Here is our first look at a mystery EV from Kia. The exterior features hefty camouflage. Our spies believe it might wear the EV4 nameplate, suggesting it would slot below the existing EV6 and upcoming EV5.
Kia's development team completely covers the front end. Blocks are visible underneath the camo so the company can further distort the vehicle's design. Vertically oriented headlights are barely visible under the fabric on the outer edges of the nose.
Gallery: Kia EV4 Spy Shots
The model rides on three-spoke wheels with an eye-catching design. There are polished metallic strips. The rest is black and appears to have ribbed sections.
The profile has a boxy shape. A vertical element on the C-pillar squares off the vehicle's body. The camouflage that wraps around the rear conceals whether there's an additional side window behind this point.
The concealment is especially effective at the back. Even the taillights are barely visible, but they appear to have a vertical orientation.
These photos don't provide a look into the cabin. We can't even get a good view looking through the windows.
Beyond being electric, we have no powertrain details about this vehicle. Like the brand's EVs, we expect this one to ride on the latest version of the Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP). Last year, the brand said it was updating the hardware to support longer driving ranges, better performance, and improved charging speeds.
In June, Kia European Marketing Chief David Hilbert said the brand was preparing to "have coverage in all major segments." This meant offering electric models ranging from the EV1 to EV9. Some of these would be only for specific regions. For example, don't expect the tiny EV1 to be available in the United States. The EV3 would allegedly be a compact crossover.
It's not clear when the EV4 might premiere or go on sale. The heavy camouflage suggests the brand is not ready for the public to get a good look at this vehicle yet. This one is testing in Europe, so we also can't be sure whether this product would be available in the United States.
