The new entry edition in Kia’s impressive electric car family has fully unveiled.

AND now the smallest box has been fully unpacked.

This is the Kia EV2, whose positioning for the New Zealand market has yet to be established. Comment from the brand’s usual spokesman today was “nothing to report”.

With Kia NZ being a factory operation that has taken every other electric car from Seoul, not just for passenger but also including the commercial PV range, it’s hard to imagine how the EV2 could be ignored. It’s definitely an important international car for the South Korean marque.

As the entry point to all the Hyundai Group brand’s electric models, the EV2 conceivably stands as a foil to models out of China - the BYD Atto 2, Dongfeng Box in particular - that have captured attention for re-setting the price point for brand new EV buy-in.

On past performance, it’s highly doubtful the Kia could sticker exactly against those cars, which hover in and around the $30,000 zone, but it would nonetheless have to be markedly cheaper than the current least expensive Kia EV here, the $55,520 EV3 Light SR.

At 4060mm long, 1800mm wide, 1575mm tall and with a wheelbase of 2565mm, the EV2 looks to be handily-sized.

Overseas comment from the international launch event, in Spain, from which today’s information comes, says it is a comfortable four seater, more of a squeeze for five if just adults involve.

It is currently made with just one motor option, a 108kW/250Nm unit for front drive, and the launch focused on the Earth Standard (pictured), which has a 42.2kWh battery, 317 kilometres’ range and 0-100kmh in 8.7 seconds.

Abetting soon will be a Long Range version with a 61kWh NMC battery and, to help prolong its range, it gets a slightly less powerful electric motor with a peak power output of 100kW. That version will accelerate from 0-100kmh in 9.5 seconds.

EV2 goes big on the chunky look Kia calls its 'Opposites United' design language; it really leans into the SUV image with upright front and rear ends and wheels that are pushed out into the corners to minimise overhangs and boost interior space.

As with Kia's other models, there will be several specification grades, though the exterior difference between them is subtle and mainly differentiated by wheel sizes which start at 16 inches and go up to 19 inches on the GT-Line version.

All EV2s get the same LED headlights with two vertical sections of daytime running lights, the outer line placed on the car's extremity to emphasise its width. Door handles sit flush with the bodywork to help optimise the car's aerodynamics and, when unlocked, they pop out from one side.

What’s just as important is that it retains all the same technology that can be seen in its larger cars. Kia installs the same large digital dashboard that it uses in even its flagship models, called the 'connected car Navigation Cockpit' (ccNC). It appears as a single panel but is made up of two 12.3-inch displays (one being a touchscreen for infotainment) and a 5.3-inch touchscreen in the centre that operates some of the heating and air conditioning settings.

Infotainment-wise, there’s Kia's native operating system, but it can be had with 'ccNC Lite' that does without the navigation hardware to reduce costs, acknowledging that many drivers prefer to use navigation via their phone.

With ccNC Lite, the EV2 doesn't get Kia's EV route planner, which includes automatic battery preconditioning when navigating to a charging stop, but it does still receive over-the-air updates.

The EV2 is also capable of Vehicle-to-Load (V2L), meaning that its high-voltage battery can be used to power external devices via a connector that plugs into the charge port. A 230-volt power outlet can also be fitted to the rear of the cabin as well.

Media report first impression is how spacious it feels for a compact crossover. Part of that is down to the electric platform and how that affords designers the opportunity to create more space inside. The straight roofline also boosts headroom.

A mix of materials avail and strips of ambient lighting on Earth trim upwards further lifts the ambience. There are several USB-C charge ports in the front and on the sides of the front seats so that those in the rear can also charge their devices. Between the front seats there is also a wireless charging pad next to the cupholders.

The 362-litre boot has a flat load-in level and there is some separate storage underneath the boot floor. The rear seats have a 60:40 split fold. Kia also includes a 15-litre frunk under the bonnet, which is enough to store the car's charging cables.

Euro NCAP has yet to test the EV2, but it comes with a large number of safety features and collision avoidance technology. These include autonomous emergency braking, driver-attention monitoring, automatic speed limit detection and numerous other optional features such as Blind-Spot View Monitor, Surround View Monitor and Smart Cruise Control 2.