Kia EV3 Review – Small car, big ambition

THE Kia EV3 is a compact electric SUV designed to be small enough for everyday life while still offering the range, practicality and equipment required to serve as the main family car.

It’s a difficult balance to achieve, particularly when electric vehicles tend to become rather large once manufacturers start adding sizeable batteries.

Kia has managed it very well, and after spending time with the flagship GT-Line S 81.4kWh, finished in Sunset Orange, I came away impressed by just how complete the EV3 feels.

It has an attractive, distinctive exterior, a surprisingly spacious interior, impressive range and decent dynamics. It also manages to retain the thoughtful approach to ergonomics that impressed me in the EV5, without totally feeling like a smaller version of its larger sibling.

Overview

The EV3 is Kia’s first dedicated compact electric SUV and sits beneath the EV5 in the company’s rapidly expanding EV range.

From the outside, it’s a relatively small SUV but inside, it feels considerably larger.

The UK range consists of Air, GT-Line and GT-Line S models, with the 81.4kWh battery available across the upper grades. The flagship model tested here uses a single front-mounted electric motor producing 201bhp and 283Nm, with a 0-62mph time of 7.9 seconds and a top speed of 105mph.

With the optional heat pump fitted to my test car, Kia quotes a WLTP combined range of 361 miles, with the city figure rising to 467 miles under the less demanding WLTP cycle – impressive for any electric SUV, let alone one as compact and city-friendly as the EV3.

And while the EV3’s price will depend on the precise specification and any options fitted, the proposition remains compelling when you consider what Kia has managed to package into such a compact footprint.

Design

The EV3 is one of those cars that looks better in the metal than it does in photographs.

The front gets Kia’s latest interpretation of the Digital Tiger Face, with the now familiar vertical Star Map LED lighting giving it a distinctive identity. On GT-Line and GT-Line S models, small cube-style elements within the headlamps add a little extra visual interest.

The relatively upright front end, short overhangs and chunky lower body give the EV3 genuine SUV presence and there’s a hint of the larger EV9 in the overall design philosophy, but the EV3 has its own personality.

My press car arrived in Sunset Orange which is a bold colour, but it suits the EV3 rather well. The combination of geometric surfacing, black exterior detailing and the relatively upright stance means it can carry a strong colour without looking excessive.

GT-Line S brings 19-inch alloy wheels, gloss black exterior detailing, automatic flush door handles, privacy glass and a sliding/tilting front sunroof, all of which help give the car a more upmarket appearance.

Interior

Inside, the EV3 continues Kia’s recent run of excellent cabin design.

The overall architecture will be familiar to anyone who has driven one of the company’s larger electric models, but the smaller dimensions haven’t resulted in a cabin that feels cramped.

The dashboard is relatively clean with Kia’s familiar panoramic display incorporating a 12.3-inch driver’s screen, 12.3-inch infotainment display and 5.3-inch climate-control screen.

And, thankfully, Kia hasn’t forgotten that people occasionally need to operate their cars without staring at a screen; physical controls remain beneath the climate display, allowing temperature and ventilation adjustments to be made quickly.

The centre console incorporates a 15W wireless smartphone charger, USB-C connections are provided front and rear, and GT-Line models gain a sliding table that can extend by up to 120mm.

It’s the sort of feature that sounds slightly gimmicky until you imagine sitting at a charging station with lunch and nowhere sensible to put it. Suddenly, it makes perfect sense.

Material quality is very good, although there are, inevitably, some harder plastics given the EV3’s position in Kia’s range. However, the overall impression is of a properly finished interior rather than a budget cabin dressed up with technology.

The GT-Line S goes further with two-tone artificial leather upholstery, electrically adjustable seats, memory function for the driver, heated and ventilated front seats, heated outer rear seats and premium relaxation seats.

The flagship specification also brings an eight-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, customisable ambient lighting and a head-up display. It’s a heck of a lot of equipment for a relatively small SUV.

Rear passenger space and practicality

Rear legroom is a useful 950mm, while rear headroom measures 955mm. Given the car’s compact exterior dimensions, that’s impressive.

The flat-floor electric architecture also means there’s no conventional transmission tunnel getting in the way of rear passengers, helping make the rear bench feel more accommodating than the exterior dimensions might suggest.

It’s not going to rival the EV5 for outright passenger space, but the important thing is that the EV3 doesn’t feel like a compromise when carrying adults in the back.

The boot is equally useful with 460 litres available with the rear seats upright, increasing to 1,250 litres with them folded. There’s also a 25-litre frunk, which is particularly useful for keeping the charging cable out of the main luggage area. All in all, trumping most rivals comfortably and putting the EV3 firmly into proper family-car territory.

It’s small enough to make urban driving and parking straightforward, yet large enough to cope with the weekly shop, pushchairs, luggage and all the other clutter that inevitably comes with family life.

It can also tow a braked trailer up to 1,000kg with the 81.4kWh battery, which adds another layer of versatility that isn’t always available in compact EVs.

Technology and safety

The panoramic display combines two 12.3-inch screens with a separate 5.3-inch climate-control display, while physical switches beneath it provide quick access to temperature and fan-speed adjustments. It’s a sensible combination of digital technology and tactile controls, rather than making everything dependent on the touchscreen.

The GT-Line S adds a 12.3-inch head-up display, which projects speed, navigation information and driver-assistance warnings directly into the driver’s eyeline.

There’s also wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Kia Connect with seven years of complimentary services, over-the-air updates and Digital Key functionality.

For those who enjoy their gadgets, Kia has even introduced in-car payments and an AI Assistant with ChatGPT, although the latter is being introduced through a subsequent over-the-air update.

Safety provision is comprehensive: Highway Driving Assist 2.0, Smart Cruise Control 2, Blind-Spot Collision Avoidance Assist, Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Avoidance and Forward Collision Avoidance Assist 2.0 are all standard. The latter can detect pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles and is designed to intervene in situations including junction turning and crossing.

The GT-Line S goes further with a 360-degree camera, blind-spot view monitor, parking collision-avoidance assistance and Remote Smart Parking Assist.

It’s an impressive amount of technology for a compact SUV.

Driving impressions

With 201bhp and 283Nm, it isn’t remotely exotic by modern EV standards, but the instant response of the electric motor gives it a pleasingly eager character. The 0-62mph time of 7.9 seconds is quick enough to feel properly brisk without becoming ridiculous.

The steering has a pleasing weight to it, the body remains controlled through corners and there’s enough agility to make a winding road something to enjoy rather than simply endure.

Kia says the steering was specifically tuned for European roads, with an emphasis on precision and linearity, and that’s all well and good but don’t expect any more feedback than a teenager whose just been asked ‘had a good day?’

There is a good balance between handling and ride comfort. The GT-Line S sits on 19-inch wheels, but the suspension never feels excessively firm. It has enough compliance to absorb the imperfections of British roads while retaining the composure you want when the road starts becoming interesting.

It’s not a hot hatch, but there’s enough character here to make the EV3 feel considerably more entertaining than its compact family-SUV brief might suggest.

On faster roads, the strong mid-range response makes overtaking effortless, and when you find yourself on a decent country road, there’s some enjoyment to be had from the way it changes direction.

Range and charging

My GT-Line S 81.4kWh with the optional heat pump has an official combined range of 361 miles, with a theoretical city-cycle figure of 467 miles.

Obviously, nobody should expect 361 miles in every conceivable set of conditions. Weather, speed, temperature and driving style will all have an effect.

But even allowing for real-world variation, this is an impressive range from a compact SUV.

The EV3’s aerodynamic work is partly responsible. Kia quotes a drag coefficient of just 0.263, with active air flaps, underbody covers and careful attention to the wheels and rear lighting all helping reduce aerodynamic resistance.

The 81.4kWh battery can accept up to 127.5kW of DC charging, with a 10-80 per cent charge taking around 31 minutes under suitable conditions. A 16-amp domestic supply takes approximately 7 hours 15 minutes for 10-100 per cent.

Kia also says up to 125 miles of range can be added in 15 minutes on an appropriate rapid charger.

One feature that deserves particular attention is Vehicle-to-Load.

V2L allows the EV3 to use its battery to power external electrical equipment, effectively turning the car into a rather large mobile battery.

On the GT-Line S, there’s even a dedicated UK three-pin socket beneath the rear seats, as well as the external connection available through the charging port, via the supplied adaptor.

Ideal for those on a camping holiday who wish to power up the George Foreman Grill instead of a stinky, smoky BBQ.

Working somewhere without a convenient electricity supply? The EV3 can provide it.

Power cut at home? It could keep essential equipment running. It can even be used to charge another EV or PHEV.

It’s a feature that you might rarely use, but when you need it, it’s considerably more useful than another novelty touchscreen function.

Rivals

The EV3 finds itself in one of the fastest-growing parts of the electric-car market.

There are plenty of alternatives, from the established Volvo EX30, Hyundai Kona Electric and Peugeot E-2008 to newer competition from Chinese manufacturers.

And, of course, there is the larger Kia EV5.

But the EV3 has its own argument It combines a relatively compact footprint with an impressive amount of interior space, excellent range, decent driving dynamics and a high level of equipment.

The biggest challenge for some buyers may simply be deciding whether they need something larger . . .

Verdict

The Kia EV3 is a very impressive little car.

More importantly, it feels like the sort of EV that could genuinely convince someone who hasn’t yet made the switch to electric.

It doesn’t require you to make enormous compromises. The range is excellent. The performance is more than adequate. The interior is well designed and feels sufficiently upmarket.

It’s also comfortable, practical and surprisingly decent to drive.

The GT-Line S I drove also demonstrates just how far Kia has pushed the specification. Heated and ventilated seats, premium relaxation seats, head-up display, Harman Kardon audio, 360-degree camera, remote parking assistance and V2L are the sort of features that would have seemed extravagant on a car of this size only a few years ago.

There are some harder plastics around the cabin that remind you this isn’t a luxury vehicle, but that’s a relatively minor criticism.

And while the EV3 doesn’t have the sheer space of the EV5, it doesn’t really need to as its smaller dimensions may be part of the appeal to many people.

It’s easier to park, easier to manoeuvre through narrow streets and still offers enough passenger and luggage space for most family duties.