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The EV3 is the first in a new generation of small electric Kias. If you think that the futuristic looks suggest a step forward from the technology the brand was previously offering with the Niro EV in this segment, you won't be disappointed. Compact EVs have moved on significantly. And if you doubt that, then you need to try this car.
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Compact Full Electric Cars
Background
Kia is already very serious about electric cars. It's about to get more serious still. The E-GMP electrified platform it developed for its two most advanced bigger EVs, the EV6 and the EV9, has now been used for the kind of small electric models that will really drive the Korean company's sales forward. It's been re-engineered for three more compact electric cars - and this is the first of them, the EV3.
As you may be aware, Kia already has a compact EV hatch (the Niro EV) competing in this space against volume electric small models like the Volkswagen ID.3 and the Renault Megane E-Tech. But that Niro is very much an EV/combustion compromise: the Niro range does after all also have Hybrid and PHEV variants. The EV3, in contrast, has none of the design constraints of having to allow for combustion power and as a result, is a much more serious kind of electric vehicle, with more range and greater cabin space. Aimed at people also much more serious about the EV switch. Let's take a closer look.
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Range data
| Min | Max |
| Price | 32995 | 43895 |
| Max Speed (mph) | 106 | 106 |
| 0-62 mph (s) | 7.7 | 7.7 |
| Electric WLTP-Rated Driving Range (miles) | 270 | 270 |
| Length (mm) | 4300 | 4300 |
| Min | Max |
| Width (mm) | 1850 | 1850 |
| Height (mm) | 1560 | 1560 |
| Boot Capacity (l) | 460 | 460 |
| Power (ps) | 201 | 201 |
| Torque (lb ft) | 283 | 283 |
Driving experience
The electric motor in use here will be the same regardless of the flavour of EV3 you happen to choose - producing 201bhp with 283Nm of torque. But customers do get a choice of batteries for it to be linked to. The Standard Range version gets a 58.3kWh unit giving a range of 270 miles. The vast majority of UK EV3 customers though are going to want the Long Range version we tried, which has a bigger 81.4kWh battery that will take you up to 375 miles between charges in base 'Air'-spec form (or 367 miles with plusher 'GT-Line' trim). Either way, that's substantially further than most rivals can go - and way further than the smaller 64.8kWh battery of Kia's other model in this segment, the Niro EV, can manage (that car is limited to just 285 miles). Few EV3 models will be sold with a heat pump though, so you might struggle to replicate its headline figures in the depths of winter.
You won't be expecting a car of this kind to be engaging to drive - or at least you shouldn't be anyway. We were impressed by the relative sharpness of its similarly-platformed mid-sized EV6 showroom stablemate but this EV3 is a rather different confection - and not only because its drive comes from a different end. A near 1.9-tonne kerb weight is a lot for a car of this diminutive size (around 120kg heavier than a Niro EV), which doubtless contributes to the car's disinclination to corner with much enthusiasm. But the syrupy steering feel won't encourage you to do that anyway.
But the EV3 compensates with more important attributes. Body roll's well controlled (helped by all that low-down weight), while cornering grip is tenacious and ride quality's excellent, even with bigger rims than the 17-inch ones we're trying here. We're also impressed by the levels of refinement - not all EVs are as silent as they should be, but you should find this one to be satisfyingly quiet. Or at least you'll find it is until you start to be irritated by the constant binging and bonging of its drive assist systems (the speed limit element of which is fiddly to completely disable). Once you figure out how to live with all these features though, you'll find this a relaxing journeying companion, whether the need is to commute or to cruise. Ultimate performance doesn't much matter in a car like this - a linear level of driveability is more important; or to put it another way, you don't want to be hurled back in your seat by the torque of the electric motor every time you brush your foot against the throttle; in an EV3, you won't be.
For day-to-day driving, you don't really need anything other than the most frugal of the various provided drive modes (Eco), but if you do select the most urgent (Sport), the 62mph sprint takes between 7.4s and 7.7s, depending on variant (the heavier, bigger-battery version is slightly slower), while top speed is 106mph.
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Design and build
Kia doesn't hold back when it comes to visual impact these days and the EV3 is certainly divisively styled, as we knew it would be from the concept car shown in 2023. At 4,300mm long, 1,850mm wide and 1,560mm tall, it's fractionally shorter and lower but slightly wider than a Niro EV. With squared-off looks, a sloping roof and sharp surfacing, plus all kinds of cues borrowed from the larger EV9. Roof rails and angular wheel arch cladding supply the crossover vibe and there are flush-fitting door handles that are hidden in the C-pillar at the rear. At the front, despite the lack of a grille, Kia has still retained its trademark 'Tiger Face' incorporating thin 'Star Map' headlights. The LED tail lamp strips are even narrower and wheel rim sizes are between 17 and 19-inches.
Indoors, Kia says it's tried to achieve a 'living space' feel, though to appreciate that, your 'living space' would have to be dominated by screens, as this one is. As with the EV9, there are 12.3-inch displays for instruments and infotainment, plus a further 5.3-inch centre screen for climate control and a 12-inch Head-up display. The central monitor's look can be customised with a selection of design themes based around things like Marvel or Star Wars: in the US, Kia offers skins for it based on NBA teams. And ChatGPT is embedded in its voice control software. There's also a central unit between the seats with a sliding table.
We seem to have progressed from designers thinking every dashboard button has to be eliminated; here, switches are retained for essential controls. The current fad is sustainability and there's plenty of that here, with recycled PET and fabric used for the seats, headliner, armrest and floor mats. If you're interested in the eco and biodegradable materials used, a QR code on the dash will brief you on it.
Though the exterior dimensions may be much like a Niro, the 2,680mm wheelbase length is much longer (closer to a Sportage) and that means much more rear seat space than you'd get in a comparable Niro EV - and most rivals too. You get a big boot as well (460-litres) plus because this is an EV-only design, there's also a 25-litre 'frunk' below the bonnet.
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Market and model
Things kick off with base 'Air'-spec models priced from around £33,000 (with the smaller 58.3kWh battery) or from around £36,000 (with the larger 81.4kWh battery that every other model in the range uses). The kind of EV3 you'd probably ideally like though, is one with sportier-looking 'GT-Line' trim and for one of those, you'll need a starting budget of just under £40,000, slightly above the £37,000 figure Kia wants for the Niro EV. Trim levels culminate with range-topping 'GT-Line S'. If you can stretch to one of the 'GT-Line' trim levels, as most customers will, you'll get yourself a more dynamic-looking EV 3.
Base 'Air' trim level might not look or feel particularly plush but it actually comes with quite a lot. You can tick off 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, LED tail lamps, power-folding mirrors, auto headlamps and wipers, all-round parking sensors with a reversing camera, gloss black roof rails, a Thatcham category one alarm, a smart key with a motion sensor, an under-bonnet 'frunk' space and 7 years of Kia Connect so you can remotely interact with your EV3. In addition, there's two of Kia's latest drive assist systems - 'Highway Driving Assist 2.0 with Hands-On Detection' and 'Smart Cruise Control 2.0' system with Stop&Go functionality'. Plus there's Intelligent Speed Limit assist and a Speed Limiter - so it'll be your own fault if you get a ticket. Inside, there's automatic air conditioning accessible via a 5.3-inch display, heat for the front seats and steering wheel, a 12.3-inch driver display screen for the instruments, a adjustable-height 'luggage board' boot floor, regenerative braking paddleshifters and Kia's Drive Mode Select driving modes system.
To this tally, mid-level 'GT-Line' trim adds larger 19-inch wheels, 'GT-Line' exterior styling, LED headlights with a 'small cube' graphic and adaptive high beam, rear privacy glass, automatic flush door handles and a digital key. Inside, there's a much nicer quality of trim, with 'GT-Line' interior styling and a two-tone fabric-wrapped dashboard. You also get alloy pedals, two-tone artificial leather upholstery, a sliding centre console, customisable ambient lighting and a wireless 'phone charger and powered driver's seat adjustment with electric lumbar support.
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Cost of ownership
The EV3 is based on much more sophisticated E-GMP architecture than the brand's Niro EV. You might quite reasonably think that the whole point of that would be for this to be the first small electric vehicle to offer the ultra-fast-charging 800V infrastructure that larger Hyundai Motor Group E-GMP-based models helped to pioneer. Disappointingly, that's not the case but thanks to a new generation battery management system, both Standard and Long Range models claim a 10-80% DC charge time of around half an hour. That's despite rather modest charging speeds - 102kW for the 58.3kWh battery and 128kW for the 81.4kWh version. Full-replenishment AC charging from a typical 7.4kW garage wallbox needs 8 hours and 45 minutes for the 54.3kWh version; or 12 hours and 30 minutes for this 81.4kWh variant. Both batteries are warmed by a clever thermally-efficient sheath heater with multiple maps for low and high temperature charges. Kia says that because this enables the battery to self-heat at temperatures down to minus-35-degrees C, charge times are significantly lowered and efficiency-killing precipitation of the battery's lithium-ion cathodes is avoided.
There's also a Battery Conditioning Mode that can optimise battery temperature when heading to a fast-charging station. This can be manually activated or can work automatically linked to GPS data. We gave you the EV range figures in our 'Driving' section - 270 miles for the Standard Range 58.3kWh variants and up to 375 miles for the 81.4kWh Long Range models. Unfortunately, only the top derivative gets the option of a heat pump to maintain these mileage figures during winter. Which is a pity because the EV3 uses a clever fourth generation multi-valve heat pump that not only draws in ambient heat from outside air to aid the climate system but also combines this with recovered waste heat from the electric motor. Kia claims this is a world first. As with other recent Kia EVs, there's vehicle-to-load functionality (allowing you to power devices from the car's battery). And vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-grid capability (allowing you to return un-needed charge energy for use in your home or back to the National Grid).
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Summary
You're never going to be able to create the ideal small electric hatch unless it's designed from the outset only as an EV. It's taken Kia some time to get round to doing exactly that but the EV3 was worth the wait. This feels like the kind of cutting-edge product the brand really needs in this segment and you'll find it better value and longer-ranging than rivals from Volkswagen, smart or Volvo.
We're disappointed that this shortened version of the company's advanced E-GMP chassis can't accommodate the ultra-rapid 800V charging infrastructure you'll find on larger Kia EVs. And not everyone will like this EV3 model's divisively futuristic looks. But if you do and you're browsing in this segment, this is a car you simply can't ignore.
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