Kia

EV3

The Kia EV3 is a fully electrified compact SUV that’s very big on style, performance and practicality. It boasts a great driving range between charges, along with a very attractive price-tag.

Test Drive

Kia EV3 – First Drive (2024)

Kia has clearly hit the mark with its recent EV line-up, offering a refreshing design initiative that looks amazing and certainly covers all the practicality bases along the way.

It all began with the EV6, which featured a sporty, yet slightly upright design and a spacious, TARDIS-like interior that looked dynamic while offering ample room for rear passengers. Next came the bold seven-seat EV9, which combined uncompromising styling with impressive comfort, even in the back row, while still delivering engaging driving dynamics.

Now, Kia introduces the EV3, the smallest and most compact of the bunch. This B-SUV continues the brand’s upright design language, and like its siblings, it delivers a delightful driving experience without sacrificing practicality.

Starting from £32,995, the EV3 is set to make waves throughout the industry. Buyers can choose between three trims called Air, GT-Line and GT-Line S, with the latter priced at £42,995. The GT-Line S also comes with an optional heat pump, adding £900 to the cost. The EV3 Air is available with two battery sizes – 58.3kWh or 81.4kWh – with the larger battery coming as standard on the higher trims.

Range anxiety continues to be a common concern for potential EV buyers, but the EV3 alleviates those fears. The EV3 Air, with its smaller 58.3kWh battery, offers a WLTP-tested range of 270 miles on a full charge. All other versions, with the 81.4kWh battery, achieve between 361 and 375 miles, with city driving potentially pushing that to as much as 467 miles thanks to regenerative braking.

When it comes to looks, the five-door EV3 is definitely an attention-grabber thanks to its upright, distinctive body, complete with vertical headlights and signature daytime running lights. It will stand out in any crowd and our range-topping GT-Line S model boasted privacy glass, a sunroof, flush door handles, and stylish gloss black trim around the wheel arches, side sills and roof rails, along with snazzy 19-inch alloys.

Moving inside, the cabin is minimalist yet high-tech, with soft-touch surfaces, top quality fixtures and fittings, plus an upmarket textile dashboard. The real highlight is the curved dual-screen set-up with two 12.3-inch displays seamlessly blended together, flanking a smaller 5.3-inch panel for climate control operations. The overall design is both functional and aesthetically pleasing, offering a clean, modern atmosphere with an eye on the environment and sustainability through recycling.

This high-tech cabin doesn’t just look good as it’s packed with features too, including an eight-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, a customisable head-up display, and an innovative Kia In-Car Payment system in association with Parkopedia that lets you find and pay for parking via the navigation system. Soon, the EV3 will also become the first Kia to offer AI-powered ChatGPT via an over-the-air update, making it even smarter.

The entire EV3 line-up is front wheel drive and features a single-speed transmission. Our GT-Line S model’s 81.4kWh battery delivered 201bhp and 283Nm of torque, enabling a 0-62mph sprint time of 7.9 seconds and a top speed of 105mph. Despite its compact size, it had impressive range of 361 miles.

The high-seated driving position provides excellent visibility, and the car’s handling is precise, confident and nimble, making it ideal for winding country lanes. It sits comfortably at motorway speeds and offers five drive modes that alter the characteristics – these are called Eco, Normal, Sport, MyDrive, and Individual. In addition, the level of regenerative braking is adjustable via steering wheel paddles, and at its highest setting, it enables one-pedal driving.

The steering is perfectly weighted providing excellent driver feedback, and the suspension does a great job of smoothing out rough roads, even when the car is riding on the larger 19-inch wheels. While we noticed more road and wind noise in the entry-level EV3 Air, the GT-Line S model has a quieter, more refined cabin.

Despite its compact size, stretching just over 4.3 metres, the Kia EV3 is deceptively spacious with ample room up front for a couple of six footers to sit comfortably. Rear leg and head room is also generous so a couple more adults or three youngsters will be happy in the back on longer journeys.

The boot, accessed via a powered tailgate, can swallow 460 litres of luggage, increasing to 1,250 litres with the 60:40 split-folding rear seats folded down. Charging cables can be stored beneath the boot floor and there is an additional 25-litre compartment under the bonnet. The cabin has numerous areas to secure bits and pieces, including a glovebox, door bins, front and rear cup holders, seat back pockets, a wireless charging pad, and a large central storage compartment.

There are five USB-C ports to ensure devices are charged and connected and our GT-Line S version also offered Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) compatibility, allowing you to power external devices like camping lights or even use it as a back-up power source in case of a home black-out.

Charging the EV3 is quick and convenient. With the larger 81.4kWh battery, a 350kW fast charger can take it from 10-80 per cent in just 31 minutes, or 1 hour and 19 minutes with a 50kW charger. At home, charging with a wallbox takes just over seven hours. The smaller 58.3kWh battery in the Air model can be charged from 10-80 per cent in 29 minutes via a 350kW charger, 55 minutes on a 50kW charger and just over five hours if plugged into a wallbox.

Kia has firmly established itself as a major player in the EV market with well-priced, well-equipped vehicles. The EV3 is another strong entry in the line-up, offering excellent performance, style, and practicality at a competitive price. While the higher-end trims can push the cost above £40k, the mid-range GT-Line model is likely to be the sweet spot for most buyers.

If we had to nitpick, the lack of height adjustment on the passenger seat in the EV3 Air might be an issue for taller individuals, as it feels a little too raised. However, this is a minor gripe in what is otherwise an outstanding electric vehicle that combines family-friendly practicality with impressive performance, an array of cutting-edge technology and one of the best warranty packages around stretching seven years or 100,000 miles (eight years for the battery).