UK Drive: Kia’s EV3 joins the firm’s expanding range of electric vehicles

What is it?

Kia is committed to an electric future with its portfolio of models. It began with the Soul EV over a decade ago and has since brought us the Niro EV, EV6, EV9 and now the EV3 – which is the Soul EVs forerunner.

Its latest addition to its product portfolio is the EV3, which sits beneath the larger EV6 and EV9 in its electric car line-up and will be directly competing with the likes of the new Skoda Elroq and Mini Aceman. But, is it better than those two put together? We’ve been finding out.

What’s new?

Kia is focusing its future towards electrification and its new EV3 is one of its most important models to be released for the brand as it comes with more technology yet on a car with a lower price tag.

Packing a decent amount of interior and boot space, this EV3 has plenty of upsides in its favour of being as good, if not better than the competition, and with its EV6 and EV9 stablemates already succeeding, it’s already off to a head start in the compact electric SUV market.

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What’s under the bonnet?

You have a choice of two different battery packs with the EV3, which consists of a 58.3kWh or a larger 81.4kWh unit.

Our test car features the larger 81.4kWh battery pack with an electric motor that produces a total of 201bhp and 283Nm of torque. It can get the car from 0-60mph in 7.7 seconds and it will run out of puff at 105mph. Kia claims that this variant will do up to 367 miles on a single charge and that 350kW DC rapid charging will take the EV3 from 10 to 80 per cent in 31 minutes.

What’s it like to drive?

Kia has really nipped and tucked its range over the years in the driving dynamics stake, and the EV3 is proof of this. Not only does it handle well with a nice amount of steering feel, but the power from its electric motor and battery pack is smooth and effortless. Our test car is sitting on the larger 19-inch alloy wheels, but the ride is still very subtle and feels composed over the bumps, with only the really rutted roads upsetting the chassis in any way.

Wind and road noise is kept to a minimum, and the overall experience is calming and relaxing while being engaging. The only issue is rear visibility with the narrow back window and thick C-pillar obstructing your view when reversing, but the standard rear-view camera does make up for this.

How does it look?

It’s no surprise that this EV3 adopts similar design cues from its bigger brothers in Kia’s range. At the front, there are LED headlamps and if you go for the GT-Line and above, it features a small cube design within the lights themselves.

All cars come equipped with active aerodynamic flaps at the front to help improve drag efficiency and the charging port is located on the offside front wing.

The side profile utilises flush door handles and hidden rear ones to help improve the lines of the car and all models come with roof bars for that SUV look. Big chunker plastic wheel arch guards and a blacked-out C-pillar is carried over from the larger EV9 and at the back, the rear tail lights are positioned high up and run into the rear boot lid to create a light bar effect.

What’s it like inside?

The design of the dashboard follows on from the larger EV6 and EV9 with its 12.3-inch infotainment screen alongside a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display. The screen itself is slick and easy to use and looks very premium. The materials used throughout feel upmarket, with the exception of the hard-feeling dashboard trim. But the build quality along with the fit and finish is superb. There are physical buttons too for the climate control, which makes the user experience a lot more intuitive.

Storage is excellent with deep front door bins in the front and a massive centre console that can fit a purse, alongside two cup holders.

In the back, space is not compromised. The rear doors open wide, allowing easier access and head and leg room for average-sized adults is more than acceptable. There are aeroplane-style seat pockets, a deep cutout behind the centre console and door pockets, which can house a large bottle.

Sadly, its boot space is just pipped by its biggest rival, the Skoda Elroq by 10 litres with the EV3 providing 460 litres of capacity with the rear seats up. There is a large underfloor storage area that is perfect for stowing the charging cables, and it allows the rear seats to fold flat, but it also means the boot floor is shallower. With the back seats folded, the space extends to 1,251 litres – but where the EV3 scores over its Czech rival is the fact it features a front boot with an additional 25 litres of storage.

What’s the spec like?

Kia has always provided an excellent array of standard kit for its cars and the EV3 is no exception.

The entry-level Air comes in at £32,995 and includes features such as heated front seats and steering wheel, a 12.3-inch touchscreen and 12.3-inch driver display, front and rear parking sensors and reversing camera.

The mid-level GT-Line comes in at £39,495, and that’s because it’s only available with the Long-range battery, but it does boast 19-inch alloy wheels, GT-Line styling, privacy glass, a digital key and artificial leather upholstery.

The flagship GT-Line S comes with everything you could ever need. Priced at £42,995, it features an eight-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system, heated rear seats, head-up display and a sunroof.

However, an efficiency-boosting heat pump is an optional extra on the GT-Line S model and isn’t available on lower trim levels, which is frustrating. But, all cars come as standard with the firm’s renowned seven-year or 100,000-mile warranty.

Verdict

It’s never been so tough in the compact electric SUV market, but the Kia EV3 really is the new benchmark alongside the Skoda Elroq when it comes to quality, practicality, technology and driving engagement.

The EV3 not only looks good, but it also offers a variety of different battery packs to suit different buyers. Kia’s seven-year 100,000-mile warranty only sweetens the deal and will definitely be the clincher for most people.

• Model as tested: Kia EV3 GT-Line 81.4kWh
• Price as tested: £39,495
• Engine: 81.4kWh battery pack and electric motor
• Power: 201bhp:
• Torque: 283Nm:
• Top speed: 105mph
• 0-60mph: 7.7 seconds
• MPG: N/A
• CO2 emissions: 0g/km
• Electric range: 367 miles
• Maximum charging speed: 350kW