Kia “definitely needs” an entry-level model to broaden the appeal of electric cars, according to company president Ho Sung Song.
Speaking at the brand's second EV Day event, Song confirmed that the company is “internally studying” what an entry-level model would look like – be it a city car to sit below the upcoming EV2 and fight the future Renault Twingo and Volkswagen ID 1, or a more affordable version of an existing model.
He also hinted that the prospective EV1 could cost around €25,000 (£21,000), referring to the fact that there will be a difference of around €5000 between the incoming EV2 crossover (€30,000) and the existing EV3 (€35,000).
Song said: “If we want to move to the late majority customer target group, definitely we need a lower size of model – or a lower-price model – and we are internally studying what will be our entry EV models, apart from our EV2.
“Maybe next EV Day, we’ll show you what we are planning.”
The reveal of an EV1 concept next year would put a production car on track to arrive in 2027, the same year as the VW ID 1 is due to be launched and a year after the Twingo.
Song’s new comments tally with what he told Autocar last September: that an electric city car to replace the Picanto in the long term was its “next, next target” and that the brand will “need sub-€25,000 in our EV cars”.
