Kia EV4: Very modest sales target set for new Tesla rival

Kia Australia is launching its first electric vehicle (EV) that's not an SUV, but it's not expecting big numbers for its rival to the BYD Seal and Tesla Model 3.

The 2026 Kia EV4 is landing now, priced from $49,990 plus on-road costs. Despite being sized and priced in line with popular rivals from Tesla and BYD, which each sell 300-600 units regularly per month, the Korean brand's local division doesn't even expect triple figures monthly.

Speaking at the Australian media launch, general manager for product planning Roland Rivero said projected monthly sales rate for the EV4 is just 70 units per month, with 40 per cent split (~28 units) each to the base Air and top-spec GT-Line, and the remaining 20 per cent (~14 units) the mid-spec Earth.

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In a follow-up interview with CarExpert, Mr Rivero said the EV4 isn't supply restricted if it suddenly becomes a hit with Australian buyers.

"What you've got to take into consideration is the vehicle has been developed for numerous regions, and the fact it's been developed for right-hand drive UK, a lot of the costs are already being shared with other bigger regions," Mr Rivero told CarExpert.

"So having to homologate for Australia, which is really only a couple of other standards like a passenger airbag switch and three top-tether anchorage points, there's not a huge difference between UK spec and Aussie spec."

"It's easier to justify an incremental 70 units a month... and it's coming out of Korea anyway so it's on the same ships that send all our other Kia product. Is there an opportunity for it to ramp up in future? There's no supply restriction... so if Australians want more, we can get more," Mr Rivero added.

General manager for marketing, Dean Norbiato, added that the credits it earns under the Federal Government's NVES emissions reductions scheme makes it worth bringing it to market.

"The NVES credits generated by an EV product far outstrip bringing in a [lower volume] internal combustion model," Mr Norbiato said.

Kia's local marketing boss used the recently revealed K4 Sportswagon as an example of said lower-volume ICE alternative. Even if the wagon-bodied K4 did more volume than the EV4, it doesn't amount to enough of a business case to justify bringing it in compared to a lower-volume EV product.

The Korean brand was the third-largest importer of electric vehicles to Australia in 2025, with its 8131 EV units earning it the bronze medal behind Tesla (28,856) and BYD (25,287). Kia's EV sales were also up by 125.4 per cent on the year prior, showing solid growth particularly amongst the legacy brands.

Leading the charge, so to speak, was the EV5 mid-size SUV (4787 units), which was the fourth best-selling EV overall in Australia behind the Tesla Model Y (22,239), BYD Sealion 7 (13,410) and Tesla Model 3 (6617).

The smaller EV3 was next in the stable (2597), then the EV6 (348), EV9 (269) and finally the now-defunct Niro (130). Even with the Niro gone, the EV4's projected monthly sales rate would see it become the brand's third-best-selling EV (~840 units) over the coming year.

Midway through 2026, Kia will also add the all-electric PV5 Cargo commercial van to its Australian lineup, further bolstering its EV portfolio. The PV5 also offers 'Passenger' people mover and Chassis Cab pickup versions overseas, though these are yet to be locked in for Australia.

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