Kia Ray EV: Kia's 19,000-Euro Beam

Seoul is a fascinating city. Around 9.4 million people live in the South Korean metropolis. Life pulses especially in the trendy districts of Jongno-gu, Hanja, and of course Gangnam-gu. The streets and small alleys are teeming with people. Everywhere you can find stalls where vendors offer sweets, steaming food, jewelry, or monstrous soft ice cream towers that melt faster than you can lick them at 31 degrees evening temperature and a humidity of a felt 95 percent. Around the streets of Hongik University, KSDS takes place: Korea is looking for the Superstar. Every 30 meters there’s a street singer with their portable speaker box singing away, sometimes better, sometimes worse, surrounded by students from all over the world. They sway to the rhythm of the music and exclaim in delight: “Oh oui, c'est bien”. (Oh yes, that's good).

Things in Korea are very different - and much more colorful

A colorful sea of lights turns even the darkest Asian night into day. The displays in the shops are gaudily colorful and mostly equipped with comic figures. The joy of colors runs through all areas of life. The fun of life remains undisturbed and Koreans do things that make Europeans shake their heads. They wear huge animal heads over their heads, and in department stores, styling consultations for men are advertised, which are often fully booked.

The Ray is an insider tip in the Kia range

We dive into the night world of the metropolis with a vehicle that is the insider tip of the Kia product range - the Kia Ray. An electric cube that is 3.59 meters long and 1.70 meters high and somehow looks like the little brother of the Kia Soul. Perfect for the narrow alleys and streets of Seoul. We get through everywhere and around every corner. Where the Hyundais and Genesis stretch out their wheels, the Kia Ray whizzes happily onward with its 64 kW / 87 hp and a torque of 146 newton-meters.

Even in Korea, there are tax-advantaged K-Cars

We let ourselves drift through the streets. Despite the hustle and bustle, there is a pleasant calm in the Ray, because instead of a hysterically whirring three-cylinder, an electric motor hums. Perfectly suited for urban mobility. Additionally, the Kia Ray in Korea is classified as a light vehicle (Gyeongcha). For these vehicles, which are less than 3.60 meters long and less than 1.60 meters wide, less tax is paid in the Asian country than for regular automobiles.

150 kW charging power is extremely strong for a 35.2-kWh battery!

The battery has a capacity of 35.2 kilowatt-hours, which is sufficient for up to 205 kilometers. Charging, when the Ray needs to get some juice, is quite quick at up to 150 kilowatts. For comparison: the Kia 3 EV currently manages only up to 128 kW with the small batteries. The chassis has no major problems with the 1.3-ton living weight of the Ray. When driving in the city, lateral acceleration plays a minor role. With a maximum speed, the Kia Ray is also fast enough to easily keep up on the eight-lane urban highways.

They are already packed full in the early evening, so we only advance at a walking pace. We continue on to Gangnam, where the millionaire entertainer Psy is immortalised on almost every street corner. Be it as a statue or the hands mimicking the world-famous rider gesture of the global hit “Gangnam Style (강남스타일)”. Anyone who wants to know what goes on in Seoul when the man with the black sunglasses plays a home game only needs to watch the video with the live version of the hit in Seoul. Then no questions remain unanswered.

The price is hot: It starts just under 19,000 euros gross!

We park the Ray. As compact as the e-cube is on the outside, inside it is a real giant. No sign of any austerity mobility. And that for a price of 27,750,000 won or just under 19,000 euros. While manufacturers like VW, Skoda, and even Citroën struggle to bring an electric car below the magic 20,000-euro mark to the road.

Super practical: The sliding door on the right

The space and practicality of the tall-built city car are impressive: The sliding door on the right makes it easier to access the rear. Even with the standard seating, you sit comfortably in both the front and back. However, if you fold down the front passenger seat, the interior of the Ray transforms into a lounge where you can stretch out and listen to the latest K-pop hits. Including Psy, of course: "Oppa is Gangnam style, Gangnam style" for sing-along. The good thing is that the trunk is also much larger than a drawer.

The cockpit with digital instruments (4.2 inches) does not follow the modern touchscreen fetishism where tablets keep getting larger. The 10.25-inch display is sufficient. In this respect, the Ray is a classic car, which is not a bad thing. We return to the streets of Seoul. After 11 PM, they are eerily empty.