Kia EV3 review

Kia has lost its soul – but not in the way you might think. You see, this is the Kia EV3, which replaced the Soul EV as the South Korean brand's smallest electric car.

The EV3 sits below the Kia Niro EV, EV6 and EV9 in the car maker's electric SUV line-up, and you can see a strong family resemblance between the EV3 and EV9.

On paper, things looks good for the EV3. Its starting price compares well with that of other similar-sized electric SUVs. What's more, the version with the longest range can officially travel up to 375 miles – farther than any other electric Kia.

Kia EV3 video review

That said, the Kia EV3 faces some tough competition. Rivals include the Hyundai Kona Electric, Jeep Avenger Electric and Volvo EX30. Meanwhile, the larger Renault Scenic and Skoda Elroq are likely to be on the shortlists of potential buyers, too.

So, how does the Kia EV3 measure up against the best electric SUVs?

There are two battery options available for the Kia EV3: the Standard Range has a usable capacity of 55kWh, and the Long Range 78kWh. The big difference between the two is, as the names suggest, how far you can travel between charges.

The EV3 Standard Range can officially travel 270 miles on a charge, while the Long Range can manage up to 375 miles (depending on trim level). That beats the Hyundai Kona Electric (319 miles), Mini Aceman (251 miles), Smart #3 (283 miles) and Volvo EX30 (295 miles).

As with other electric cars, the EV3's official WLTP range is hard to match in real-world driving. Expect 250 to 320 miles in the EV3 Long Range, depending on the weather and the types of road you're driving on.

Every EV3 has a 201bhp motor that powers the front wheels (there's no four-wheel-drive option), and that's enough for 0-62mph in around 7.5 seconds. On a cold, damp day at our private test track, we recorded an EV3 Long Range scampering from 0-60mph in 7.4sec. It's all the performance most buyers will need, although some versions of the #3 and EX30 are quicker.

The EV3 has fairly soft suspension and that helps most versions deliver a plush ride around town and a wonderfully smooth experience on motorways. They're on a par with the larger Renault Scenic and Skoda Elroq, and cope better with road imperfections than the Kona Electric, Aceman, Smart #1 and EX30.

Only the Long Range version of the EV3 in entry-level Air spec disappoints slightly; this has a bouncier, less settled feel than other variants, probably due to its combination of a big, heavy battery and tyres with tall sidewalls.

It's also worth noting that no EV3 is particularly agile. There's more body lean through corners than in an Elroq or EX30, and a noticeable amount of nosedive under braking. In short, the EV3 doesn't appreciate being asked to push on when you're driving along a twisty country road. Take it easy, though, and you'll find it an easy and relaxing car to drive.

Speaking of being easy to drive, the EV3 has adjustable levels of regenerative braking (for harvesting energy under deceleration). In its strongest setting, this allows one-pedal driving, meaning the EV3 can bring itself to a stop without you using the brake pedal at all.

If you'd rather do the braking yourself, you’ll be relieved to hear that the regular friction brakes offer a smooth and predictable response. Indeed, refinement is impressive across the board, with the EV3 generating no audible electric motor whine under acceleration. Plus, there's little in the way of road and wind noise at a cruise – it's fractionally quieter on motorways than a Skoda Elroq.

“I liked the EV3's one-pedal driving mode, particularly around town, where I found it made life easier.” – Doug Revolta, Head of Video

As with its exterior, the Kia EV3’s interior takes inspiration from the Kia EV9. In fact, both cars have the same arrangement of screens on their dashboards.

That means there's a 12.3in digital driver's display behind the steering wheel, a 5.3in climate-control panel and a 12.3in infotainment touchscreen. The touchscreen has ChatGPT AI (artificial intelligence) voice control, allowing you to plan journeys, search for your favourite band, or even get restaurant recommendations in a more natural way than older voice assistant systems could manage.

However, the EV3’s climate-control panel is less well thought-out. As in the EV9, it’s partially obscured by the steering wheel – an ergonomic oversight that’s surprising to see repeated.

On the plus side, physical rocker switches lower down on the dashboard make it easy to adjust the temperature or fan speed. That’s a clear advantage over rivals such as the Skoda Elroq and Volvo EX30, where climate controls are accessed exclusively using the touchscreen or voice commands.

The EV3's touchscreen isn’t the largest or flashiest in its class, but its sharp graphics, snappy response times, and intuitive lay-out are definite highlights. It’s quicker to react than the system in the Elroq and far more user-friendly than those in the Mini Aceman and Smart #3.

Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay come as standard, and the touch-sensitive shortcut buttons below the screen are useful. Just be careful not to brush against them accidentally while using the touchscreen.

If you’ve read our Kia EV9 review, you’ll know we weren’t that impressed with its interior quality, and the EV3 mirrors that car’s materials. However, with the EV3 costing almost half as much as its larger sibling, its interior quality stacks up well against similar-priced small electric SUVs. Harder plastics are used in places, but they feel robust rather than flimsy, and GT-Line models add fabric inserts on the dashboard and door trims for a more luxurious feel.

The EV3's driving position places you higher up than most rivals', including the Hyundai Kona Electric, Aceman and #3 (and even the larger Renault Scenic and Skoda Elroq). It’s certainly enough to remind you that you’re driving an SUV rather than a hatchback.

Better yet, the EV3's driver’s seat and steering wheel offer plenty of adjustment. Our only minor grumble is that entry-level Air models miss out on adjustable lumbar support – although lower back support is adequate without this.

The elevated driving position gives you a good view down the road ahead and diagonally at junctions, although the wide rear window pillars mean the view out to the back is slightly restricted. Still, it’s no worse than in a Kona Electric or #3, and every EV3 comes with front and rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera as standard. Range-topping GT-Line S trim adds a 360-degree camera to make parking even easier.

“The interior of Air models is attractive enough, but I think the GT-Line version, with its fabric-wrapped dashboard, feels noticeably more upmarket.” – Steve Huntingford, Editor

Two six-footers will have no trouble fitting into the front of the Kia EV3, because there's plenty of head and leg room on offer. What's more, the interior is pretty wide, so even a pair of broad adults won’t find their shoulders close to rubbing.

In terms of front storage, the door bins are fairly small, but the various trays, cupholders and partitioned sections in the centre console largely make up for that. GT-Line versions have a tray that slides out from the central armrest and acts as a laptop table, which is handy but means you don't get any storage under the armrest; you do on cheaper Air versions.

In the back of the EV3 you’ll find more space than in a Jeep Avenger Electric, Mini Aceman or Volvo EX30. As a result, two six-footers will fit just fine, with plenty of knee room and just about enough head room. USB-C sockets are usefully positioned in the front seatbacks, and are ideal for rear passengers wanting to keep their devices topped up. If you need more rear space, its worth looking at the Renault Scenic or Skoda Elroq from the class above.

The rear seats in the EV3 don’t do anything clever – such as sliding back and forth (as they do in the Smart #1). They simply fold down in a 60/40 split, and the sections lie flat, which is par for the course among small electric SUVs. The larger Scenic gets a more practical 40/20/40 split seatback for extra flexibility.

The EV3 has 460 litres of boot space. That's a match for the Hyundai Kona Electric and much more generous than the Jeep Avenger Electric, Aceman or #1. We managed to fit six carry-on suitcases below the load cover – the same as in the Elroq. 

All EV3s have a height-adjustable boot floor, plus a 25-litre storage area under the bonnet, which is handy for stowing the charging cable.

“Because the EV3 was built from the ground up as an electric vehicle, it has a flat floor, which I found gave me more room for my feet when travelling three-up in the back.” – Neil Winn, Deputy Reviews Editor

The starting price of the Kia EV3 is higher than that of a Jeep Avenger Electric or Mini Aceman and on a par with the Volvo EX30 – but it still represents good value for money when you factor in the range and how much standard equipment you get.

Indeed, even if you go for entry-level Air trim you get heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, automatic LED headlights, climate control, keyless entry and even adaptive cruise control. Plus, you can have Air trim with either battery size, whereas GT-Line and GT-Line S are available only in combination with the Long Range battery.

GT-Line adds larger 19in alloy wheels, sportier styling, wireless phone-charging and rear privacy glass. Meanwhile, range-topping GT-Line S brings an upgraded eight-speaker Harman Kardon stereo, a head-up display, electrically adjustable front seats with a heating and ventilating function, heated outer rear seats and a powered tailgate. It's too pricey for us to recommend, though.

It’s worth noting that PCP finance deals on the EV3 – at the time of writing at least – aren't particularly attractive. Indeed, you could have a Skoda Elroq or Renault Scenic for a smaller monthly outlay.

However, like all electric cars, the EV3 is a seriously tempting company car proposition thanks to much lower BIK tax rates than on any petrol, diesel or even plug-in hybrid alternatives.

The EV3's maximum charging speed depends on which battery you go for. The Standard Range can charge at up to 100kW, matching the Hyundai Kona Electric, so in ideal conditions you'll be waiting around half an hour for a 10-80% charge.

The EV3 Long Range can charge at up to 135kW, although because it has a bigger battery to fill, a 10-80% charge will actually take a couple of minutes longer.

We don’t have reliability data for the EV3 yet (it's too new) but Kia as a brand finished in a respectable 11th place (out of 31 car makers) in our 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey. Better still, Kia’s seven-year standard warranty is one of the best you can get. 

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 safety equipment, including blind-spot monitoring cameras and parking collision avoidance.

"I suspect some customers will be disappointed that Kia doesn't fit a heat pump as standard to improve efficiency in cold weather. You can have one, but you'll need to go for range-topping GT-Line S trim and then pay extra." – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

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