchback has a fairly conventional back end, the Fastback looks far more... well, actually 'challenging' might be the right word.
It's hard to turn a hatch into a saloon without the four-door looking fundamentally awkward, but Kia has gotten around this with a clever touch. It's made a virtue out of a vice, giving the rear of the Fastback an extended look which certainly won't please all tastes, but which we love.
It's really distinctive, far more so than the hatchback, and has a faintly sci-fi edge to it. We're well aware that not all readers will agree with us on this point.
Dimensions of the 2025 Kia EV4 Fastback
Length: 4,730mm
Width: 1,860 (mirrors folded)
Height: 1,480mm
Wheelbase: 2,820mm
Paint colours for the 2025 Kia EV4 Fastback
Kia's standard colour offering for the EV4 Fastback is a daring one - it's Morning Haze, the same light green that you'll find on the EV3, but while we normally love green on a car, we're not sure this is the best choice for the EV4.
For €700, you could have Shale Grey, which is a bit predictable, but which really suits the lines of the Fastback. Ivory Silver, Snow White Pearl and Aurora Black are also all cost extras, at the same €700. Our test car was finished in Aurora Black, which looks smart, but which arguably smothers the lines a bit too much.
Interior, practicality, tech & comfort of the 2025 Kia EV4 Fastback
• Impressive touchscreens
• Plenty of space
• Very high quality
Kia has ported over the same interior style it uses elsewhere in the lineup, using a screen-dominated dashboard with plenty of physical controls and a chunky steering wheel. But when the overall effect is this good, do you really mind the repetition between models?
Getting comfortable in the driver's seat
In the GT-line, the EV4's front seats have a nice two-tone finish with distinctive 1970s-style ribbing, and Kia's neat wing-shaped headrests.
They're very comfortable seats, and there's plenty of adjustment in all planes of movement, although we did find that tall drivers might find that their legs are splayed a touch when they get into the right position for the steering wheel.
That wheel is ever so slightly large - the EV4 Fastback might feel a bit sportier if the wheel were smaller - but it too adjusts with plenty of movement, and it has proper, physical buttons for controlling the stereo and cruise control, not haptic pads. This is good.
The drive selection is done by a stubby twist lever on the lower right, behind the wheel, and that's where you'll also find the stop-start button, which you'll probably end up pressing through the spokes of the wheel.
Speaking of buttons, there's also a driving mode button on the centre spoke of the three-spoke steering wheel, which allows you to cycle through the various modes.
Infotainment and technology
The EV4's big twin 12.3-inch screens will be familiar to you if you've driven almost any recent Kia model, but that familiarity doesn't bring with it contempt - far from it, as once again Kia's on-screen menu layout and functionality proves to be much easier to find your way around than in most of this car's competition.
It helps that there are some physical buttons - primarily for cabin temperature and fan settings, and stereo volume, and Kia has fitted an extra climate control touch panel between the two main screens so you can choose which you prefer to use.
There is a useful set of shortcut buttons on another panel beneath the central infotainment screen, which gives you quick access to the major menus.
The main instrument panel - clear and simple, but a little light on customisation options - is augmented by a very good head-up display, which can be read even if you're wearing polarised sunglasses.
Lower down in the front, there's a set of two USB-C ports, one of which is a powerful 100-watt socket which will charge a laptop or tablet, and there's a 12-volt outlet behind a flap. There's also a handy wireless phone-charging pad.
Practicality around the cabin
There's lots of space in the front of the EV4, with copious headroom and legroom even with the GT-line's glass sunroof. There are good storage options too, with a large open space in lieu of a centre console, which features that wireless phone charger, plus two cupholders, the arms of which rotate out of the way if you need more flat storage.
There's more room behind that section, just below the centre armrest, in which there's another open storage area, and yet more storage under the front seat armrest. Combine all of that with a decent glovebox and good door bins, and you have a very practical cabin indeed.
Best of all is the quality of the EV4's cabin. More than one passenger commented that it seemed as upmarket as a BMW, and aside from slightly cheap-feeling interior door handles, we're inclined to agree.
Rear-seat passenger space
You'd assume, with a low-slung rear roofline, that space in the back of the EV4 Fastback would be compromised. But no; there's actually plenty of room.
Even tall passengers should find plenty of space for knees and feet, and there's slightly less of the knees-up sensation that you get in some electric cars, where the rear seat base is set too low relative to the height of the battery - and hence the floor.
The way the rear of the cabin is set up is truly impressive. The part-mesh front-seat headrests are shaped to allow light in and passengers to see out, while the backs of the seats are shaped into a handy coat hanger.
There are neat USB-C sockets built into the backs of the seats too. There are also cupholders in a folding rear armrest, and when that's tucked away there's just about useable space in the centre rear seat, although anyone tall sitting there will find the roof close to their head. There is a flat rear floor, though, so there's plenty of space for feet.
Fitting child seats to the Kia EV4 Fastback
There are ISOFIX anchors in both outer rear seats, although there's none in the front passenger seat, which is a slight shame. However, given the legroom in the back, and the decent door apertures, you should have no trouble loading up even bulky rear-facing seats, although of course the relatively low roof (if you're used to an SUV) might get in the way a bit.
Boot space in the Kia EV4 Fastback
The EV4 Fastback has a larger boot than the hatchback, although slightly less versatility with the Fastback shape, and tall objects just won't fit.
However, 490 litres of space is enough to rival the much larger BMW i5 for boot volume, for example, and there's a little bit of underfloor storage to stash cables, too.
There are handy release pulls for the folding back seats in the boot, which is helpful, but while the rear seats split and fold 60:40, there's no load-through facility for long, narrow items, and the Fastback's boot also lacks bag hooks.
Towing with the Kia EV4 Fastback
There's a decent 1,000kg maximum towing weight for the EV4 Fastback, which seems like more than most owners will ever ask it to haul, and there's a specific optional Trailer Package Support function in the car's electronic safety systems.
Safety in the Kia EV4 Fastback
Euro NCAP has tested the Kia EV4, and it got a four-star safety rating for the 'standard' model, out of a possible maximum five stars. Upgrade to the optional extra safety pack and it becomes a five-star car in NCAP's eyes, with 84 per cent for adult occupant protection, 85 per cent for child occupants, 77 per cent for vulnerable road user protection and 78 per cent for its active safety systems - that's the category in which the EV4 loses out when in standard form, scoring 67 per cent, so it's a fundamentally safe car either way.
The only noticeable difference in safety tech between standard and up-spec models is that the forward collision assistance also works when turning across a junction.
Performance of the 2025 Kia EV4 Fastback
• One battery and motor combo
• Smooth driving manners
• Decent level of driver engagement
While the EV4 hatchback has the option of a smaller battery in entry-level form, the pricier Fastback comes only with the larger battery, combined with a 204hp electric motor driving the front wheels.
Driving the Kia EV4 Fastback in Ireland
There have so far only been a handful of electric cars which one might consider to be truly fun to drive, but while the EV4 Fastback isn't quite in that category, it falls only fractionally short.
It's a car that feels fundamentally well-balanced, with a good combination of comfort, refinement and precision. As mentioned above, if the steering wheel were a fraction smaller in diameter, the EV4 might feel slightly sportier still, but as it is the Fastback feels pleasantly agile through corners, and also rock-solid steady when you're cruising on the motorway or a dual carriageway.
The ride comfort on 19-inch alloys is absolutely fine. We suspect that on smaller wheels it would be even better again, but aside from a slight occasional sense of 'bobble' over short-frequency bumps, there's nothing to complain about here.
Performance, with 204hp on tap and 1,800kg of kerb weight, is never going to be exceptional but the EV4 Fastback's 7.8-second 0-100km/h time is entirely respectable, and there's plenty of torque for extra bursts of acceleration when you need it.
Range, battery, charging and running costs of the 2025 Kia EV4 Fastback
• Big battery is standard for Fastback
• Excellent real-world range
• DC charging could be faster
The Kia EV4 Fastback comes with just the one battery option, and it's a big one...
Battery options and official range
As standard, the EV4 Fastback eschews the smaller 58kWh battery offered in the EV4 hatch and just sticks with the bigger 81.4kWh battery, of which 78kWh is usable.
It has 170 cells and uses nickel-manganese-cobalt chemistry (NMC). The official range for the GT-line Fastback with the 19-inch alloy wheels is 608km, but that stretches to 633km in a more basic model with smaller rims.
Real-world range and efficiency of the Kia EV4 Fastback
We've become used to Kias doing a better job than most EVs when it comes to living up to the official one-charge ranges in the real world, and this EV4 Fastback is no exception.
OK, reaching that official 608km range without stopping is going to be a bit of an ask, but 500-550km in real-world conditions is absolutely achievable.
We easily averaged 15.5kWh/100km during our week with the car, and that was with lots of high-speed motorway driving, and without the option of pre-conditioning the car on overnight charging, so some careful EV charging management could easily see you bettering Kia's official WLTP energy consumption figure.
The EV4 Fastback is one of those electric cars that makes swapping from petrol or diesel power spectacularly easy.
Charging up the Kia EV4 Fastback
The EV4 Fastback's charging port is located on the front right wheelarch, and it - as you'd expect - accepts either a Type 2 cable for AC charging, or a CCS connector for high-speed DC charging.
However, unlike the EV6 and EV9, which have 800-volt electrical architectures, the EV4 has a simpler 400-volt system, and hence it can manage only 128kW of DC charging power.
Nonetheless, the charging power curve seems to stay at a higher level than that of many competitors, so you won't actually be left sitting at a fast charger for too long at all.
AC charging is at up to 11kW which is pretty standard. Just remember that the big battery will need quite a bit of overnight charging time from a 7.4kW home charger, around ten hours for a 10-100 per cent charge.
Servicing the Kia EV4 Fastback
In theory, the EV4's service intervals can stretch as far as 30,000km and two years, but we'd always recommend at least a quick health check every year, just to keep on top of general maintenance and preventative servicing.
Kia EV4 Fastback warranty
Kia has always had one of the most impressive warranties in the business, and the EV4 Fastback is no different, covered by the company's standard seven-year, 150,000km warranty. That apples to the battery as well. There's also a seven-year anti-perforation warranty, and a five-year paint warranty.
Irish pricing & rivals to the 2025 Kia EV4 Fastback
• GT-line is as expensive as it gets
• Fastback is pricier than hatchback
• Good standard equipment list
It's hard to pigeon-hole the EV4 Fastback. In GT-line specification, it has a list price of €53,000 which is pretty hefty, although it's worth saying that the EV4 bears comparison with premium brand products, and look how expensive an equivalent BMW or Mercedes would be...
You can have a more basic Earth 2 spec model for €46,175, but if you want to dip below €40,000, you'll have to go for the EV4 hatchback, with the smaller battery.
Standard spec for the GT-line version includes 19-inch alloy wheels, a sunroof, privacy glass, two-tone synthetic leather seats which are heated and ventilated, dual 12.3-inch screens (plus the 5.3-inch climate control screen), wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless phone charging, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping steering and a powered boot lid.
As far as rivals go, the closest comparisons are probably to be made with the Mazda6e, the Tesla Model 3, the Volkswagen ID.7 and the Polestar 2.
Verdict - should you buy the 2025 Kia EV4 Fastback?
The EV4 Fastback goes down as one of our favourite new cars of 2025, and certainly one of the best all-round EVs we've driven lately. OK, so the styling won't be to all tastes - although it's very much to ours - but there's no denying the appeal of a long real-world driving range, impressive handling and ride, and a classy cabin. It's a Kia that's good enough to compete with premium-badged EVs.
FAQs about the 2025 Kia EV4 Fastback
What is the Kia EV4 Fastback?
It's a variation on the EV4 hatchback, with a four-door saloon body and an extended, separate boot that stretches out from the rear bodywork in a distinctive 'aero' style.
What's the real-world range of the Kia EV4 Fastback?
In our experience, the real-world range of the EV4 Fastback, with its big 81.4kWh battery, is going to be between 500 and 550km.
Want to know more about the 2025 Kia EV4 Fastback?
If there's anything about the new Kia EV4 Fastback we've not covered, or you'd like help in choosing between it and other cars, you can avail of our expert advice service via the Ask Us Anything page.
