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Kia is set to launch a Volkswagen ID 3-rivalling hatchback version of the upcoming EV4 alongside the fastback that was shown in concept form last year.

A prototype EV4 was recently spotted testing at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, suggesting it is edging closer to its showroom debut. Although heavily disguised, it clearly has a different silhouette from the concept, swapping its sloped tail for a bluff rear end. It does not appear to be an estate, however, given the car's rear overhang is seemingly shorter than that of the concept.

The EV4 concept’s styling is intact, with column-shaped lights – a cue ushered in with the EV9 – set on either flank of its low-set nose. The unusually rakish bonnet also remains, aerodynamic performance having been a key part of the EV4’s design brief.

The production car will be based on the E-GMP platform used by Kia’s existing electric cars, the EV3, EV6 and EV9, as well as various Hyundais. Given it is positioned at the lower end of that line-up, it is expected to share powertrains with the EV3.

That car, positioned as an electric competitor to the Volkswagen Golf, is currently offered solely with a 201bhp motor mounted on its front axle. A four-wheel-drive ‘GT’ model is currently in development, with a 194bhp motor up front and a 101bhp unit on its rear axle. Two batteries are available, with the entry-level 58kWh option yielding 267 miles of range. The more expensive 81kWh pack boosts this to an impressive 372 miles, although these figures are likely to be slightly reduced in the larger EV4.

The EV4 is expected to be positioned as an electric alternative to the likes of the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class – shorter than the 4.6m-long EV5 SUV but taking advantage of the packaging opportunities offered by electric cars to rival much larger combustion-engined saloons for interior space.

To that end, the production-ready EV4 is set to keep the minimalist interior layout of the concept, with its dashboard hosting a single touchscreen that’s split between instrument and infotainment displays. Like the EV3, it will gain physical buttons for important functions such as the climate and media controls. It will otherwise major on design flair, with angular panels trimmed in soft cloth.

Production will begin in Slovakia next year and the first examples are expected to arrive in British showrooms in 2026. Given the EV3 is priced from £32,995, it’s expected to start at around £35,000-£40,000.