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.

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 18 and 20-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.

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. 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 - 267 miles for the Standard Range 58.3kWh variants and up to 372 miles for the 81.4kWh Long Range models. Unfortunately, not all derivatives get a heat pump to maintain these mileage figures during winter, but those that do get a clever fourth generation multi-valve version of it 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).

Driving Experience

There's only one motor on offer with the EV3 - producing 201bhp - but there's a choice of two batteries. Standard Range variants get a 58.3kWh unit giving a range of 267 miles. Ideally though, you'd want the Long Range version, which has a bigger 81.4kWh battery that will take you up to 372 miles (or 347 miles in 'GT-Line' trim); either way substantially further than most rivals and way further than the Niro EV's 64.8kWh battery can go (285 miles). Not every version gets the standard heat pump however, so you might struggle to replicate these figures in the depths of winter.

The 62mph sprint takes between 7.4s and 7.7s, depending on variant (the heavier, bigger-battery version is slightly slower). Top speed is 106mph. Unlike competitors like the ID.3 or the CUPRA Born, the EV3 is front-driven - the first time the Hyundai Motor Group conglomerate's E-GMP platform has been used in this form. Kia says that putting the motor on the front axle maximises interior space. A GT version with twin motors and AWD will appear later in production.

There are four selectable drive modes - 'Eco', 'Normal', 'Sport' and 'My Drive'. Don't expect huge amounts of driver engagement, even in 'Sport'. But 'My Drive' allows you to configure throttle response and steering feel to your taste. Kia also offers the latest generation version of its 'i-Pedal' system, which provides so much regenerative braking off-throttle that you'll hardly ever need to use the brake. Expect refinement to be exemplary, even by EV standards, helped by a slippery 0.267Cd drag factor. As usual with any new car that complies with current safety legislation, there's lots of binging and bonging from the active safety aids.

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, with contrasting lower body trim and an integrated lower bumper for a sportier look including large black-clad areas. 'GT-Line' models also have special treatment at the rear, with a triangle wing configuration on the lower bumper.

Across the range, Kia knows that looks will be important to potential customers and has created three wheel sizes, with the mid-level 19-inch diamond-cut rims exclusive for the EV3. Plus there's a range of exclusive paint shades - 'Shale Grey', 'Aventurine Green', 'Terracotta' and 'Frost Clue', with nine paint choices in total. Inside, a number of distinct interior colour packages can be chosen, including 'Warm Grey', 'Subtle Grey' and 'Blue', with an 'Onyx Black' package reserved for 'GT-Line' trim.

Drive assist technology includes 'Electric Dynamic Torque Vectoring Control' ('eDTVC') to ensure the EV3 transfers its power to the road smoothly and stably. Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Highway Driving Assist, and Reverse Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist are also included. Top models also get Kia's 'Remote Smart Parking Assist' system that enables owners to manoeuvre the EV3 confidently and safely into and out of tight spaces using a smartphone app.

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.