Review: Kia EV3

The EV3 is Kia’s first compact EV, a car that has excited observers in the design world for transferring the XXL EV9’s maximal Minecraft aesthetic onto a smaller platform. Its wheel arches are blocky, its sills are fashionably pinched, and even the wheels themselves have a square motif.

It looks like the family transport the future promised us, and from where I’m currently sitting—the back seat on a four-up run to the airport—it feels big-car comfortable. Kia has worked hard to reduce the triple bugbears of noise, vibration, and harshness, and their absence is palpable.

Concept-car-made-real design isn’t the only thing that’s generating major buzz. The EV3 claims the most substantial range of a smallish electric car, an impressive 375 miles (WLTP). It’s also packed with tech usually reserved for upper segment cars. And despite its relatively compact size (4.3 meters long, 1.85 meters wide), it’s roomy enough inside to support Kia’s claim that this could be the household’s main car.

There’s a 25-liter frunk, and up to 1,250 liters of luggage space at the back. All told, a tipping point has been reached in the fast moving EV landscape. Did we mention that prices start from £32,995? US fans will have to wait, however, as it's expected to land stateside in 2026 for around $35,000.

That’s for the entry-level Air model fitted with a 58.3-kWh battery, though you’ll need £10,000 on top of that for the Long Range GT-Line S version with the 81.4-kWh battery which delivers that eye-catching 375-mile figure. It arrives into a busy sector, the EV3 lining up alongside the likes of the Volkswagen I.D3 and Volvo EX30, although it’s a better equipped, more value-for-money proposition than those premium rivals. Old habits die hard.

Space-Age Vibes

Perhaps they should, because the EV3 confirms that both tech and design leadership now reside in South Korea. That blocky form is actually impressively aerodynamic: The EV3 has a drag coefficient of 0.26, the stuff of sci-fi not so long ago. That, of course, is good for range and efficiency.

It sits on the group’s E-GMP (electric global modular platform), a scaleable architecture that underpins cars such as the impressive Hyundai Ioniq 5. Although it’s smaller than that car, it has a similar airiness to its interior, Kia pushing the lounge vibe pretty hard. There’s a sliding tray center console big enough to rest a laptop on, should you have the urge to turn your car into an office. The seats look and feel good, and can be tilted way back. More relaxing space-age loungy vibes … get Juan García Esquivel onto the (Harman Kardon) sound system now.

The rest of the interior is a blend of tech, sustainable materials, and clever cost optimization. Although there’s a neat strip of recycled fabric on the dashboard, “postconsumer” plastics elsewhere, and the option of bio “unleather,” the EV3 is mostly a profusion of robust but rather unyielding hard materials. Not that you really notice.

Lesser versions also make do with a single-tone steering wheel, the one item inside that didn’t get the future-oriented memo. As on the Renault 5 EV, the EV3 relies on chunky column stalks, and several times I found myself flicking the wipers on when I meant to twist the drive controller from D to R. Better than burying everything on the screen, though.

Speaking of which, there’s an impressive 30-inch-wide digital interface, which basically unites three smaller screens in one unit. The driver’s display could do with a little more configurability. Beside it sits the panel for climate control, almost completely obscured by the steering wheel. Fortunately, Kia has also fitted physical piano keys for the HVAC (a newly slimmed-down system, which helps save weight and liberate space), so all is not lost.

The main infotainment touchscreen is easy to use, though not hugely inspiring to look at in terms of graphics. Top-spec cars get terrific surround sound audio, but if all else fails the EV3 is fitted with a bunch of in-built soundscapes. “Outer Space Communication” has a definite Brian Eno feel. Unlike the rather plain main instrument display, the rest of the EV3’s cabin is eminently customizable: This includes the sensitivity of the “keyboard” buttons, and the number of indicator blinks you get on one touch on the stalk. As is customary now, your new car is an ever-evolving ecosystem.

Slick Ride

A sportier dual-motor version is incoming, but for now the EV3 makes do with a 201-bhp single motor that drives the front wheels. The motor, reducer, and inverter have all been integrated into a single housing, which reduces weight and size. It feels slick and precisely engineered from the get-go, and there’s enough bandwidth in its handling repertoire to reward semispirited driving. Just don’t push it too far or you’ll be out of its literal comfort zone.

It rides well, though, and feels more compliant than related Hyundai models. Kia’s iPedal braking system is effective, offering three levels of regenerative braking via steering wheel paddles. One-pedal driving is easily achieved if a little abrupt. There’s a Drive mode button on the bottom of the wheel, which serves up Eco, Normal, Sport, and Individual mode. Guess which one suits the car’s character most …

In truth, the EV3 is best enjoyed, as is the case with most EVs, at a relatively sedate pace. Its near-2-metric-ton mass is a further deterrent from attempting anything too banzai.

Efficiency Drive

There’s efficiency to back up that long range. The EV3 delivers an average of around 4.3 m/kWh, although that’ll drop slightly in colder weather (a heat pump is standard). The peak DC charging rate is 128 kW, which takes the battery’s SOC from 10 to 80 percent in about 30 minutes. Unlike the EV6 and EV9, the EV3 uses an even more powerful 400-volt architecture.

But Kia sees the car as more than just transport, and offers bidirectional charging. Like the EV9, it can deliver 3.6 kW via its interior and exterior vehicle-to-load (V2L) ability. Vehicle-to-grid (V2G)—wherein surplus electricity can be returned to the grid—and vehicle-to-home (V2H) will be rolled out across Europe during 2025.

There’s also the complete set of advanced driver assistance systems, including remote parking assist and highway driving assist, and navigation-based smart cruise control. Thankfully, a shortcut to turn off the speed limit warning bong (push and hold the volume button on the steering wheel) has just been added as an OTA update.

Kia’s Connect App provides diagnostic data and a range of remote functions, including charging, a “find my car” feature, and Kia Pay. The digital key also uses ultrawideband and can be installed on smartphones for multiple users, a useful feature that car companies are really not shouting about enough.

There’s a lot to like here, no question, and objectively speaking not much has been missed. But successful EVs also need differentiation and character—trickier things to deliver. The EV3 scores highly on both fronts.