The next chapter in the Kia EV story has unfolded with the new EV3 and I have recently spent some time behind the wheel of this impressive new addition to the company’s line-up. I would describe it as a little brother to the EV9 which I drove for the first time one year ago and while the EV9 offers massive room, the EV3 is compact yet is highly practical and it could just be the EV that many have been waiting for. A winner in terms of on-board equipment and pricing and the acclaimed seven year warranty should boost sales and further conquer for the South Korean carmaker. Most who own or who consider switching to an EV have concerns over range; here this newcomer scores with ranges from 434km to 603km (270 to 375m), can be as much as 770km (479m) in the city; this should satisfy the majority of buyers.
There is no doubt the EV3 enters a very competitive sector of the market and it faces competition from the likes of the Volvo EX30, Cupra Born and the VW ID3; however the new Kia beats them all on range. I have found that the person looking to buy a new car and in particular an EV want one which is affordable, with a decent range and practical; the EV3 meets all these demands and more. The story has many more chapters to unfold from Kia, next year will see a number of new EVs and product refreshes. The design of both the exterior and interior catches the eye and its chubby lines certainly appeal to me. All versions feature intelligent LED lighting and wheel choice ranges from 17 to 19 inch. Roof rails are standard across the range and moving to a very well appointed interior a 12.3 inch digital cockpit and a 12.3 inch touchscreen. Most who take the wheel of a car enjoy music on the move, no disappointment in this area, on the high spec GT-Line S a premium sound system from Harmam Kardon featuring a centre speaker with subwoofer. The level of equipment left a good impression with me; there are four USB-C charging ports, two front and rear, plus one for media device connection. We use our cars for a multitude of reasons and top of the list is having adequate load carrying ability; the new EV3 has a 460 litre boot, expandable to 1,250 litres with the seats folded.
Performance is yet another key factor and EVs tend to be quite spirited and this newcomer is no exception; maximum power is 201bhp, top speed is 169kph (105mph) and the sprint from rest to 100kph (62mph) ranges from 7.5 to 7.9 seconds. Charging the new EV3 can be as rapid as 29 minutes. However my advice is invest in a home charger, you can benefit from low rates depending on your supplier; however there is always a time when charging has to be done away from base.
All three grades feature a comprehensive list of standard safety equipment; highlights are, standard driver assist technologies include Highway Driving Assist 2.0 with Hands-on Detection (HDA2), Blind-Spot Collision Avoidance Assist (BCA) with Rear-Cross Traffic Avoidance Assist (RCTA), Forward Collision Avoidance Assist 2.0 (FCA2), (City/Pedestrian/Cyclist/Junction Turning/Junction Crossing), Intelligent Speed Limit Assist (ISLA), Lane Follow Assist 2.0 (LFA2) with hands-on detection, Lane Keep Assist (LKA) and Multi-Collision Brake Assist (MCB) and a Blind-Spot view monitor, 360-degree surround view monitor, parking collision-avoidance assist, and Remote Smart Parking Assist (RSPA) are all fitted to the high spec GT-Line S. This new model is built on Kia’s dedicated EV architecture, the Electric-Global Modular Platform and is designed to prioritise the driving and ownership experience while making EVs available to a wider range of customers.
When it comes to EV ambitions from Kia, they are high, the target is to have 11 EVs by 2026, expanding to 15 models by the following year and the all-electric target is by 2035.
Ian Lynas
