On 25 September 1978, John Peel played Teenage Kicks, the debut single from The Undertones, on his Radio 1 evening show. Two minutes and 28 seconds later, in a brazen breach of BBC protocol, he played the same song for a second time, telling listeners “it doesn’t get much better than this”.
I recently had an ‘instant replay’ moment of my own, driving on the Route Napoleon in the French Alps. This glorious road was used for the car chase in Goldeneye, with James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) manhandling an Aston Martin DB5, pursued by Xenia Onatopp in a Ferrari F355. The most spectacular section weaves through a series of steeply stacked hairpins, then clings to the cliff edge, cutting through natural arches in the jagged limestone rock.
It’s a stretch of tarmac so dramatic, challenging and exhilarating that, when I reached a roundabout, I couldn’t resist turning around and immediately doing it all again. Because it really doesn’t get much better than this, whether you’re driving a blue-blooded supercar or a battery-electric Kia.
A new kind of electric performance
If that sounds a bit hyperbolic, take note that the EV4 GT is not a common-or-garden Kia. Indeed, with dual motors, all-wheel drive, bigger brakes, adaptive dampers, electronic torque vectoring, Kia’s Virtual Gear Shift system and Pirelli P Zero tyres, it has aspirations to be a proper hot hatchback.
In recent years, ever-tighter legislation and emissions targets have made such cars into an endangered species. Many have been killed off with no successor in sight, among them the Ford Focus ST, Hyundai i30 N, Renault Megane RS and Honda Civic Type R. For somebody who got his teenage kicks driving hot hatches, this decline has been sad to see.
Thankfully, a new breed of electric hot hatches has begun to emerge. If you want something supermini-sized, you can consider the Alpine A290 GTS, Vauxhall Corsa GSE or Peugeot 208 GTI. And at the top end of the market, there is the impressive Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, which resembles a hatchback but has the stature of an SUV.
Until now, though, no credible EV contender has targeted the hot hatch heartland inhabited by the Volkswagen Golf GTI. That’s where the Kia comes in.
Kia EV GT prices and spec
At £49,345, the EV4 GT is pricier than an entry-level Golf GTI (£41,860) or indeed a Golf R (£46,930). However, being powered by batteries should make for much lower running costs than either – provided you have an EV charger installed at home.
Kia also offers its famous seven year, 100,000-mile warranty, plus a long list of standard equipment. The fully loaded GT spec includes intelligent LED headlights, heated and ventilated front seats, 360-degree parking cameras, ambient interior lighting, an electric tailgate and an eight-speaker Harman Kardon sound system. The only option of note is ‘premium’ paint, such as the Blue Flame colour seen here (£650).
You can tell the GT apart from a regular EV4 by its beefier bumpers, gloss-black trim and neon green brake calipers, which are tucked inside 20-inch alloy wheels. Inside, there’s more neon green on the seatbelts and dashboard, along with alloy pedals and bucket seats trimmed in faux leather and suede.
You want numbers? Zero to 62mph takes 5.6 seconds, top speed is 105mph and kerb weight is 2,060kg. The EV-specific stats are 81.4kWh (size of the lithium-ion battery), 128kW (maximum charging speed) 3.4 miles per kWh (energy consumption) and 313 miles (driving range in the official WLTP test).
The Kia GT story so far
Kia’s GT badge has been around since the bizarrely punctuated Pro_cee’d GT of 2013. However, apart from the flagship 585hp EV6 GT, the vehicles it was affixed to have been ‘warm’ rather than explicitly hot. They were all overshadowed by sister brand Hyundai’s more extroverted and exciting ‘N’ cars, too.
This is the first GT model developed from scratch by Manfred Harrer, Kia’s head of R&D since 2025, whose CV includes 14 years at Porsche. It slots into the range between the also-new EV3 GT crossover and EV5 GT SUV, but is the most overtly sporting of the trio. It’s expected to be the best-seller, too – although the EV4 GT exists more to boost Kia’s image than its bottom line.
All of which brings us to a hotel car park somewhere north of Nice. The Mediterranean sun is shining, the EV4 GT is brimmed with fresh electrons and the route snakes across its sat-nav screen like tangled strands of spaghetti. Yep, we’ve all had worse days at work.
Fun for all the family
Kia’s futuristic ‘Opposites United’ design language works well on an SUV, but looks slab-sided and not particularly sporting here. Still, many will appreciate the GT’s ability to speak softly and carry a 292 horsepower stick.
The advantage of that boxy body is plenty of passenger space, helped by the EV4’s ‘skateboard’ platform and flat floor. There’s room for three adults in the back, plus useful stowage in the deep door bins, centre armrest and seat-back pockets. There is no ‘frunk’ and the extra electric motor for the rear axle does rob some boot capacity, however. A total of 377 litres is 58 litres smaller than a standard EV4.
Finding a good driving position is easy and the electric seats hug you in the right places. Kia’s in-car tech is also straightforward to use, with a 12.3-inch central touchscreen that syncs wirelessly with your smartphone via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. The GT even has a data logger to measure your driving performance in real time.
Inside the Kia EV4 GT
Despite the on-board telemetry and the presence of a new GT mode, Kia insists the hottest EV4 is ‘neither an out-and-out performance car, nor a track-day weapon’. The emphasis here, we’re told, is on ‘everyday usable power’ and a ‘familiar, comfortable character’.
Accordingly, in the bustle of Nice’s morning rush-hour, the EV4 delivers relaxed, unobtrusive progress. It’s as easy to drive as any electric Kia, with light steering, a hushed soundtrack and decent all-round visibility. There’s also a full complement of electronic driver aids, such as blind-spot monitors and rear cross-traffic assist (to warn of approaching cars when you reverse out of a parking space).
In Normal mode, the Kia also has a commendably pliant ride, helped by a camera-based system that scans the road surface, preparing the dampers for what lies ahead. And today, as the Cote d’Azur soars majestically upwards into the Alpes-Maritimes, that means some of Europe’s very best driving roads. Route Napoleon, here we come.
A hotter way to go green
Push the neon green GT mode toggle on its steering wheel and the EV4 instantly feels energised. Its straight-line performance isn’t scorching by hot hatch standards – the latest Golf R is a second quicker to 62mph – but the combination of all-wheel drive and an ever-ready 345lb ft of electric torque will slingshot you out of corners. On rural French D-roads, it gets you past dawdling motorhomes quickly and safely, too.
Kia has set up the GT to be primarily front-driven, in search of traditional hot hatchback handling balance (and more predictable behaviour at the limit, no doubt). Be abrupt with your right foot and all that can overwhelm the front wheels, leading to a scrabble for traction, but such instances are rare. For the most part, the EV4 feels calm and controlled, with limited body-roll and resolute grip from its EV-optimised rubber.
Coming back to our Golf R comparison, the Kia has a similar ability to cover ground quickly, making light work of difficult roads. Its steering isn’t the last word in feedback and the regenerative brakes sometimes feel inconsistent. But it’s fun in a grown-up kind of way.
Like a video game made real
If you want something more involving/intriguing/immature (delete as appropriate), you can play with the Virtual Gear Shift. Previously seen in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, this simulates a six-speed manual transmission, accompanied by the snarl of a powerful petrol engine.
At first, the effect feels rather like playing a video game, but you soon forget the artifice and just enjoy the experience. Leave the VGS in automatic mode and it gives a convincing impression of a twin-clutch auto ’box. Alternatively, you can take control via paddles behind the steering wheel, which are otherwise used to adjust the level of brake energy recovery. The ‘redline’ is at 6,000rpm and you run out of revs at 7,100rpm, causing a lurch as the ‘engine’ bounces off its imaginary limiter. You can’t stall, but well-timed shifts are rewarded with swift, smooth progress.
As for the soundtrack, a member of Kia’s PR team likened it to the five-cylinder engine in an Audi RS3 and I can’t think of a better comparison. It’s quite different to the hot Hyundai, which has eight virtual gears and sounds more like a turbocharged four.
Verdict: Kia EV4 GT
To paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of the hot hatchback’s death have been greatly exaggerated. Indeed, cars like the EV4 GT offer hope that an electric future doesn’t need to be dull. And if a part of their appeal lies in imitating a petrol car, so be it. If you don’t like the Virtual Gear Shift and five-cylinder fireworks, you can switch them off.
Ultimately, the EV4 GT isn’t as entertaining as the benchmark Golf GTI, but it’s a quick and accomplished car that delivers on Kia’s goals to be comfortable and usable. If you’re in the market for a family EV and want more than just fuss-free transport and a long warranty, it’s well worth a look.
Who knows, you might even find yourself tackling a great road just for the fun of it. If you’re in the area, may I recommend the Route Napoleon? Just allow yourself enough time to drive it twice.
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