► Kia comes out out punching with the EV3
► Priced from £33,005 undercutting key rivals
► Interesting looks, keen dynamics, well equipped
Kia seems to be on a bit of a roll with its electric cars right now. We’ve liked the EV6 for some time, and the EV9 as a unique seven-seat opportunity for those looking to get out of their Range Rovers or other thirsty ICE SUVs. The next instalment of the EV series has arrived in the form of the EV3, which is aimed at younger, more active drivers looking for a lifestyle oriented crossover.
Priced from £33,005 this striking compact electric SUV, looks good on paper in terms of value if you compare it to a petrol Sportage crossover, and less so if you then back-to-back it with an MG4 EV. Despite that, it’s promising to contribute to Kia’s march towards world domination and should prove quite the big seller, with anticipated annual sales in the UK of more than 10,000.
Slotting beneath the EV6 and EV9 in its line-up, the EV3 is the first compact Kia to be built on its e-GMP platform, and arrives as an indirect success to the funky but slow-selling Soul EV. First impressions were positive when we tried it in Seoul earlier in the year, and that was backed up when we drove it in Europe – but now it’s on sales in the UK, and we finally get to see how it coped with our rutted, pockmarked roads. You can also read more about how we test cars.
At a glance
Pros: Cool design inside and out, lots of space, great value
Cons: Cheap-feeling interior on entry trim, top models get expensive
What’s new?
The whole car. This is, for now, Kia’s smallest ‘EVx’ car, which is roughly the same size as the Niro but offers as much space inside as a Sportage. This is the Kia EV car that’ll really hit the mainstream, with so many other electric cars from other makers in its sights; the Volkswagen ID.3, Volvo EX30 and Skoda Elroq are to name just three.
Arguably the EV3’s trump card is its striking styling. Like a concept car that’s driven off the motor show plinth and on to the high street, the Kia’s combination of chunky four-square proportions, clean sheet metal, smart use of colour and overall lack of adornment imbues it with a sleekly futuristic style.
Most car brands have a snappy name for their design language, and most are a load of marketing tosh, but Kia’s ‘Opposites United’ design label does make more sense as more EV models are unveiled. It brings together a raft of disparate shapes, angles and lines that somehow hang harmoniously together. It’s not a carbon copy of the EV9 built on a miniature scale, but the similarities are clear.
There’s little out there that looks quite so fresh and distinctive. It’s slippery, too, posting a drag co-efficient of 0.267, achieved with the help of a three-dimensional underbody jacket that covers 80% of the underside, and by a version of the Active Air Flap (also fitted to the EV6) that adjusts airflow shutters behind the EV3’s nose to limit higher speed drag. That helps give it a big range we’ll explore in the next section.
What are the specs?
Two battery sizes are available on the EV3 – a 58.3kWh unit (only available on the entry level Air model) and an 81.4kWh offered across the full line-up. As is typical with EVs, the vast majority of buyers will opt for the bigger battery but the entry model exists to keep the EV3’s price low, and regardless of version the electric motor remains the same.
It’s front-mounted (a first for an e-GMP Kia), producing 201bhp and 209lb ft of torque – with no ‘lesser’ power output, as there is on the new Skoda Elroq. The 0-60mph time is 7.7 seconds and it maxes out at 106mph. All versions mentioned are available when EV3 sales start imminently, with an all-wheel-drive and hotter GT models in the pipeline.
Range and charging
Opt for the entry-level 58.3kWh model and Kia claims a range of 270 miles – a figure we haven’t been able to verify yet as all test cars were equipped with the larger battery.
It’s a £3000 price increase to get the bigger battery, and will likely prove worth the expense as it extends the range to an impressive 375 miles in its most range-efficicient ‘Air’ configuration. Our test resulted in an average of 4mi/kWh, giving a range of around 325 miles.
Both versions feature 400V architecture, down from the 800V on the EV6 and EV9 to cap costs, and the resulting 102kW and 128kW maximum charge rates for the Standard Range and Long Range batteries are pretty modest compared to the 235kW rate for the EV6. That translates into an 10 to 80% charge in around half an hour for both versions. As in its bigger EV6 and EV9 kin, vehicle-to-load and vehicle-to-grid functionality is standard.
Kia’s regenerative braking is one of the best around, too, you can either leave it in ‘auto’ where it intelligently lets you drive for the most part with one pedal, or use the regen paddles almost as if it’s the brake pedal.
How does it drive?
Our first UK drive threw all manner of weather conditions, backing up our previous overseas drives. In just about every respect, it’s well-judged to drive, striking the right balance between handling neutrality and comfort for a family hatchback/SUV crossover.
The Kia doesn’t rewrite the dynamic rulebook, but it doesn’t put a foot wrong either. First impressions are dominated by its excellent primary ride comfort. It drives with a relaxed and easy-going gait, comfortably cushioning occupants from intrusions even when tackling the many potholes we encountered in the Cotswolds.
We tried EV3s on both the smaller 17-inch alloys and 19s on the GT-Line models. The ride is unsurprisingly more supple on the smaller rims, but even with the big wheels, this remains a very comfortable and well-damped car.
The steering, as you’d expect, well-weighted and at 2.75 turns lock-to-lock, quick enough to make short work of gap-chasing and tight carparks. The brakes are also responsive, with immediate bite from the pedal, and no off-putting transition effects when going from regen to pads and discs. The confidence-inspiring response grows when you lean harder on them, slowing it up with ease.
Performance is more than brisk enough without circling through the various drive modes, even in ‘normal’ setting, you can briskly get away from a set of lights. It’s only the steering wheel’s odd squirm and writhe under flat-footed acceleration that betrays the EV3’s front-drive format.
For the most part it handles accurately, all that low-down weight resulting in a flat cornering attitude. But its high levels of refinement and sophistication mean you’re more likely to revel in its quiet comfort than you start to crack on.
This balance of quality of control feedback is perfectly judged for a family car, and its combination of performance and dynamics seem spot on for us – after all, who really needs a family car to sprint from 0-60mph in less than four seconds?
What’s the interior like?
Nowhere does the EV3 feel more like a shrunken EV9 than inside, retaining its clever use of colours, materials and spaciousness. It’s bright, relaxing and modern with the perfect balance of tech and physical buttons, with real shortcut buttons on the dash panel and even buttons to control the temperature. Hurrah!
The screens are crisp and work well, except for a tiny pointless climate display between the digital instrument cluster and main touchscreen. You can hardly see it behind the steering wheel, and the only time you’ll ever need to interact with it is if you want to put the demister on.
Sustainability is another key message. The cabin is leather free, there’s no chrome as with the exterior, and each EV3 uses 28.5kg of recycled plastics, the origins of which can be found by using the little QR code found on the dashboard.
Material quality on the entry-level Air model is disappointing, though. It doesn’t look much different to that of a higher-spec model, but the difference is the soft plastics of the GT-Line are swapped for hard plastics on the Air. It’s not a deal breaker, but we can see why you’d want to upgrade – and history tells us that’s what Kia expects most customers will do.
The EV3 20cm shorter in outright length than a Sportage but has the same wheelbase, and the room on offer in both rows is good. A tall adult can sit behind someone of similar size without splaying their legs too much. The two-level boot can swallow 460 litres – about 100 litres more than most of the EV3’s closest rivals – and flipping forward the 60:40 split rear seats boosts that to 1,250 litres.
There’s a storage area up front but It’s so small you could hardly keep a charging cable in it. But there’s plenty of room inside, with a wide cabin (for the class) and flat floor freeing up plenty of space, with no end of nooks and crannies in the cabin. Higher spec models get a sliding centre console with a tray extending out from under the armrest. Neat idea, but we don’t really see the point.
Before you buy (trims and rivals)
If you can live with a few cheaper interior plastics, we’d happily settle for the entry-level Air trim. Standard equipment is up to Kia’s usual levels of generosity, with heated front seats and a heated steering wheel included, along with a reversing camera and a full suite of safety tech.
As the GT-Line is only available with the big battery, prices rise to £39,495, with extras including bigger 19-inch alloy wheels, two-tone upholstery and pop-out door handles (rather than the Air’s cheapo handles). We tested a GT-Line car and found the trim to be quite likeable. The seats were hard but supportive, with electric adjustment and lumbar support to find the perfect position. We also enjoyed the GT-Line interior styling, its light colour tone, and the way it complemented the ambient lighting in an almost sci-fi-esque way.
If you want every bell and whistle, the GT-Line S is available from £42,995 and gets a Harman Kardon sound system, electric and ventilated front seats and a 360-degree camera system. It is encroaching on EV6 pricing, which might make you think twice.
As for rivals? Well, the Skoda Elroq is the big one, and just undercuts the EV3 on price, although does have a slightly worse driving range. There’s the Volvo EX30, too, which drives better but has a worse interior, an over-reliance on the touchscreen, and is tiny inside.
Kia also mentions hatchback rivals such as the Cupra Born and Volkswagen ID.3 as rivals – again, we’d take the Kia, as it’s the more usable family car.
Verdict
Kia has already demonstrated it makes some of – if not – the best electric cars on sale with the EV6 and EV9, and the EV3 is another very strong candidate to add to its tally. This is the electric Kia that will go mass market, and given the Sportage is now about the UK’s most popular car, we can see the EV3 doing the same in the electric car world.
It’s a package so well judged in almost every respect it leaves behind other mainstream rivals in the compact electric class – not least that largely disappointing bunch from Stellantis. Yet for all its sensible attributes, it still manages to be a car you’d want to own, thanks to its fresh, desirable, looks. We’re just counting the days until we can compare it with the Skoda Elroq.
Specs are for a Kia EV3 GT-Line S