Kia gets even more focused on small EVs with this car, the EV3. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

Ten Second Review

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

Body Glass

Rear wiper

Heated rear window

Electric front/rear windows with one touch

Rain sensing front wipers

Automatic defog system

Privacy glass with rear windows and tailgate

Brakes

Electronic stability control

Hill start assist control (HAC)

Downhill brake control

Multi collision brake assist

Electric parking brake with auto hold function

Vehicle stability management

Regenerative braking paddle shifter with iPedal functionality

Anti-Lock braking system with emergency stop signalling

Communication

Wireless Mobile Phone Charger

E-call

Bluetooth connectivity

Wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto

Driver Aids

Front parking sensors

Lane keep assist

Speed limiter

Rear parking sensors

Driver attention warning

Power assist steering

360 degree around view monitor

Parking collision avoidance assist (PCA)

Reversing camera system

Safe exit warning (SEW)

Intelligent speed limit assist (ISLA)

Blind spot collision avoidance assist (BCA)

Over air updates (OTA)

Highway Driving Assist 2 with hand-on detection (HDA2 w HOD)

Remote Smart Park Assist 2.0 (RSPA 2.0)

Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) 2.0 - City/Pedestrian/Cyclist/Junction turning and junction crossing

Lane Follow assist 2.0 with hands-On detection

Rear-Cross traffic collision avoidance assist

Smart cruise control 2.0 with stop and go functionality

Drive mode select (Eco, normal, sport, snow and Mydrive)

Driver Convenience

Smart power tailgate

Driver Information

Blind spot monitor

12.3" Driver display screen

5.3" Climate control touchscreen

12.3" Touchscreen navigation system

Customisable head-up display

Driving Mirrors

Gloss black door mirrors

Electrically folding/adjustable/heated door mirrors with LED indicators

Entertainment

2 USB-C charge ports in rear

2 USB-C ports in the front

USB-C port for connection of a media device

Harman Kardon premium sound system with 8 speaker

Exterior Body Features

Rear spoiler

Body coloured bumpers

Gloss black roof rails

Gloss black side sills

Gloss black window surround

Rear side wing doors

GT-Line exterior styling

Frunk

Gloss black wheel arches

Automatic flush door handles

Front sunroof with tilting and sliding function

Exterior Lights

Automatic headlight control system

LED daytime running lights

LED rear lights

LED rear fog lights

Adaptive driving beam

Dynamic welcome light

LED Headlights with small cube design

LED high mounted brake lights

Heating/Cooling/Ventilation

Automatic air conditioning

Interior Features

Glovebox

Rear centre armrest with cupholder

Heated steering wheel

Grey headlining

Alloy pedals

Luggage net with hooks

Under floor storage in luggage area

Front and rear door storage

Luggage board

1 x Front 12V socket

E-Shift Column Gear Selector

Artificial leather trimmed steering wheel

GT-Line Interior Styling

1 x 3-Pin socket

Centre console with underneath storage

Manual steering wheel adjustment

Sliding console

Luggage compartment parcel shelf

Two tone artificial leather upholstery

Vehicle 2 load capability with adapter

Interior Lights

LED luggage area lights

Front cabin LED light

Rear cabin LED light

Customisable ambient lighting

Safety

Height adjustable front seatbelts

Side airbags

Curtain airbags

Tyre pressure monitoring system

Rear airbags

All round 3-point seatbelts

Front passenger airbag cut-off switch

Seatbelt reminder warning

Front airbags

Seats

Heated front seats

3 rear headrests

Driver + front passenger electric lumbar support

Ventilated front seats

All-round height adjustable headrests

Outer 2nd row heated seats

Driver and front passenger premium relaxion seats

Single front passenger seat

3 bench rear seats in 2nd row

Driver power adjusted memory seat with front passenger power seat

60:40 Split folding rear seats

ISOFIX rear child seat top tethers and anchor fixings

Security

Locking wheel nuts

Visible vehicle identification number

Engine Start/Stop Button with Smart Entry System

Digital key

Rear occupant alert

Manual child locks

Smart key with motion sensor

Customisable automatic door locking

Customisable automatic door unlocking

Thatcham category 1 security alarm and immobiliser with interior protection

Vanity Mirrors

Driver and passenger sunvisors with illuminated vanity mirrors

Wheels - Alloy

19" Alloy wheels with GT-Line styling

Wheels - Spare

Tyre mobility kit

Electric Vehicle Data

Battery Charging Scenario 1 - Charge Time (Mins): 1930

Battery Charging Scenario 1 - Power Supply - kW: 2.76

Battery Charging Scenario 1 - Percentage Change: 10-100

Battery Charging Scenario 2 - Charge Time (Mins): 435

Battery Charging Scenario 2 - Power Supply - kW: 11

Battery Charging Scenario 2 - Percentage Change: 10-100

Battery Charging Scenario 3 - Charge Time (Mins): 79

Battery Charging Scenario 3 - Power Supply - kW: 50

Battery Charging Scenario 3 - Percentage Change: 10-80

Battery Charging Scenario 4 - Charge Time (Mins): 31

Battery Charging Scenario 4 - Power Supply - kW: 350

Battery Charging Scenario 4 - Percentage Change: 10-80

Coupler/Connector Type: CCS Type 2

Standard manufacturers Battery warranty - Years: 7

Standard manufacturers Battery warranty - Mileage: 100000

Battery Capacity in kWh: 81.4

Battery Leased: 0

Battery Type: Lithium-ion

WLTP - Pure Electric Range (km) - City: 753

WLTP - Pure Electric Range (km) - City - TEL: 753

WLTP - Pure Electric Range (km) - City - TEH: 752

WLTP - Pure Electric Range (km) - Comb: 583

WLTP - Pure Electric Range (km) - Comb - TEL: 583

WLTP - Pure Electric Range (km) - Comb - TEH: 581

WLTP - EC (kWh/100km) - City: 12.4

WLTP - EC (kWh/100km) - Comb: 15.6

WLTP - EC (kWh/100km) - Comb - TEL: 15.6

WLTP - EC (kWh/100km) - Comb - TEH: 15.6

WLTP - EC (miles/kWh) - City: 5

WLTP - EC (miles/kWh) - Comb: 4

WLTP - EC (miles/kWh) - Comb - TEH: 4

WLTP - EC (miles/kWh) - Comb - TEL: 4

WLTP - Pure Electric Range (miles) - City: 468

WLTP - Pure Electric Range (miles) - City - TEH: 467

WLTP - Pure Electric Range (miles) - City - TEL: 468

WLTP - Pure Electric Range (miles) - Comb: 362

WLTP - Pure Electric Range (miles) - Comb - TEH: 361

WLTP - Pure Electric Range (miles) - Comb - TEL: 362

Battery Capacity % guaranteed under warranty: 70

Charging Port Location: Right Side Front

Usable Battery Capacity: N

Maximum Charging Rate - kW: 350

Emissions - ICE

CO2 (g/km): 0

Standard Euro Emissions: N

Noise Level dB(A): 67

CO: N

HC: N

NOx: N

HC+NOx: N

Particles: N

Engine and Drive Train

Cylinders - Bore (mm): N

Cylinders - Stroke (mm): N

CC: 1

Cylinders: N

Cylinder Layout: N

Number of Valves: N

Camshaft: N

Fuel Delivery: N

Catalytic Convertor: N

Engine Layout: N

Compression Ratio: N

Transmission: AUTO

Gears: 1 SPEED

Engine Code: N

Fuel Consumption - ICE

EC Directive 1999/100/EC Applies: N

EC Urban (mpg): N

EC Extra Urban (mpg): N

EC Combined (mpg): N

General

Coin Series: GT Line S

Coin Description: N

Standard manufacturers warranty - Years: 7

Standard manufacturers warranty - Mileage: 100000

Did at least one aspect of this vehicle's safety give cause for concern?: 0

Special Edition: 0

Special Order: 0

Based On ID: N

Insurance Group 1 - 50 Effective January 07: 38D

Service Interval Mileage: 10000

Service Interval Frequency - Months: 12

Badge Power: 201

Badge Engine CC: 0.0

Vehicle Homologation Class: M1

Generation Mark: 1

Alternative Fuel Qualifying: No

Performance

0 to 62 mph (secs): 7.9

Top Speed: 105

Engine Power - BHP: 201

Engine Power - PS: 0

0 to 60 mph (secs): 0

Engine Power - KW: 150

Engine Torque - LBS.FT: 209

Engine Torque - NM: 283

Engine Torque - RPM: 5000

Engine Torque - MKG: 28.9

Test Cycles

Emissions Test Cycle: WLTP

Tyres

Tyre Size Front: 215/50 R19

Tyre Size Rear: 215/50 R19

Tyre Size Spare: TYRE REPAIR KIT

Wheel Type: 19" ALLOY

Wheel Style: N

Alloys?: No

Space Saver?: 0

Vehicle Dimensions

Length: 4310

Width: 1850

Height: 1570

Weight and Capacities

Minimum Kerbweight: 1885

Gross Vehicle Weight: 2355

Fuel Tank Capacity (Litres): N

Max. Towing Weight - Braked: 1000

Max. Loading Weight: 470

Luggage Capacity (Seats Up): 460

No. of Seats: 5

Max. Roof Load: 80

Turning Circle - Kerb to Kerb: 10.4

Exterior Body Features

Premium paint

Heating/Cooling/Ventilation

Heat pump

Paint - Solid

Solid - Sunset Orange

Paint - Special

Premium paint - Midnight black

Premium paint - White pearl

Premium paint - Pistachio Green

Premium paint - Shale Grey

Trim - Leather

Two tone artificial leather - Grey with Off-White