2026 Kia EV4 Is Canada’s Cheapest Electric Car — For Now

The 2026 Kia EV4 will be the cheapest car of its kind when it hits the market, albeit barely — and it may not hold that title for long.

With a starting price of $38,995 before freight and tax, the EV4 undercuts the puny Fiat 500e ($39,995), as well as the upcoming Chevrolet Bolt ($38,998) by just a few dollars. That’s for the entry-level Kia EV4 Light, which is the only one in the lineup with a 58.3-kWh pack, but it also means it wouldn’t take much for Chevy to undercut Kia. (The cost of Kia’s non-negotiable freight charge was to be determined at the time of this writing.)

Upgrading to a larger 81.4-kWh lithium-ion battery means a moderate price hike to $42,995. That’s for the EV4 Wind; the Wind Premium rings in at $45,495. Then there’s the GT-Line, which uses the same battery and starts at $48,495, while the GT-Line Limited is $51,995 before freight and tax. Of note is the availability of all-wheel drive; the entire lineup will power the front wheels alone at launch, with four-wheel traction coming later in the 2026 calendar year.

That pricing doesn’t mean the brand stripped its smallest electric vehicle (EV) to date of the sort of stuff its more expensive models are built on, with a 400-volt architecture and the ability to plug into 350-kW DC fast-charging stations. Doing so means making the benchmark 10-to-80 per cent jump in about 30 minutes in ideal conditions, according to Kia. The EV4 also features a Tesla-style charge port for access to that brand’s network.

Opting for the smallest of the two batteries means an estimated 391 km of range, according to Kia; the 81.4-kWh unit offers as much as 552 km, while the GT-Line and GT-Line Limited deliver an expected 488 km. That’s in a front-wheel-drive configuration; all-wheel-drive range estimates weren’t provided as of this writing. For the sake of comparison, with its 75-kWh battery the redesigned Nissan Leaf provides between 417 and 488 km, depending on trim.

Beyond those electric essentials, the entry-level EV4 has amenities like wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, heated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, over-the-air update capability, and a full advanced safety suite including adaptive cruise control. And, of course, the equipment gets better from there, with ventilated front seats, heated rear ones, phone-as-key functionality, and more found in pricier trims.

The 2026 Kia EV4 is available for order now at dealers across Canada. It’s scheduled to arrive in the early part of the new year.