Kia reveals the UK’s parking woes and the city that ranks worst for finding a space
A third of drivers feel anxious, worried or scared about parking and regularly drive past spaces because they’re too difficult, according to research by Kia UK1.
The comprehensive study revealed one in three motorists ranked bay parking as the hardest manoeuvre, with two-thirds (64 per cent) saying spaces are not wide enough. It’s 50 years since the standard parking bay size was last formally reviewed in 1976. This has led to over half (56 per cent) of drivers being blocked from getting into or out of their cars and forcing them to climb over seats, let passengers out before parking, or wait for other cars to move before driving away. As a result, half of drivers (50 per cent) want their car to park itself or via remote control.
With the Kia EV2 drivers can do just that, as the first small SUV to offer remote parking technology, alongside a suite of other driver aids. Offering the best of Kia in its smallest electric car yet, the EV2 can be driven in and out of spaces remotely, using just its key. The panic and stress of parking has caused one in five drivers (18 per cent) to be late because they couldn’t find a space, resulting in missed health appointments, work meetings, birthday parties, romantic dates, and parents’ evenings.
Matthew Stevens, Head of Product, Kia UK, said: “Parking is something all drivers have to do, yet it strikes fear into the hearts of so many of us, to the point that we’re driving round in circles looking for the perfect spot.
“At Kia, we want to make life behind the wheel as enjoyable and stress-free as possible. That’s why we’re launching the EV2, our most compact electric car yet, with genuinely useful parking technology, giving drivers a live 360-degree view around their car and allowing them to park it remotely. EV2 owners will never have to climb across the passenger seat to get out ever again.”
The Kia Parking Index2, which analyses a range of factors across the UK, found Southampton was the worst city for parking, followed by Oxford and Liverpool. By contrast, Aberdeen was the ranked as the UK’s best city for parking. Drivers in Gloucester ranked themselves as the best parkers in the country, compared to Swansea where locals rank their fellow residents the worst.
The Index takes into account how drivers rank their own parking, how they perceive the overall standard in their local area, the availability of spaces, bay sizes, average time spent looking for a space and if they’ve had a parking-related accident. One in 10 drivers said they had hit something while parking, with half of these admitting to reversing into a bollard. A third said they’d hit another car, and a quarter had damaged their alloy wheels.
The average cost to fix damage due to parking accidents is £388. The EV2, Kia’s new small electric B-segment SUV, combines bold design, advanced technology, and everyday versatility, offering the best of Kia in its most compact electric car yet. That includes a comprehensive suite of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), such as a complete suite of parking aids, and connectivity features typically found in higher segments.
Alongside its 360-degree Surround View Monitor, front and rear parking sensors, and Reverse Parking Collision Avoidance Assist, the EV2 features Remote Smart Parking Assist. This allows the vehicle to be manoeuvred from outside using the smart key, a feature unique in the segment. To highlight just how good the technology is, Kia has partnered with comedian and self-confessed bad driver Maisie Adam.
Maisie, who passed her driving test after seven attempts and appeared on the World’s Most Dangerous Roads, tested out her parking skills alongside Kia Parking Expert, Francesca Reid, before using the EV2 technology and Remote Smart Parking Assist for the first time.
Maisie said: “I was on first name terms with the driving test invigilators by the time I passed my test. I’ve got better now but I still hate parking. It’s awful endlessly driving around trying to find a space that I’m comfortable parking in and then my anxiety gets even worse when you’ve got an audience of other drivers – which is weird given my job.
“The EV2 technology is a real game-changer for me and my parking - it’s like having a remote-control car and being able to reverse while you’re outside the car is so much easier.” To make parking easy for local shoppers and to give drivers a taste of the EV2’s technology, Kia ran a special valet service at Westquay Shopping Centre in Southampton, where shoppers had their vehicle parked for them, got two hours of free parking, and experienced a demo of the EV2’s Remote Smart Parking Assist technology.
The EV2 is the second fully electric model produced at Kia’s Žilina facility in Europe, following the EV4. Kia will soon announce full details of the EV2 line-up for the UK, including pricing and specifications, before customer deliveries start in the summer.
1 Research conducted by One Poll, January 2026
2 Kia Parking Index
Top 10 UK cities ranked worst for parking:
- Southampton
- Oxford
- Liverpool
- Norwich
- Belfast
- Leicester
- Cambridge
- London
- Manchester
- Gloucester
Top 5 UK cities ranked best for parking:
- Aberdeen
- Worcester
- Edinburgh
- Glasgow
- Swansea