Kia EV3 review

Kia is losing its Soul – but not in the way you might think. You see, this is the new Kia EV3 and it’s here to replace the Soul EV as the South Korean manufacturer's small electric SUV. 

The new EV3 sits below the similarly sized Kia Niro EV, the Kia EV6 and the seven-seat Kia EV9 in the car maker's range. In fact you can see a family resemblance between the EV3 and EV9 inside and out.

With a pedigree like that, the EV3 should certainly be off on the right foot, and things only get better when you look at the numbers. Its list price compares well with that of other electric SUVs and the version with the longest official range can, on paper, go further than a Tesla Model Y. 

It sounds like the new Kia EV3 is a winner – but does it do enough to beat its best electric car rivals, ranging from the Hyundai Kona Electric and Jeep Avenger Electric to the Smart #1 and Volvo EX30? Read on to find out...

There are two battery choices for the Kia EV3 – 58.3kWh or 81.4kWh – but whichever you go for it has 201bhp. That's enough for a 0-62mph time of 7.5 seconds, which is quicker than any Hyundai Kona Electric. 

Now, while we suspect you won’t be drag racing away from every traffic light in the EV3, that swift acceleration is really useful, making it easy to overtake slow traffic and get up to motorway speeds with ease. 

The EV3 feels more softly sprung than other electric Kia car models. There's a slight fidget at slow speeds but as speeds increase it settles and becomes a pretty plush thing. The only thuds you’ll feel at speed are when you drive over big bumps in the road.

It’s far more comfortable than the fractious Tesla Model Y and although the softer Kona Electric deals better with imperfections at slow speeds, the EV3 is better during motorway cruising.

While the EV3 handles perfectly well at the national speed limit on a country road, it won’t give you any thrills. Indeed, it doesn’t take much to find the limits of front-end grip in the wet. The steering is pretty light, which is perfect around town but not so good at higher speeds.

Refinement is pretty impressive, with the EV3’s lack of engine noise (or, indeed, an engine) not revealing any noticeable road or wind noise. It’s as hushed at a cruise as a Hyundai Ioniq 5 or Kia EV6 and quieter than a Kia Niro EV.

So how far can the EV3 on a charge? Well, it obviously depends which battery you choose.

The entry-level (58.3kWh) version has an official range of up to 267 miles, which is more than the Kona Electric but less than a Niro EV. The larger (81.4kWh) battery increases that to as much as 372 miles. That beats all the EV3’s rivals, including the more expensive Tesla Model Y Long Range.

"I'm impressed by the EV3’s official range and, better still, even in the real world the efficiency figures seem to back up something close to the official range." – Dan Jones, Reviewer

As with its exterior, the EV3’s interior takes inspiration from the brand’s flagship Kia EV9 and they share the same infotainment system.

That means you get a 12.3in digital driver's display, a 5.3in climate control screen and a 12.3in touchscreen (now with ChatGPT AI voice control, so you can ask it questions). Annoyingly, like in the EV9, the climate control screen is hard to see because the steering wheel is in the way.

Things are better when it comes to the main touchscreen. It's high definition, giving you plenty of clarity, and responds quickly to all of your prods. There are plenty of features too, including wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring.

While you control the infotainment mainly through the touchscreen, we appreciate that you still get some physical shortcut buttons below the screen and physical rocker switches to adjust the interior temperature.

If you read our Kia EV9 review you'll see we weren't that impressed with the interior, but that model costs a lot more than the EV3 and here it feels much more appropriate.

Indeed, the overall interior quality is quite good, with a range of materials across and hard surfaces given some texturing to help lift the aesthetic. It feels as though it's been put together well and should stand the test of time. 

As with the Kia Niro EV, the EV3’s driving position isn’t all that high by SUV standards but you still sit higher up than in, say, a Tesla Model 3. You’ll also find it really easy to get comfortable behind the wheel, thanks to every EV3 getting a good amount of driver’s seat and steering-wheel adjustment. 

Our only real demerit is that you have to step up to mid-spec GT-Line if you want electric lumbar support adjustment. 

The EV3’s slightly elevated driving position means that you have a good view out over the front of the car and out at junctions. Looking over your shoulder, large rear windows give you a pretty good view of what’s around you, but the large rear pillar means that your view is still slightly impeded. Although, in fairness, it’s no worse than in the Hyundai Kona Electric or Smart #1. 

Luckily, you won’t have any struggles when it comes to parking, because every EV3 comes with front and rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera. To make things even easier, going for top-spec GT-Line S trim adds a 360-degree camera. 

"It’s good that the EV3 still has some physical controls, but the new climate control display is really quite annoying – no matter how I set the steering wheel, it’s covered by the rim, causing you to dip and dive around to get a better view." – Dan Jones, Reviewer

Two six-footers will have no issues fitting into the front of the Kia EV3, with plenty of head and leg room on offer. The interior is pretty wide so even a pair of broad adults won’t find that their shoulders are anywhere near rubbing.

In terms of front storage, you’ll find fairly small door bins, but the various trays, cupholders and cubbies within the centre console somewhat make up for that. You also get a slide-out tray under the central armrest, which would make a great place to use a laptop or prop a tablet computer while the car charges.

As has been the case with almost all of Kia’s EVs, you’ll find that people sitting in the rear have loads of leg room (more than you’ll find in the Jeep Avenger Electric), and plenty of space under the front seats for their feet. There’s just enough head room for a six-footer to get comfortable but not as much as in most of the EV3’s electric SUV rivals.

You’ll fit three people in the back of the EV3 but, like in its rivals, shoulder room will be pretty tight. That said, the lack of central tunnel means the middle-seat occupant will have nothing to straddle and plenty of foot space. 

The rear seats don’t do anything particularly interesting – such as sliding fore and aft, like in the Smart #1 – but they do fold completely flat and in a 60/40 configuration. That’s not as versatile as rivals with 40/20/40 split-folding rear seats, and the EV3 doesn’t even get a ski hatch behind its rear centre armrest. 

At least you get lots of boot space, with the EV3’s 460 litre boot just about matching the Hyundai Kona Electric and proving bigger than what you’ll find in the Avenger Electric (380 litres), Peugeot e-2008 (434 litres) and Smart #1 (273 litres). If you need even more space, the Niro EV is even (475 litres).

For a little extra space, the EV3 also has a 25 litre frunk, giving you space to store your charging cables and saving some space in the boot proper.

"While rear head room is a little tight for those over six feet tall, I’m pretty sure you’ll be able to fit a car full of people inside the EV3 quite comfortably. Indeed, we filled the car with myself, two camera people and all of their gear, and had room to spare." – Dan Jones, Reviewer

As a cash purchase, the entry-level 58.3kWh Kia EV3 is tempting if you don’t need to travel too far. While it costs more than the Smart #1 it undercuts the Hyundai Kona Electric, Kia Niro EV and Tesla Model Y.

That said, even if you spring for the larger – 81.4kWh – battery, it’ll cost around the same as rivals that cover less distance on a charge, including the much more expensive Model Y Long Range.

It’s worth noting that experts predict that the EV3 will depreciate slightly faster than those rivals, which can have an effect on PCP finance rates. Before you buy, make sure you check for the best offers on our New Car Deals pages.

Despite its keen pricing, every EV3 comes really well equipped as standard. Indeed, even the entry-level Air version comes with heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, automatic LED headlights, automatic air conditioning, keyless entry and start, cruise control and lots of other kit. It's our recommended trim. 

For a few more luxuries, check out mid-spec GT-Line, which adds larger 19in alloy wheels, sportier styling, automatic flush door handles, wireless phone-charging, rear privacy glass and electrically adjustable driver lumbar support. 

The top-of-the-range EV3 GT-Line S gets all the toys, including an upgraded eight-speaker Harman Kardon stereo system, a customisable head-up display, electrically adjustable heated and ventilated front seats, heated outer rear seats and an electric tailgate. It’s also the one you’ll need to go for if you want the optional heat pump (for better efficiency when heating the interior). 

The maximum charging rate varies depending on which battery you choose. The 58.3kWh can charge at speeds up to 102kW, matching the Kona Electric, and the 81.4kWh at up to 129kW. In the real world, that means charging from 10-80% in 29 and 31 minutes respectively if you use a fast enough charger.

That’s not bad, but is no match for the 150kW-capable Smart #1 or the 250kW Tesla Model Y. What’s more, the Model Y gets easy access to the excellent Tesla Supercharger network. 

We don’t have reliability stats for the EV3 yet because it’s too new, but Kia as a manufacturer finished in eighth place out of the 32 car makers in the 2023 What Car? Reliability Survey. Better still, the EV3 benefits from Kia’s seven-year standard warranty – one of the best in the industry. 

Likewise, the EV3 has yet to be tested by the safety experts at Euro NCAP. Even so, you can take peace of mind from the fact that every EV3 comes with automatic emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot collision avoidance, a driver attention warning system and lots of airbags.

Top-Spec GT-Line S cars add more equipment to that list, including blind-spot monitoring cameras and parking collision avoidance.  

"Price has long been an Achilles' heel for many electric cars so I'm impress that the EV3 comes with loads of standard kit but still manages to undercut most of its rivals." – Dan Jones, Reviewer

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