Kia EV4 vs Tesla Model 3

The Tesla Model 3 costs £3,245 more than the Kia EV4. For that premium it adds 62 miles more WLTP range, 48 kW faster peak rapid charging and 247 litres more boot space. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the Kia EV4 comes out ahead overall.

The Kia EV4 is £3,245 cheaper to buy. Running costs are almost identical - about £144 a year either way, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the Kia EV4 comes out roughly £3,245 cheaper overall. These figures cover list price and home charging only - insurance, servicing, tyres and depreciation will move the real total.

EVcarsguide estimates a real-world motorway range of about 226 miles for the Kia EV4 and 229 miles for the Tesla Model 3 - effectively matched, and both well below their WLTP figures because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV.

The Kia EV4 is the easier car for tight UK car parks: it is 73 mm narrower than the Tesla Model 3. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 540 mm of total clearance for the Kia EV4 and about 467 mm of total clearance for the Tesla Model 3. The Kia EV4 also turns in a 0.7 m tighter circle, which helps with U-turns and multi-storey ramps.

Over a 8-year ownership window EVcarsguide's degradation model projects roughly 89% battery health for the Kia EV4 and 92% for the Tesla Model 3. That gives the Tesla Model 3 a modest edge in retained real-world range. The Tesla Model 3's LFP-type pack tolerates daily 100% charging, while the Kia EV4's NMC-type pack lasts longest kept to about 80% for everyday use. Both batteries carry a 8-year manufacturer warranty.