Image Credit: Captain Electro.
Right, let's skip the salad and get straight to the meat and potatoes. Kia has unleashed a trio of electric hooligans in Brussels and slapped the "GT" badge on them with the enthusiasm of a toddler with a sticker book. I'm talking about the EV3 GT, the EV4 GT, and the EV5 GT. Basically, Kia's entire affordable lineup was given a shot of espresso and a pair of running shoes.
The modern obsession with making family SUVs "sporty" is a bit like putting a spoiler on a toaster. Does it make the toast faster? But Kia seems dead serious about this. They are calling it "GT fever." It does sound like something you'd need a potent ointment for, but apparently, it just means dual motors and neon seatbelts.
Image Credit: Kia.
First off, let's tackle the naming, because if you blink, you will miss the logic. It's actually four cars, not three. You have the wee EV3, which is a subcompact SUV. Then the EV5, which is a slightly chubbier compact SUV. And stuck in the middle like a confused teenager is the EV4, which comes as either a hatchback or a "fastback." I still don't know why we need two shapes for the same car, but variety is the spice of life, or so they tell me at the pub.
Visually, Kia hasn't gone completely mad, which is a mercy. In true Korean fashion, they kept it subtle. No massive wings that would embarrass a teenager in a parking lot. Instead, you get 20-inch alloy wheels that look proper smart and hint that this isn't your average grocery getter. It's a bit of a "wolf in sheep's clothing" vibe, provided the wolf is electric and hums like a refrigerator.
Image Credit: Kia.
Step inside, and it's like a disco in there. We get semi-bucket seats - you need extra lateral support when navigating the drive-thru - and steering wheels stamped with the GT logo. Kia even threw in neon accents and ambient lighting that changes color depending on how angry you are driving. It's all very high-tech and "gamified." I suppose that's what the kids want these days.
All three (or four) sit on the same E-GMP platform. They also share a rather large 81.4 kWh battery pack. That's a decent size bucket of electrons. But the real party trick is the dual-motor setup. This gives you All-Wheel Drive, which is grand for when it rains, which is most of the time where I'm from.
Image Credit: Kia.
The EV3 GT and the slippery EV4 GT both pump out 282 horsepower. The bigger, heavier EV5 GT gets a little pat on the back and a bump up to 302 horsepower. That's not exactly Ferrari territory, but for a box on wheels that you use to haul the dog and the weekly shop, it's plenty.
The stopwatch tells an interesting story, too. The EV4 GT is the sprinter of the group, hitting 60 mph (well, 62 mph technically) in just 5.6 seconds. The EV3 GT is hot on its heels at 5.7 seconds. The chunky EV5 GT trails behind at 6.2 seconds, probably because it had an extra helping of pudding for lunch. These aren't face-melting numbers, but they are quick enough to make you smile if you stomp on the pedal too hard.
Image Credit: Kia.
Kia claims it isn't chasing supercar stats, and I can believe that. Instead, the engineers focused on "feel." They have given these things a dedicated GT drive mode. This sharpens the steering and stiffens the suspension electronically. It's supposed to make you feel like a racing driver, even if you are just stuck in traffic on the highway.
Then we have the toys. Oh, the toys. Kia has included "e-torque vectoring" and a Virtual Gear Shift (VGS) system that pretends to shift gears. In an electric car. With no gears. It's an automotive vegetarian sausage - it mimics the real thing, but you know deep down it's made of plants. They also added active sound design, so it makes "vroom-vroom" noises. I'm rolling my eyes so hard it hurts.
Image Credit: Kia.
Despite my grumbling, the equipment list is genuinely impressive. You get a Harman Kardon sound system standard - perfect for drowning out the fake engine noise. There's a head-up display so you don't have to look down, and Remote Smart Parking Assist. That last one lets the car park itself while you stand outside and watch. It's a great party trick until it scratches the rims and you have to explain it to your insurance.
Production starts in the second quarter of 2026. Kia's marketing crew hasn't told us the price yet, probably to stop us from fainting, but expect a premium over the standard models. These three join the existing EV6 GT and the massive EV9 GT, creating a whole family of fast, silent furniture. Kia teased a sixth member based on the upcoming EV2. It's going to be a tiny little rocket, and that's the one I want to drive. Small, fast cars are a laugh. Big, fast SUVs are just physics equations waiting to go wrong.
Image Credit: Kia.
Is the "GT fever" terminal? Probably not. It looks like a bit of fun, actually. Kia is proving that electric cars don't have to be boring appliances. They can be silly, fast, and full of fake noises, just like the petrol cars we loved and lost. And if that makes people smile on their way to work, then I suppose I can't be too grumpy about it.
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