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Kia EV2 Wants to Be the Budget Electric Crossover That Doesn’t Feel Like One

Kia’s electric onslaught continues, and this time it’s aimed squarely at the heart of Europe’s fastest-growing segment. Meet the Kia EV2, a B-segment electric crossover that’s lining up to take swings at the reborn Renault 4 and Volkswagen’s upcoming ID Cross—while promising the longest range of the bunch and a price that undercuts most of them.

Unveiled at the Brussels motor show, the EV2 is the smallest and cheapest member of Kia’s dedicated EV family, slotting in below the EV3 and EV4. It rides on a simplified version of the brand’s E-GMP platform and will be built in Žilina, Slovakia, alongside the EV4. That European production could make it eligible for incentives like the UK’s electric car grant, which matters when your target price is a hair under €30,000 (about £25,000). Kia’s product and pricing boss Alex Papapetropolous says some trims will dip even lower—and that’s no accident. More than a quarter of the European market lives below that €30K line, and Kia clearly wants a piece of it.

Visually, the EV2 doesn’t pretend to be anything other than a baby SUV. It borrows the squared-off stance and pixelated details of its larger siblings, wrapped around a compact footprint designed to maximize usable space. At 4060 mm long, it’s slightly shorter than the Renault 4, but with an 1800-mm width and a 2565-mm wheelbase, it’s clearly been stretched where it counts. The revised “tiger face” front end gives it family resemblance without overdoing the sci-fi.

Powertrain options are straightforward but competitive. Standard Range models launch first, using a 42.2-kWh LFP battery good for a claimed 196 miles of range and a 145-hp front-mounted motor. The Long Range version arrives later with a larger 61.0-kWh NMC pack, stretching range to an impressive 278 miles—comfortably ahead of the Renault 4’s 254-mile max—paired with a slightly less powerful 134-hp motor. No all-wheel drive here: the EV2’s cost-conscious E-GMP variant uses a torsion-beam rear suspension instead of the multilink setup needed to package a rear motor.

Charging hardware reflects the EV2’s urban mission. It runs on a 400-volt system rather than the 800-volt architecture of the EV6 and EV9, but Kia claims both batteries can charge from 10 to 80 percent in about 30 minutes. More interesting is AC charging: the EV2 will be Kia’s first model available with both 11-kW and 22-kW onboard chargers, a big win for city dwellers who rely on public or workplace charging.

Inside, the EV2 feels familiar but intentionally simplified. The dash is dominated by three screens—a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, a 5.3-inch climate display, and a 12.3-inch central touchscreen—running a new “lite” version of Kia’s infotainment software. The idea is to keep costs down without sacrificing essentials like over-the-air updates. Practicality gets equal billing: buyers can choose between four- and five-seat layouts. The four-seater uses individual reclining rear chairs that slide forward to open up as much as 403 liters of cargo space, while the five-seater still manages a respectable 362 liters. Both versions add a small 15-liter frunk up front.

Trim details are still being finalized, but Kia has confirmed a range-topping GT-Line with 19-inch wheels and sportier styling touches. Lesser trims will roll on 16- or 18-inch wheels, presumably in the name of efficiency—and cost control.

The EV2 doesn’t chase headline performance numbers or futuristic gimmicks. Instead, it plays the long game: solid range, sensible packaging, and pricing that undercuts rivals without feeling stripped bare. If Kia delivers on its promises, the EV2 could become the default recommendation for buyers who want an electric crossover that fits real-world budgets—and real-world lives.

Source: KIA

NEW CARS

Inside the DS Taylor made N°4 Concept

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when a carmaker hands the keys—creatively speaking—to a Formula E hotshoe with a gamer’s eye for detail, the answer is sitting under the lights at the Brussels Motor Show. It’s called the DS “Taylor made N°4 Concept,” and it’s part styling exercise, part motorsport flex, and part very French reminder that DS Automobiles takes its electric racing seriously.

Unveiled by DS CEO Xavier Peugeot at the brand’s Brussels press conference, the concept celebrates Taylor Barnard, the young rising star of the DS PENSKE Formula E Team, and it does so with the kind of theatrical confidence you’d expect from a brand that has spent more than a decade chasing trophies in Formula E—and winning four of them along the way.

At its core, the Taylor made N°4 Concept is based on the DS N°4, a compact premium hatch that DS considers central to its lineup. But calling this show car a dressed-up N°4 is like calling a Formula E car a modified commuter EV. The proportions are meaner, the stance is wider, and the whole thing looks like it escaped from a high-end racing game before the developers had a chance to tone it down for realism.

Front and center is an oversized, unapologetic “N°4” graphic embedded in the grille, framed by a light signature that stays faithful to the production car while dialing up the drama. The pixel-style headlamps lean hard into the sci-fi aesthetic, signaling that this is a car more interested in tomorrow than yesterday.

Designed by a Driver, Filtered by a Studio

What makes this concept more than just another motorshow sculpture is the process behind it. DS’s designers didn’t simply slap Barnard’s name on the fender and call it a day. Instead, the DS Design Studio worked directly with the driver, translating his preferences—shaped by racing and video games—into something that still feels cohesive and, crucially, believable.

Barnard asked for contrasts: dark, monochrome surfaces broken up by subtle color hits. He wanted something technical, something performance-driven, and something personal. The result is a car that looks less like a traditional concept and more like a spec sheet brought to life.

Aerodynamics play a starring role. The body is smoothed and tightened, the ride height is dropped, and the tracks are pushed outward, giving the N°4 a squat, planted look that wouldn’t be out of place in a digital garage menu. DS even admits the proportions take inspiration from video games—and honestly, that explains why it looks so aggressively “right” from every angle.

Barnard himself sums it up best: this isn’t a dream car locked behind velvet ropes; it’s a sports car he could imagine driving every day. High praise, considering most concepts barely survive the show stand.

Titanium, Four Ways

DS’s Colours, Materials and Finishes (CMF) team went all-in, treating the concept the way a Formula E team treats a race weekend: every detail matters. The unifying theme is titanium, interpreted in four distinct finishes that give the car depth without resorting to visual chaos.

There’s Pure Titanium, raw and precise, emphasizing the sharpness of the lines. Liquid Titanium adds gloss and reflection, highlighting the car’s flow and curvature. Then things get interesting with Craft Titanium, a crinkled, metal-like textile inspired by racing applications. It replaces traditional carbon fiber in aero-critical areas like the splitter and lower body, and it’s finished by hand—a nod to craftsmanship in a world increasingly obsessed with automation.

Finally, Black Titanium caps things off on the roof and spoiler, grounding the design and giving the whole car a more sinister edge.

Accents are handled with restraint, which is refreshing. Light Gold, the signature color of DS PERFORMANCE, appears on mirrors, wheel centers, and badges. Subtle purple highlights—Barnard’s favorite color—pop up inside and out, while his racing number, 77, is integrated almost as an Easter egg, illuminated in places like the diffuser lighting.

It’s detail-heavy without being desperate, which is harder to pull off than it sounds.

Motorsport Cred, Road-Going Relevance

DS is keen to stress that this concept isn’t just an art project. Displayed alongside Barnard’s DS E-TENSE FE25 Formula E car, the Taylor made N°4 Concept acts as a bridge to the newly launched DS PERFORMANCE Line Limited Edition, available on the DS 3, N°4, and DS 7.

The production N°4 itself backs up the talk with one of the broadest electrified lineups in its segment. The fully electric N°4 E-TENSE delivers 213 horsepower and up to 450 km of WLTP range, plus features like in-car EV routing, battery preconditioning, and remote charging control. A plug-in hybrid follows with up to 240 hp and 81 km of electric-only range, while a conventional hybrid rounds out the lineup with up to 1,000 km between fuel stops.

In other words, beneath all the titanium and pixel lighting, there’s a real car doing real work for the brand.

From Brussels to Roblox

Because it’s 2026-adjacent and reality alone is no longer enough, DS is also taking the Taylor made N°4 Concept digital. In partnership with Voldex, the car will appear in Driving Empire on Roblox, letting players buy, customize, and drive the concept in a virtual world sometime next year.

It’s a smart move—and a telling one. DS isn’t just chasing lap times or design awards; it’s courting the next generation of enthusiasts where they already live.

The Taylor made N°4 Concept may never hit a public road, but it doesn’t feel like a dead end. Instead, it’s a sharp, confident statement: DS knows exactly who it’s talking to—and it’s speaking their language fluently.

Source: DS Automobiles

News

The Peugeot 408 Refuses to Pick a Lane—and That’s Exactly the Point

Peugeot has never been particularly interested in doing what everyone else is doing, but the new 408 doubles down on that contrarian streak. Is it a fastback? A lifted sedan? A coupe-SUV thing? Yes. And no. And that’s precisely why it works.

Sitting near the top of Europe’s fiercely competitive C-segment, the 408 doesn’t try to out-Volkswagen the Golf or out-SUV the 3008. Instead, it breaks ranks entirely, carving out a shape—and an identity—that feels refreshingly self-confident. Built in Mulhouse and designed to turn heads from Paris to Seoul, the 408 may be Peugeot’s most globally expressive model yet.

Design That Knows It’s Being Watched

The 408’s fastback silhouette is sharp, assertive, and unapologetically dramatic. Its surfacing is busy but intentional, with crisp creases and muscular haunches that give the car a planted, almost feline stance. At 1.48 meters tall, it stays low enough to feel sporty, even as its elevated seating position nods toward crossover practicality.

Peugeot’s lighting designers clearly had fun here. Up front, the brand’s trademark three-claw signature is rendered as slim, slanted LED blades that double as scrolling indicators. They’re visually connected by a full-width light bar that floats above the illuminated Peugeot badge on higher trims. The actual headlights—Matrix LED units on GT models—are tucked discreetly lower in the bumper, nearly invisible when switched off. It’s a neat trick, and one that gives the 408 a piercing, almost predatory stare.

Around back, the 408 becomes the first Peugeot to spell out its name in illuminated letters, framed by a gloss-black strip and flanked by—what else—three glowing claws on either side. Subtle? No. Memorable? Absolutely.

Add in the new Flare Green paint, which shifts from yellowish highlights in sunlight to deep green in shade, and the 408 starts to look less like a safe corporate product and more like a design statement on wheels.

Inside: Tech-Forward Without Losing the Plot

Step inside and you’ll find Peugeot’s latest interpretation of the i-Cockpit, a setup that continues to polarize—and delight. The small, squared-off steering wheel still sits low, with the digital instrument cluster positioned high in the driver’s line of sight. It works better than it sounds, especially here, where the graphics are crisp, customizable, and optionally rendered in eye-catching 3D.

A 10-inch central touchscreen handles infotainment duties, angled slightly toward the driver, while Peugeot’s configurable i-Toggles act as digital shortcut keys for navigation, climate, media, or whatever else you use most. Once set up, they’re genuinely intuitive.

Material quality takes a noticeable step up, especially in GT and GT Exclusive trims, where Alcantara, genuine aluminum, and optional Nappa leather make the cabin feel more premium than you might expect from a C-segment car. Ambient lighting—available in eight colors—adds a lounge-like vibe, while the Focal premium audio system delivers enough clarity and punch to shame plenty of so-called luxury competitors.

Comfort and Space: Quietly Class-Leading

Peugeot doesn’t shout about it, but the 408 is seriously roomy. Thanks to its long 2.79-meter wheelbase, rear-seat passengers get an impressive 183 mm of knee room—more than any other Peugeot currently on sale. The seats themselves are AGR-certified for ergonomics and can be optioned with heating, massage, and extensive electric adjustment.

The cargo area is equally generous: 536 liters with the seats up and a van-like 1,611 liters when they’re folded. That fastback roofline doesn’t penalize practicality nearly as much as you’d expect.

Powertrains: Pick Your Flavor of Electrification

Peugeot’s electrification strategy with the 408 is refreshingly broad. There’s no single “right” answer—just options.

At the top of the tech tree sits the fully electric E-408, producing 213 horsepower and 343 Nm of torque. Thanks to careful aerodynamic work (SCx of 0.66), it manages a respectable 456 km of WLTP range from its 58.2-kWh usable battery, while consuming just 14.7 kWh/100 km. Fast charging at up to 120 kW gets you from 20 to 80 percent in about half an hour—coffee break territory.

Prefer a hybrid middle ground? The plug-in hybrid 408 combines a 180-hp gasoline engine with a 92-kW electric motor for a total of 240 horsepower. It can travel up to 85 km on electricity alone—more than enough for daily commuting—yet still stretch its legs on longer trips.

For those who want electrification without plugging in, the 145-hp mild hybrid quietly does its thing, operating in electric mode for up to half of urban driving while sipping fuel at an impressive 5.0 L/100 km.

How It Drives: Calm, Confident, and Surprisingly Agile

Wide tracks, a low center of gravity, and Peugeot’s typically well-sorted chassis give the 408 a confident feel on the road. It’s not a hot hatch in disguise, but it turns in eagerly, feels stable at speed, and remains easy to maneuver in tight urban environments thanks to an 11.2-meter turning circle.

The compact steering wheel adds to the sensation of agility, even if it still takes a drive or two to fully acclimate.

The Bigger Picture

Beyond design and drivetrain choices, the 408 makes a compelling case with its long-term ownership story. Over-the-air updates, connected navigation with AI integration, advanced driver monitoring, and Peugeot’s eight-year/160,000-km warranty (including the battery on EV models) all contribute to a sense of polish and reassurance.

Add features like Plug & Charge compatibility, battery pre-conditioning, Vehicle-to-Load capability, and a genuinely useful trip planner, and it’s clear Peugeot has thought hard about real-world usability—not just brochure bragging rights.

The Peugeot 408 isn’t trying to be everything to everyone—and that’s exactly why it stands out. It’s stylish without being impractical, tech-forward without being gimmicky, and electrified without forcing you into a single solution.

In a segment crowded with safe choices and familiar shapes, the 408 dares to look different, feel different, and drive its own road. And in today’s automotive landscape, that might be its biggest strength.

Source: Peugeot

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