[Test Drive] Make Ray more perfect! Kia Ray EV

A car with a better electric motor than the engine has finally appeared.

Post | unique photo | Jaehyuk Choi

Although there are only a few compact cars in Korea, the Ray is special among them. This is because although it is a ‘super height wagon’ style that is often seen in Japanese compact cars, there is only one of this model in Korea. The engine that was mentioned as a weak point in Ray was the engine. Due to the limitations of being a compact car, the engine displacement was limited, so although the output was output, the torque was weak, making it difficult to drive briskly. Of course, it also affected fuel efficiency, and even considering that it is a compact car, Ray’s fuel economy is not that good.

So, I have high expectations for Ray EV. There was a Ray EV before, but I remember that it couldn’t drive even 100km because of the battery capacity. Fortunately, battery technology has advanced, and by finding cheaper batteries, price increases have been suppressed as much as possible while driving range has been increased. So how is the Ray EV different from the existing engine Ray? The key to this test drive is how an electric motor changes the same car, and whether the change is positive.

This is enough!

Even though it is called Ray EV, the design is almost the same as the regular Ray. The difference is the charging port on the front of the grill and the wheel design. So you can’t tell them apart based on appearance alone. In comparison, the interior has changed a lot, and what stands out is the fully digital instrument panel, neatly trimmed air conditioner switches, and the transmission that has disappeared from the center console. The transmission has been moved to the right of the steering column, and can be turned up or down to select forward or reverse. The ignition switch is also located here.

The wide space, which is Ray’s advantage, remains the same. I thought the bottom might have risen a little when the battery was installed, but when I looked at the specifications, the overall height increased by 10mm. It appears that the ground clearance has been increased as the battery has been added. In any case, the Ray has wide space between the front and back seats, and it is even possible to secure knee space by pushing the rear seats back (of course, you have to select the option). When all the seats are folded, there is space for car camping. How can you get air conditioner or heater assistance even without the V2L function?

Perhaps the most curious thing is driving performance. The electric motor mounted on the Ray EV is supplied by Borg Warner, and is equipped with a 35.2kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery. The motor output is about 87 horsepower and the torque is about 14.9kg-m, which is higher than that of a gasoline engine. The curb weight is about 250 kg heavier than the engine version, but it accelerates so briskly that this is not a problem. At least the frustrating feeling of acceleration felt in the engine version is completely gone.

The first thing you notice when starting the car and moving it is a slight noise(?). Electric vehicles are required to make a sound when driving at low speeds, but the Ray EV seems to have not paid much attention to soundproofing, so the sound can be heard even inside the interior. Still, once you get past that speed range, it’s basically quiet. Of course, if you increase the driving speed above 80-90 km/h, you will hear wind noise, but you will probably never drive around with Ray to this extent. Thanks to this, listening to music has become better.

To be clear, the Ray EV is not an exciting car like a sports car. Still, we can confidently say that it is a good car in that the frustration of acceleration has disappeared and stability has improved as the battery runs out. There may be some who say that the driving distance is short, but in the first place, the engine version cannot travel a long distance with a single refueling. And compact cars are cars made with the premise of being active in urban areas. If you absolutely drive more than 200 km round trip a day, it is right to buy another car.

The Ray EV is better made than expected, and if used in the city, its practicality is more than sufficient. Of course, fast charging is slower than expected, and the driving range will be shorter in winter, but the price is cheap enough to take that into account. At this price, I think many people would buy a long-distance engine car and purchase the Ray EV for city driving. The only concern is the survival of small and medium-sized electric vehicle companies. As the price of the Ray EV, which can run freely on the highway, will become the standard, survival itself may become difficult.