Electric Kia Pride restomod promises hot hatch performance and thrills

Kia UK has revealed a charming restomod of the first car it sold in Britain, the Kia Pride, to mark the company’s 80th anniversary.

Based on the supermini that was introduced here in 1991, the Pride EV has swapped out its tiny petrol engine for an electric powertrain, and is said to offer a similar power-to-weight ratio as hot hatchbacks of the Seventies and Eighties. 

The restomod made its debut at the October Bicester Scramble and has been restored from the brand’s UK heritage fleet.

Under the bonnet, the tiny 60bhp 1.3-litre engine has been replaced by an electric motor with 70 per cent more power and 99 per cent more torque. Granted, this only brings the power figure up to 107bhp, but it’s still plenty in such a lightweight model.

Unusually for an electric car, drive is sent to the front wheels not via a single-speed transmission, but a modified version of the original car’s five-speed manual. 

The electric motor draws power from a compact 20kWh battery pack, and three drive modes are offered. Kia UK tells us the powertrain has been engineered to be playful and engaging, rather than focus on energy efficiency. 

Inside, Kia has subtly retrimmed the cabin with green highlights, inspired by the EV6 GT, but otherwise the styling remains true to the original, including the original plastic wheel trims. 

The hush hush project constitutes the third bespoke one-off created by Kia UK, joining a high-performance version of the Stinger called the GT420 and a Soul beach buggy. 

2024 marks 80 years since Kia’s formation in 1944. Back then, it was a simple bicycle parts maker, quite a contrast to the mega-manufacturer that it’s become today. 

This Pride was introduced to the UK in 1991. Although built in South Korea, it was actually a rebadged version of the Ford Fiesta produced under licence from 1987.

It shared most of its key parts, including its powertrain, interior and exterior design, differing only in its badging and the front grille. This specific generation of Fiesta was also available in overseas markets as the Ford Festiva, and even as a Mazda 121.