Kia has revealed the latest addition to its electric vehicle line-up. The EV3 is a compact SUV that follows Kia’s new styling and naming format for its EVs and is set to supersede the Niro. Like the EV9 and the upcoming EV5, it’s based on the dedicated EV architecture and follows the ‘Opposites United’ philosophy.
As the naming suggests, this is a much smaller model, though still a five-seater SUV. It has the distinctive Kia ‘tiger’ nose design, with daylight running lights in its star map lighting signature shape front and back.
Perhaps the most interesting part of this new EV though is its range. With a large 81.4kWh battery, its WLTP rating promises up to 600km or (372 miles) of range. That’s more than even the EV9 offers and puts it on par with cars like the Renault Scenic E-Tech and the Polestar 3.
Inside the cabin, the EV3 features a flat floor and a completely open centre console with a sliding table design in the centre. The horizontal floating dash includes a 12.3-inch driver display, a 5-inch air-conditioning panel and a 12.3-inch central display, all running together to create an apparent 30-inch wide display unit. There’s also a 12-inch head-up display to keep your eyes on the road.
The entertainment system boasts theme customisations to personalise the look and introduces both streaming services and in-car gaming for the first time to the Kia EV range. This is designed to keep you entertained while charging. However, the 128kW charging speeds mean it can charge from 10-80% in around 31 minutes. Not as speedy as some other Kia EV models (the EV6 and EV9 will do 350kW), but still rapid enough.
Sizewise, the EV3 is fractionally smaller than the existing Kia Niro EV – which also comes in PHEV and mild hybrid versions. However, thanks to the dedicated EV platform it offers plenty of storage, with a 460-litre boot and a 25-litre frunk for the charging cables.
The EV3 is expected to debut in Korea this July, with UK availability and pricing still to be confirmed. However, I expect pricing will be around the £42-44k mark.
