The Kia Ray is a tall, boxy car in Korea’s light-car class. It’s sold in Korea with a 1.0-liter gas engine or as the Ray EV, and both come as a passenger car or a van.
The Ray isn’t listed on Kia’s US, UK or Taiwan lineup pages. This guide covers what it is, how big it is, and how it compares with the Kia Morning and Hyundai Casper.
The Kia Ray at a glance
These figures come from Kia’s Korean spec pages for the 2027 Ray and Ray EV, checked in October 2026. Imperial figures are our own conversions.
| Ray (1.0 gas) | Ray EV | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 3,595 mm (141.5 in) | 3,595 mm (141.5 in) |
| Width | 1,595 mm (62.8 in) | 1,595 mm (62.8 in) |
| Height | 1,700 mm (66.9 in) | 1,710 mm (67.3 in) |
| Wheelbase | 2,520 mm (99.2 in) | 2,520 mm (99.2 in) |
| Power | 76 PS | 64.3 kW motor (about 87 PS) |
| Engine / battery | 998 cc, 4-speed automatic | 35.2 kWh |
| Official efficiency (combined) | 12.9 km/L on 14-inch tires, 12.6 on 15-inch (about 30 mpg US for both) | 5.1 km/kWh |
| Official range (combined) | – | 205 km (about 127 miles) |
These are Korea’s official declared figures. Kia notes that real-world numbers vary with road conditions, driving style, load, maintenance and outside temperature.
What “light car” means in Korea
Kia lists the Ray in the light car class (경형, gyeonghyeong). This is a legal category, not a marketing label. It’s defined in Annex 1 of the Enforcement Rules of the Motor Vehicle Management Act.
For a regular light passenger car, the annex sets four limits:
- Engine under 1,000 cc, or for an EV, a peak motor output under 80 kW
- Length up to 3.6 meters
- Width up to 1.6 meters
- Height up to 2.0 meters
The Ray is 5 mm under both the length and width caps (our own subtraction from Kia’s figures). The Ray EV’s 64.3 kW motor also stays under the 80 kW line.
Passenger car or van
Both the gas Ray and the Ray EV come in a passenger version and two van versions. Kia’s Korean site lists a 1-seat van aimed at deliveries, mobile shops or leisure use, and a 2-seat van that keeps a passenger seat.
The Ray EV
The EV keeps the same footprint and adds 10 mm of height. Kia’s Korean spec page lists these official figures:
- Battery: 35.2 kWh, LFP chemistry, cells and pack by CATL, pack made in China
- Motor: 64.3 kW peak, 147 Nm torque
- Range: 205 km combined, 233 km city, 171 km highway (about 127, 145 and 106 miles)
Highway range, at 171 km, is the lowest of the three figures. Kia also warns that range can drop in cold weather as battery performance falls.
Sliding door and fold-flat seats
Kia’s Korean feature page lists a sliding door and full-folding seats for every seat. Those sit inside a body that’s 1,700 mm tall (1,710 mm for the EV) on a 3,595 mm length.
Kia’s genuine accessory list for the Ray includes a side tarp and a camping chair and table set, and Kia pitches the 1-seat van partly for leisure.
Is the Ray sold outside Korea?
We checked three of Kia’s country sites in October 2026. The Ray was not listed on the US vehicle lineup, the UK new cars page or the Kia Taiwan full lineup.
That doesn’t mean it’s sold nowhere else, only that these three official pages don’t show it. In Korea the car is current: Kia’s owner’s manual portal, with Korea selected, lists a 2027 Ray manual.
Search interest tells a different story. Over the past year, Google Trends ranked Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, Taiwan, South Korea and Kazakhstan as the top regions for “kia ray”. Trends measures relative interest, not search volume.
A Chinese-language query about the Ray’s price in Taiwan was also among the fastest-rising related searches. Kia Taiwan’s lineup doesn’t include the car, and we found no official explanation for the interest.
Kia Ray vs Kia Morning vs Hyundai Casper
By their listed dimensions and engines, the Kia Morning and Hyundai Casper also fit within the light-car limits. Here’s how the gas versions compare, using each brand’s Korean spec page.
| Kia Ray | Kia Morning | Hyundai Casper | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length | 3,595 mm | 3,595 mm | 3,595 mm |
| Width | 1,595 mm | 1,595 mm | 1,595 mm |
| Height | 1,700 mm | 1,485 mm | 1,575 mm (1,605 mm with roof rack) |
| Wheelbase | 2,520 mm | 2,400 mm | 2,400 mm |
| Base engine | 998 cc, 76 PS | 998 cc, 76 PS | 998 cc, 76 PS |
All three share the same length and width, each 5 mm under the caps, so the differences are in height and wheelbase. The Ray is the tallest and has the longest wheelbase of the three. The Casper also offers a 1.0 turbo with 100 PS.
In the UK, the Morning is sold as the Picanto and the Casper Electric as the Inster. Our Hyundai and Kia name lookup table lists every current Hyundai and Kia passenger model in Korea against its US and UK name. For the electric Casper, see how the Inster differs from the Casper Electric.
Where to check the latest specs
Kia’s Korean site publishes the full spec sheets for the Ray and the Ray EV, in Korean. Kia says specs can change without notice, so check there before relying on a figure.
Last checked: October 9, 2026. Sources: Kia Korea Ray and Ray EV specification and feature pages, Kia Korea Morning specification page, Hyundai Casper Online specification page, Enforcement Rules of the Motor Vehicle Management Act Annex 1, as amended January 31, 2024 (Korea Ministry of Government Legislation), Kia US, UK and Taiwan lineup pages, Kia owner’s manual portal, Google Trends (worldwide, past 12 months).