Kia EV3 Review

Introduction and model history

The Kia EV3 is still the most important entry in Kia's EV lineup. It serves as their B-Segment SUV offering, otherwise known as the hatchback-come-SUV, crossover category. It’s a highly contested category too, with competitors including the Skoda Elroq, VW ID.3 Neo, Volvo EX30 and many more. It comes in at just a hair shorter than Kia’s own (now officially off sale) e-Niro and a touch larger than the Jeep Avenger and the EV3’s little brother, the EV2. 

It was released back in 2025 to some fanfare and its sharp looks, great tech, and impressive range meant the EV3 was crowned our car of the year. Ginny loved how stylish the EV3 was without being too showy, describing it as a game-changer. 

There are three trim levels on offer: Air, GT-Line and GT-Line S with the latter two coming standard with the larger battery option and only the top trim being available with the option of a heat pump. All benefit from the same single front-mounted electric motor and performance figures. And now, Nic has also driven the rapid, all-wheel drive Kia EV3 GT, so if you like this but wanted more performance or all-wheel drive usefulness, Kia's got you covered. 

Range, battery and charging 

The EV3 shares the E-GMP platform with other Hyundai Motor Group offerings such as the Ioniq 5 and Genesis GV60. At this point, it’s a well proven architecture that’s also very flexible when it comes to different powertrain options. 

Battery options include 55 or 78kWh usable capacity NMC batteries (that's 58.8 or 82kWh total capacity, which are the figures you'll see on Kia's official material). They’re good for between 270 miles (435km) and 375 miles (604km) on the WLTP cycle with the longest range combination being the Air trim with 17-inch wheels and the larger battery option. 

In some of the smaller EVs that you might consider a rival to the EV3 - the Renault 5 or the Citroen e-C3 Aircross, for instance - the available battery sizes often differentiate themselves as one for city driving, and a larger one for those who do the odd longer journey. On the EV3, however, even the smaller battery gets enough real-world range to get you 170- to 200 miles or so in everyday driving conditions on the motorway. If you do cover a lot of mileage, you might want to consider a heat pump in the EV3, as that helps with cold weather efficiency and range. It’s a £900 option that’s only offered on the top trim GT-Line S, though, so it’ll take a lot of miles to offset that extra cost. 

When it comes to charging, the EV3 doesn't get the 800V charging of its bigger siblings. Instead, it hits DC rapid charging speeds of up to 135kW in ideal conditions, enough to get you from 10-80% in 29 minutes on the small battery and 31 minutes on the larger one. That’s pretty good in the context of competitors like the Volvo EX30 and the Nissan Leaf. Mind you, with others - like the BYD Atto 3 Evo with its 220kW charging - in a similar price range offering much faster charging, the EV3’s charging could definitely be better. 

​Vehicle-to-load (V2L) charging is standard across the EV3 range so feel free to run any normal electrical device from its domestic 3-pin socket. Perfect for anything from running a minifridge to a TV for an outdoor movie night. 

Practicality and boot space 

There’s 460 litres of boot space on offer in the EV3’s rear luggage compartment. The hatchback-style opening and relatively flat load floor means it’s an easy space to access too. I reckon the dog’s going to find it really easy to jump in there, and it’s a usefully bigger boot than you get in the Volvo EX30, VW ID.3 or even the Renault Megane E-Tech.

The rear seats fold flat in a 60-40 split to get your usable rear storage volume up to 1251 litres, too. Storage up front is a little less impressive, with a small frunk that’ll be fine for your ice scraper and a small bottle of de-icer, but you’ll need better cable-coiling skills than me to get the charging cable in there. It’s a tight fit, that one! Still, plenty of rivals don’t get a frunk at all, so I’m not complaining. Well, not too much…

Cargo aside, there's a good deal of usable space for passengers, too. Generous back seat room means there’s plenty of space to seat four average-sized adults. And look! What’s this?! A lesser-spotted rear armrest… What joy! Yes, that’s right, the EV3 gets a centre rear armrest - which quite a few rivals have as an optional extra, if it’s available at all. I reckon it’s essential to keep the kids happy in a family car, so I’m pleased that the Kia has one - with cup holders and all.

The flat floor should mean sitting five will be easy enough, too, although I’m sure there’ll be some elbow-clashing and a bit of grumbling for whoever has the narrower, flat-cushioned seat in the middle.

Rear side seats also have ISOFIX points but beware, the rear doors don’t open particularly wide, so reaching in to retrieve small children may prove a bit tricky.

Interior, design and technology

The EV3’s common lineage with the EV9 and EV5 is a good thing for the way it looks. It carries the same design language, which means its angular, but not too aggressive-looking. And I think Kia’s just doing really well with making its cars recognisable, don’t you? I know some find the styling a bit too blocky, but I like it, and it’s distinctive.

On the inside, impressions are just as strong as the EV3 continues to draw from its bigger relatives for design and tech. Taking up most of the attention are the two large, 12.3-inch screens, which sandwich a smaller 5.0-inch screen in between them - just behind the steering wheel.

It’s a really decent infotainment system, and while the graphics aren’t as sharp as those in the Volvo and Renault that get Google-based maps, the Kia EV3’s system is easy to use and has all the features you want. Naturally, that includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as nav with charger search function, Bluetooth and all that good stuff. I think it’s the touch sensitive shortcut buttons beneath the screen that really make it easy to use; it helps make it really easy when you want to hop between your nav and your music options. Mind you, I’d like it if the driver assist systems - like the lane-keep assist and speed limit warnings - could be tailored more easily.

Beyond just tech, the interior of the EV3 is very intelligently designed with several built-in features we just wish we’d thought of ourselves. For example, in all trims except the base ‘Air’, the front central armrest has a top section that slides out to become a laptop table so you can get some work done while you wait to charge. There’s also more than ample storage in the centre console, easily enough for a handbag. Overall, it’s a very comfortable and convenient place to be, those mesh headrests carried over from the EV9 greatly adding to the ‘lounge’ vibe.

Motors, performance and handling

As far as driving experiences go, the EV3 is just very straightforward. Which is a good thing! For a vehicle of its family-oriented segment, it’s near-perfect. Simple, relaxing, stress-free. What more could you possibly ask for? If you’re worried about an electric car being complicated, few cars will do a better job at convincing you otherwise.

All of the standard EV3 trims come with the same 201hp motor sending power to the front wheels, regardless of battery size. That gets you from a standstill to 62mph in 7.5 seconds in the smaller battery model, or 7.7 seconds in the larger battery variant. However, you can now go for the all-wheel drive Kia EV3 GT, which gets dual motors and 292hp for a 0-62mph time of 5.7sec. 

Sure, the dual motor Volvo EX30 can hit 62mph in 3.6 seconds. But that doesn’t really matter for a family SUV, does it? In fact, I prefer the slower, single motor Volvo EX30 to drive, too.

The ride comfort in the EV3 is excellent, too. Like most EVs, its low centre of gravity means it feels stable around corners while the steering is very responsive and has a solid weight to it. The GT benefits from adaptive dampers and sports suspension, and it when Nic drove it out in Norway it delivered really good ride comfort and body control - even if the EV3 GT is still a car that feels more like a really fast family car rather than a 'proper' hot hatch like the more theatrical Abarth 600e. Mind you, those gear shifts and the engine noise in the EV3 GT are just awesome. I really do love those! Turns it into a mini Hyundai Ioniq 5 N! 

Ergonomics in the EV3 are fantastic. There’s loads of adjustment between the seat and steering wheel so I can find a really natural driving position, and I know that shorter drivers can also fit with equal comfort, so most people are going to be comfy up front in the EV3.

Kia still has one of the best regenerative braking setups in the game. Paddles on the steering wheel allow you to adjust between three levels of regular regen, with an extra strong fourth mode called i-Pedal for one-pedal driving - which is excellent for city drives. It sounds like there are a lot of variables to consider there, I know. But, once you’re used to it, it’s hard to go back to something that doesn’t have regen this well figured out.

Driving the EV3 back to back with the EV4 (which is the bigger, conventional electric hatchback that sits just above the EV3 in the lineup and costs only a little more) does mean that you can pick up on the differences between the two, though. I found that the EV4 feels a little more fun to drive thanks to its slightly stiffer setup lending a more connected feeling while the EV3 feels a little floatier. When Nic drove the EV4 GT and EV3 GT back-to-back, she said the same thing; the EV4 is the sportier, firmer number while the EV3 feels a bit more sensible. It very much comes down to personal preference as to which one suits you best.

Running costs and pricing

Prices for the EV3 start at around £33,000 for the base ‘Air’ model with the small battery. Making the jump to the bigger, 81.4kWh model only pushes the price up by some £3,000, so I suspect that most buyers will do just that. For an extra 100 miles of range, that doesn’t sound so bad to us. In fact, it still makes the EV3 one of the most affordable EVs out there with over 370 miles of range. Even the BYD Atto 3 Evo, while it may charge faster, can’t touch the EV3’s range claims - despite its £6,000 higher base price!

The EV3 range does extend all the way up to £48,000 for the top of the range GT! I mean, that's quite a lot, isn't it? PCP finance deals and leasing costs also look a bit pricey when compared to rivals like the Renault Megane E-Tech and MG4, so value depends on how you want to buy. Regardless, you still get Kia’s famed 7 year, 100,000 mile warranty, and in the more modest trims the Kia EV3 is fantastic value.

Verdict 

The Kia EV3 is a truly brilliant package. It’s got style, comfort, space, tech to spare and is also great value for money, not to mention a pleasure to drive. I even think that people will like that it’s not as big as some of its rivals; we don’t all want huge cars, after all. I just love it! From the way it looks to the fact that it offers such great driving range at a very decent price, it’s the electric car that a lot of people have been waiting for.

We awarded the EV3 our Car of The Year award in 2025 and we’re very pleased to see that our judgement has rung true even with so much new competition arriving. Whether you want it for the long range, great value or just the tech and practicality, the Kia EV3 has got something for everybody, and it remains our favourite compact family EV. It’s just a great all-rounder.

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