Kia EV2 goes beyond its WLTP range in Norway

NAF tested the EV2 on real roads

The Norwegian Automobile Federation NAF and Motor magazine run the El Prix twice a year, in summer and winter, to compare real-world EV range and charging speed under broadly consistent conditions. The 2026 summer test brought together 24 new electric cars, from small urban models to large family EVs. In NAF’s official results table, the Kia EV2 is listed with a 325 km result, a 308 km WLTP figure and a positive deviation of 5.5 percent. Charging from 10 to 80 percent took 29 minutes, exactly in line with Kia’s own claim.

This was not the longest range in the test, and it was never going to be. Larger, more expensive electric family cars naturally travelled much farther: the BMW iX3 reached 781 km in NAF’s table, while the Lucid Gravity managed 720 km. The EV2’s point is different. This is a small-battery B-segment crossover that used its energy well and beat its official figure in a test where many EVs end up below WLTP.

Small battery, strong efficiency

A 42.2 kWh battery and a 325 km test result put the EV2 in a genuinely useful operating window. Calculated simply against total battery capacity, the result works out at roughly 13.0 kWh/100 km, although usable capacity and the car’s own trip-computer figure may differ. The broader message is clear enough: the EV2 is not relying on a large battery to make its case, but on the way its aerodynamics, chassis tuning, tyres and power electronics work together.

Charging is just as important. For small EVs, decent urban range is no longer enough, because European buyers expect one car to cover commuting, weekend trips and summer-holiday drives. If the EV2 can go from 10 to 80 percent in 29 minutes and repeat that in an independent test, the 42.2 kWh version starts to look like far more than a cheaper entry point.

GT-Line prototype points to the larger battery’s potential

The same test also included an EV2 GT-Line prototype with a 61.0 kWh battery, although NAF left it out of the final ranking because it was not a production car. According to Kia, the version on 19-inch wheels covered 428 km, beating its 418 km target by about two percent. The run took place on dry roads in temperatures between 12 and 18 degrees Celsius.

For Europe, that figure may matter even more than the Standard Range model’s class result. The 42.2 kWh EV2 fits city use and shorter commutes well, but the 61.0 kWh version is the one that has to work as the household’s main car. Around 430 km of real summer range would already put the EV2 in territory where a single charging stop is enough for most family-holiday driving days.

Europe’s small-EV field is crowded, but the EV2 hits the right mark

The Renault 5 E-Tech offers up to 410 km of WLTP range in Estonia with the 52 kWh battery, while the 40 kWh version is rated at up to 312 km, putting the French hatchback very close to the EV2. The Citroën ë-C3 follows the affordable electric city-car formula with a 44 kWh LFP battery, up to 320 km of WLTP range and 100 kW DC charging. The Hyundai Inster reaches up to 370 km on the WLTP cycle with its 49 kWh battery, so the EV2 is also fighting an in-house alternative from the same Korean group.

Kia’s own model information lists up to 317 km of WLTP range for the 42.2 kWh battery and up to 453 km for the 61.0 kWh version. It also quotes a 10 to 80 percent DC fast-charge time of roughly 29 to 30 minutes.

Technical snapshot

Kia EV2 Standard Range: 325 km in the NAF El Prix summer test, compared with a WLTP figure of 308 km.
Result: 17 km and 5.5 percent above the official rating.
Charging: 10 to 80 percent took 29 minutes in NAF’s table, matching the manufacturer’s claim.
Larger-battery prototype: The 61.0 kWh EV2 GT-Line prototype covered 428 km in the same conditions, but was not included in the final ranking.
Architecture: The EV2 uses a 400 V E-GMP architecture, supports 11 kW and 22 kW AC charging, and offers fast DC charging.