If you love the look of the EV6 and EV9 but want something smaller – and cheaper – the new Kia EV3 is the car for you.
It brings Kia’s class-leading electric tech into a more affordable and easier-to-park package, which is promising. We love the EV6 and EV9, so the cheaper EV3 should be better still.
Prices start from £32,995 for the entry-level Air trim with the smaller 58.3kWh battery. That undercuts the Cupra Born, Renault Megane E-Tech, Volvo EX30 and Volkswagen ID.3.
Standard equipment is generous and includes LED headlights, parking sensors and a reversing camera, heated front seats and alloy wheels. There’s also a vast array of driver assistance tech, such as highway driving assist – which combines adaptive cruise control, intelligent speed limit assist, lane-keep assist and blind-spot monitoring.
GT-Line trim – from £39,495 – adds sporty styling, bigger wheels, privacy glass and customisable ambient lighting. Wireless phone charging, too. Top-spec GT-Line S is £10,000 more than the entry-level Air, but includes all the GT-Line’s kit plus a Harman Kardon stereo, a sunroof, push-button tailgate closing and self-parking tech.
To show how style-led the EV3 is, the standard colour is the vivid Sunset Orange. Optional paint colours cost £625 extra.
Two battery sizes are available. We expect most EV3s will come with the bigger 81.4kWh battery, given that it’s optional on Air and standard on the GT-Line and GT-Line S trims. Up to 372 miles is achievable from a full charge, or 348 miles on GT-Line and GT-Line S. Even the 58.3kWh battery on entry-level models will get you 267 miles away from a charger. Both will recharge from 10-80% in about 30 minutes at a compatible public fast charger.
Top-spec GT-Line S models come with V2L (vehicle-to-load) technology, which allows the car’s battery to pass current to other electrical devices. That means you can use the car to power things like a coffee machine, or you could sell electricity back to the grid. However, a heat pump – which reduces the load on the battery during winter – is only available on the GT-Line S trim for almost £1,000 extra.
Every EV3 uses a 204hp electric motor on the front wheels, which gives brisk 0-62mph acceleration in under eight seconds.
Inside, the EV3 gets the same bank of three screens as the seven-seat EV9. There’s a digital instrument cluster and an infotainment touchscreen, with a smaller climate control panel sandwiched between them.
The EV3’s interior, which is available in several colour schemes, uses almost 30kg of recycled materials, and most of the upholstery is easily recyclable too.
Orders open for the new EV3 from Wednesday 1 August, with first customer deliveries taking place before the end of the year.
Can't wait for the Kia EV3? Read our guide to the best electric SUVs to buy now.
