Outspoken challenger. This is the Kia EV3. The Kia EV3 competes with promising figures.
Kia already has a relatively compact electric crossover in the form of the Niro EV, but now there is also one that is intended as an EV from the start. This is the Kia EV3. This model competes in an important segment with promising figures.
Highlights Kia EV3
- Up to 600 km driving range
- 204 hp on front wheels
- Later also as GT
Kia has been represented among the compact electric crossovers for years with the e-Niro, but now it is time for a dedicated EV in that hotly contested part of the car market. Time for expansion at the bottom of Kia’s EV family. The curtain rises from the Kia EV3 and, as expected, it looks quite similar to its biggest brother EV9 and last year’s study model. In fact, AutoWeek understands from Kia that the Concept EV3 was only created after the design of the production version. Kias Opposites Uniteddesign language has also been clearly applied to the EV3 and this is reflected, among other things, in the so-called Star Maplights front and rear on the EV3. Especially at the front it is very reminiscent of the EV9, at the rear the EV3 goes its own way and the biggest difference is of course the much smaller and much flatter rear window.
Tidy entertainment
The interior is also a feast for recognition if you already know the interior of the Kia EV9. This means that it is quite minimalistic. In front of you you will find a panel full of screens that seem to come straight from the EV9. Just like in that large EV, the Kia EV3 has a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 5.3-inch screen for climate control and a 12.3-inch infotainment screen. A 12.3-inch head-up display is also available as an option. There are not many physical buttons, but you will still find a row in the middle of the dashboard. These are shortcuts that lead you to different parts of the infotainment system. There is also a wheel for volume control. Of course, everything can also be operated via physical buttons on the steering wheel. You select the direction of travel with a lever on the steering column and you will also find the start button there. There are also USB-C chargers, which can be found centrally at the bottom of the dashboard.
A striking detail of the interior of the Kia EV3 (largely made from recycled materials) is the ‘table’ that comes out of the center armrest. If desired, you can conjure it up to place a laptop on it, for example. This way you can get to work while recharging the car. You don’t have to be bored while driving: ChatGPT makes its appearance in the EV3, making it the first Kia in which the voice assistant is enriched with artificial intelligence. Numerous services will also be available to keep you entertained even more when you’re standing still, so you can eventually play games on the infotainment screen on a subscription basis and YouTube and Netflix, among others, will become available. Everything will soon be available and kept up to date via over-the-air updates.
Kia EV3
Wide range
With a length of 4.3 meters, the Kia EV3 is as long as the Peugeot (e)-2008, 7 cm longer than the Volvo EX30 and 12 cm shorter than the Kia Niro EV. The EV3, which, like the other EV family members, is on the modular E-GMP basis, has a considerable wheelbase of 2.68 m for its length. The Kia EV3 is 1.85 m wide and 1.56 m high and offers up to 1,250 liters of luggage space with the rear seats flat. This makes the Kia EV3 considerably more spacious than, for example, the Volvo EX30 and Volkswagen ID3. If you keep those seats intact, there is still 460 liters of luggage space left and it also exceeds that, although it must be recognized as superior to, for example, the Renault Megane E-Tech Electric and also the Niro EV. In the front, under the ‘hood’, you will find another one frunk with a capacity of 25 liters. You can easily store your charging cable there and possibly more.
Speaking of the charging cable: you can use it to charge a 58.3 kWh or an 81.4 kWh battery pack. In both cases, they supply power to a single 204 hp electric motor that drives the front wheels. With the smallest battery pack, the Kia EV3 has an expected driving range of 410 km and can reach 100 km/h from a standstill in 7.5 seconds. The largest battery pack is expected to give EV3 no less than 600 km of driving range, impressive for this segment. When we first met the EV3, Kia was talking about 560 km, but the estimate was adjusted upwards at the last minute. The large package can be charged with 128 kW, the smaller package with 102 kW. You can charge from 10 to 80 percent in roughly half an hour. For the time being, the AC charger uses 11 kW, but in 2026 charging with 22 kW will be possible as an option.
The Kia EV3 as Base-Line
The Kia EV3 represents a real first for Kia. It is the first to do V2G and V2H charging. It will soon be possible to use the EV3 to supply power back to the grid, but also to supply your home with power. V2L, which we already know from the brand, is also there. You can use this to plug devices into a socket in the car and provide them with power. Want to fry a frikandel in a deep fryer in the back of the car? That’s possible, we highly recommend it to anyone with well-developed taste buds. More skills? Of course. On the highway, the Kia EV3 can change lanes itself if you indicate the direction and there is enough space.
In addition to the Niro EV
The Kia EV3 will soon share the showroom with a car that could therefore have a very difficult time; the Kia Niro EV. Nevertheless, Kia itself expects that it will not be too bad with the internal competition. AutoWeek understands from Kia that the EV3 should appeal to a slightly different target group than the Niro EV, i.e. a less conservative and perhaps more youthful target group. The Kia EV3 can prove itself later this year, because it is expected here in the last quarter. Prices to follow.