Kia EV3 review: Futuristic family SUV sets a new benchmark
It would have been unthinkable not long ago, but Kia almost toppled Ford in the 2024 new car sales chart. When the numbers were crunched, the Kia Sportage had notched up 47,183 registrations – just 1,157 behind the first-placed Ford Puma. However, the success of the Sportage is now under threat from an enemy within.
Enter the Kia EV3. It too is a family-sized SUV aimed at the heartland of the UK car market. But unlike the Sportage, which comes with petrol, hybrid or plug-in hybrid powertrains, the EV3 is fully electric.
Granted, barely a week goes by without the launch of yet another electric SUV, but this one immediately stands out. Snub-nosed, slab-sided and boldly brutalist, it looks like a concept car with number plates. In design terms, it’s also a downsized version of the seven-seat Kia EV9 – voted World Car of the Year in 2024.
All versions of the EV3 use a single 204hp motor to drive their front wheels: sufficient for 0-62mph in less than eight seconds and a 105mph top speed. Buyers get a choice of 58kWh or 81kWh battery sizes, offering a range of up to 270 or 375 miles respectively.
Divided into three trim levels, Air, GT-Line and GT-Line S, the EV3 lineup is big on standard equipment and limited on extra-cost options. At the time of writing, UK prices start from a very competitive £32,995 – or less than £600 a month on a three-year PCP finance deal with zero deposit.
Rivals for the EV3 include the Volvo EX30 and new Skoda Elroq, plus more conventional hatchbacks like the Renault Megane E-Tech and Volkswagen ID.3
Driving the Kia EV3
We’re slightly lost for words when trying to articulate how the EV3 drives. For a journalist, that isn’t ideal, but Kia should take it as a compliment. Put simply, this car doesn’t occupy any more of your brain’s bandwidth than it needs to. It calmly and competently gets on with the job.
Climb inside – the Air has conventional door handles, GT-Line models get posher pop-out items – and you’ll find an elevated driving position behind an oddly squared-off steering wheel. Being an EV, there is no clutch or gearbox to worry about; simply twist the toggle into ‘D’ and be on your way.
Oh, another thing before you go: press and hold the volume button for three seconds to deactivate the speed limit warning. Failure to do so means enduring incessant bongs whenever you stray fractionally over the limit – or when the forward-facing camera misreads the road signs. This technology is mandated on all new cars, but many will appreciate having a swift shortcut to turn it off.
On the move, the Kia has a smooth, relaxed manner that encourages smooth, relaxed progress. Its steering is light but accurate, acceleration is seamless and the throttle feels nicely calibrated, with an adjustable regen braking function that allows for one-pedal driving around town.
The suspension also strikes a sensible balance between comfort and control. It shrugs off speed humps and potholes around town, yet keeps a steady hand on the EV3’s not-inconsiderable 1,800kg heft (1,885kg for 81kWh versions) when the tarmac gets twistier. It’s worth noting that our Air-spec car had 17-inch alloy wheels, whereas GT-Line versions wear 19s, but journalist colleagues report only a modest detriment to ride quality.
Is the EV3 fast or fun to hustle along a country road? No. But do people really want family EVs with face-melting performance and ‘sporty’ handling? Most of them, we’d humbly suggest, do not.
Inside the Kia EV3
The EV3’s simple, blocky styling is carried over to its interior. It’s neat and thoughtfully designed, with light tones that enhance the feeling of space – plus tasteful ambient lighting on higher-spec models. However, while Kia deserves credit for using recycled plastics (28.5kg per car, it says here), some of the materials feel a long way from being ‘premium’. You sense a few corners were cut here.
The widescreen digital display is divided into three sections: the instrument cluster, a small climate infographic and the central infotainment touchscreen. The graphics are crisp and the menus are straightforward to navigate. Again, everything just seems to work as it should (contrast with Volkswagen’’s much-maligned media system).
If you prefer simply to use your phone – and no matter how hard car manufacturers try, most of us do – wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity come as standard. There are also two USB-C sockets on the dashboard, plus another pair on the backs of the front seats.
Lastly, in addition to Kia’s famed seven-year/100,000-mile vehicle warranty, you get seven years of free over-the-air software updates via the Kia Connect service. Kia’s plan is to introduce streaming services such as Netflix and Disney Plus, which should keep the kids entertained – and pass the time while plugged in at public charging points. Or you could recline the (optional) ‘relaxation seats’ and have a nap.
How practical is it?
Despite being a smaller car than a Kia Sportage, the EV3 has an identical wheelbase and a similarly sized interior. It’s a genuinely commodious five-seater, with a flat floor to make access easier and ensure that even the middle passenger has enough legroom.
Boot space is also generous, at 460 litres with the 60:40 split/fold rear seats in place. For comparison, the Skoda Elroq, Volkswagen ID.3 and Volvo EX30 can carry 470, 385 and 318 litres respectively.
Frankly, given the state of the UK’s public charging network in 2025, we don’t recommend buying an electric car unless you can charge at home. It’s simply too inconvenient and expensive. If you do stop off on a long journey, though, the EV3’s standard 58kWh battery can accept up to 100kW and takes 29 minutes for a 10-80 percent charge. Comparable figures for the Long Range 81kWh battery are 127kW and 31 minutes.
What’s more, you don’t even need to blow £5 on a service station coffee. A Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) function means you can plug in 220v appliances, such as a kettle, and power them from the car. If you have a smart electricity tariff at home, you can even draw power from your EV3 during peak times, then replenish its batteries at night when electrons are cheaper. Clever stuff.
How much does the Kia EV3 cost?
We drove the basic EV3 Air, which costs £32,995, or £35,995 with the bigger battery. Affordable and comprehensively equipped – including front/rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, heated seats and a heated steering wheel – it’s our pick of the range.
Kia expects most UK buyers will upgrade to the £39,495 GT-Line, though, which comes with the 81kWh battery as standard and also throws in 19-inch wheels, LED headlights, tinted glass, artificial leather upholstery, and wireless phone charging, plus other niceties such as a slide-out table between the front seats. Just beware of options pushing the car’s price above £40,000, as it will add £590 to your annual car tax.
Top rung on the ladder is the £42,995 EV3 GT-Line S, with a 360-degree parking camera, head-up display, sunroof, electric tailgate, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats and premium Harman-Kardon audio system. You can add a heat pump for a further £900, too.
Verdict: Kia EV3
Forget the Volkswagen ID.3: this feels like the true ‘Golf’ for the electric age. What do we mean by that? Simply that the EV3 is an accessible and thoroughly well-rounded vehicle that could slot effortlessly into many (maybe even most?) of our lives. With family cars now increasingly SUV-shaped, it has arguably become the benchmark to beat.
The only caveat, of course, is being electric, which doesn’t work for everyone. But if an EV suits your circumstances, the Kia is one of the best yet. And in a sector filling up with deathly dull Chinese rivals, its sci-fi styling arguably seals the deal.
Price: From £32,995
Power: 204hp
0-62mph: 7.7 seconds
Top speed: 105mph
Battery size: 58 or 81kWh
Max charging speed: 101-128kW
Range: 270-375 miles
• Tim Pitt writes for Motoring Research