UK Drive: The Kia EV4 Fastback is a good car, but feels out of place on UK roads

Electric SUVs have become one of the most competitive sectors within the UK’s new car market, and Kia offers some of the very best models in this category.

Sometimes, however, the Korean firm takes an alternative approach and brings to market something a little bit left-field, which it certainly has with the EV4 Fastback.

Electric fastbacks are somewhat unheard of in the UK, as many buyers prefer to go for jacked-up family wagons, rather than sleek four-door saloons.

So, is Kia taking a risk in bringing the EV4 Fastback to the UK, or has it struck gold with this rather unusual offering? Let’s find out.

The EV4 Fastback is based on Kia’s electric hatchback, the EV4. It features an identical front end, while it also uses the same interior dashboard and design layout as that car too.

Just like the hatch on which it’s based, it sits on Kia’s ‘E-GMP’ platform, which boasts a 400-volt architecture, allowing for ultra-rapid charging speeds.

Unlike the standard car, which is Kia’s first EV to be built in Europe, the Fastback will be assembled at the firm’s Autoland Gwangmyeong EVO plant in South Korea.

The Fastback is available with a single powertrain and there are just two trim levels to choose from – this certainly keeps things simple!

Unlike the hatchback model, the Fastback is offered only with an 81.4kWh battery pack, which is paired to a front-mounted single electric motor.

This set-up produces 201bhp and 283Nm of torque, while 60mph comes round in 7.7 seconds and the car will run onto a top speed of 105mph.

Thanks to the 400-volt architecture, the Fastback is compatible with 350kW DC rapid-charging capabilities, allowing for a 10 to 80 per cent top up to take 31 minutes.

The Fastback drives almost identically to the hatchback, which is no bad thing.

The supple suspension means the car soaks up the lumps and bumps with ease, and the car handles surprisingly well for such a big vehicle, which is thanks to its standard multi-link rear suspension.

The cabin is well-insulated from wind and road noise, although the car’s near two-tonne weight does make it feel rather wallowy on certain road surfaces. The steering wheel is too big as well, and rear visibility is impaired due to the narrow back window.

Compared to the standard car, the Fastback feels slightly heavier, which takes away some of the driver engagement you get from the hatch.

‘Divisive’ is the best word to describe how the EV4 Fastback looks from an aesthetic point of view.

The car adopts Kia’s latest ‘Opposites United’ design language with its vertical front headlights, ‘star map’ lighting signature and angular wheel arches.

But, no matter which way you look at it, the car is desperately ugly, with lots of awkward lines and shapes, while the rear end just feels like it’s been plonked on the back as an after thought.

Our test car is the GT-Line S model, which tries to distract you from its oddball looks with gloss black wheel arch claddings and beefier 19-inch wheels, though it’s unlikely the EV4 Fastback is going to win any beauty contests.

The interior of the Fastback is identical to the hatchback, as it shares the same dual 12.3-inch screens and a 5.3-inch centre climate control display, which is sadly obscured by the steering wheel as you drive along.

To help improve usability, Kia has incorporated lots of physical buttons to make everything easy to operate, while storage is plentiful with the car gaining a massive centre storage cut-out under the centre armrest, while the centre armrest itself has a secret compartment lurking underneath it. The door bins are deep, while there is a wireless smartphone charger located below the dashboard, too.

In the back, rear-seat occupants get airplane-style seatback pockets, a centre armrest with two cupholders and acres of leg and kneeroom. Unfortunately, the car’s sloping roofline means headroom is tight for average-sized adults.

The Fastback only has a saloon-type boot opening, which means its aperture is fairly narrow and makes it harder to squeeze taller items into the back. The space on offer is very good, with the car providing 490 litres of room, which is 55 litres more than what you get on the hatch, and 83 litres more compared to a Polestar 2, thanks to the car’s longer rear overhang. The rear bench can also be folded down at the flick of a switch, although Kia has not revealed the capacity size in this configuration at this stage.

The Fastback’s model line-up consists of just GT-Line and GT-Line S, to make choosing the right car for you, simpler.

Our test car is the flagship GT-Line S which gets lots of creature comforts such as heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear outer seats, a powered bootlid, LED headlights, a Harman Kardon premium audio system, along with an electric sliding and tilting sunroof.

With prices starting at £40,945 for the entry-level GT-Line, the Fastback isn’t the cheapest car in its class, with a new Tesla Model 3 now available from £37,990.

Also, an energy-saving heat pump does not come as standard, with only the top-of-the-line GT-Line S car able to receive it as an option for a cost of £900.

The EV4 Fastback is far from a bad car. We just think that it feels out of place in the UK.

Rivals such as the Polestar 2 and Tesla Model 3 are more established and are likely to overshadow the EV4 for their premium images and interior designs.

Plus, with the Kia’s controversial looks and compromised boot access area, it makes this a hard car to recommend to buyers looking for an electric family car.

However, if you like the way the car looks and you don’t need the added practicality of an SUV, then the EV4 Fastback will make perfect sense for those looking for an alternative electric vehicle.