Electric cars are still too expensive, too small and with insufficient range… what if it (soon) ends? The Kia EV3 is part of this new wave of zero-emission vehicles and offers on paper a better compromise between efficiency, versatility and purchase price. Promises kept?
10 years of electric cars at Kia
This EV3 represents Kia’s new generation of electric cars, on the dedicated e-GMP platform, shared with its sister brand Hyundai. A range inaugurated by the EV6 crossover in 2021 and followed by the giant EV9 SUV launched at the end of 2023.
Historically, Kia is now 10 years behind in this 100% electric market, with its e-Soul launched in 2014 as an alternative to the thermal versions.
The EV3, or the miniature EV9
The EV3 is thus presented as a reduced size version of the EV9. Or rather “European compatible size”, this giant SUV is intended rather for North America and Asia, but Kia wanted to market it anyway in our regions as a new standard for the brand. A way, in fact, to show its know-how in the high-end sector and to tickle some premium brands in one of its playgrounds.
From the 5 meters long EV9 we go to a compact SUV measuring 4.30 meters. A format that aims to be much more rational, practical but also affordable, at least according to the versions.
We discover a quite modern design, which takes up some codes of the EV9, in particular with this complete grille, typical of electric models and a quite original lighting signature, at the front but especially at the rear and in our GT-Line finish that spreads. the light strip in the trunk.
And like its older brother, the EV9, although the appearance may seem quite massive, the aerodynamics have been worked on enough to optimize autonomy. This is also found on the door handles flush with the bodywork.
A design that is quite pleasing to the eye, with this beautiful pastel green in our test model, a tone that changes a lot depending on the light and one of the four new colors introduced in this model by Kia.
An attractive interior
The first thing you notice when entering this EV3 is the feeling of space: this is, in fact, one of the virtues of electric, with optimized on-board space.
The EV3 is therefore almost 20 centimeters shorter than a Sportage in its total length, but has the same wheelbase: the space between the front and rear wheels is 2.68 meters.
The center console can be extended forward with a small tablet that will allow you to place a PC or your lunch during a charging break or any other stop. All this with plastic surfaces that do not get dirty, far from the “piano black” that the most recent models usually offer and which has the unfortunate tendency to leave fingerprints or be poorly resistant to scratches.
The driving position uses the general architecture of the EV9 with, as standard, the trio of screens: one for the 12-inch meters, a touch screen of the same format for the infotainment and, between the two, a small 5-inch screen for the air conditioning. . control settings.
A small monitor partially hidden by the steering wheel and not necessarily practical to use, but which allows you to quickly start an essential function such as defogging. Fortunately, physical shortcut keys below the touchscreen make it easy to activate ventilation by easily adjusting the airflow intensity and desired temperature.
Other keys, this time touch, allow quick access to the main menu, the GPS map or even the media. As on the steering wheel, there is also a small button with a star symbol to access the function chosen from a selection, quite well seen.
Now essential point: we also have Android Auto and wireless Carplay. A particularly technological EV3 with two USB Type-C ports in the front and two strategically placed on the sides of the front seats, allowing rear passengers to easily connect to them.
In the rear we also have good legroom, although not necessarily headroom with this gently sloping roof.
As for the trunk, we remain fully committed to this desire to offer a compact but familiar model, with a volume of 460 liters, complemented by a 25-liter front trunk that will be ideal for storing a charging cable.
The touch screen offers good responsiveness and fairly detailed definition. Kia is also introducing an advanced route planner that will take into account the vehicle’s range in real time to calculate optimized terminal stops on a long trip. It is enough to dispense with the use of a third-party application to prepare the trip, as is still the case for many electric car users.
Through regular updates, the Korean brand will also soon offer other services to keep you busy while you’re standing still, such as streaming services or video games. An interesting attempt to offer a Tesla-style entertainment offer, but which will necessarily be limited by the size of the screen, a bit like BMW.
Unfortunately we were not able to test the Kia application that will allow the smartphone to be used as a digital key, with the possibility of sharing it among 7 users and configuring usage times and accessing or not accessing certain functions.
Driving the version with more than 600 kilometers of autonomy
During our test of just over 250 kilometers on the small roads and highways around Lisbon, we found this EV3 particularly comfortable, but also dynamic. Nothing exceptional in terms of performance, with acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.5 seconds, but the vehicle offers a good compromise and behaves especially well on road defects.
We tested the version equipped with an 81kWh battery with an announced range of 605 kilometers. During our test our consumption increased on average to 17kWh per 100, which would give around 475 kilometers of real range. A score that could be greatly improved in urban driving.
With the same 204 horsepower motor placed in the front, a lower capacity battery, 58 kWh and 436 km of theoretical autonomy, is offered as an alternative, with the advantage of offering an attractive entry price and a use that can be afforded. remains versatile.
These two batteries offer a 400-volt architecture, while until now Kia’s “EV” range was based on 800 volts. Once again the idea continues to be to reduce costs and loading times remain within the current average. On long journeys, and direct current charging, it will take 30 minutes to go from 10 to 80% with powers of 102 kW for the standard battery and 125 kW for the long-range battery.
In alternating current we can charge at 7.4 kW in single phase and up to 11 kW in three phase.
We will also highlight the very advanced customization of regenerative braking with paddles on the steering wheel to adjust it in three levels. A long press activates an “i-pedal” function, Kia’s name for what is more commonly called “one pedal” or exclusive use of the accelerator pedal. When released, the energy recovery brakes with enough force to bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
The heat pump is also offered as an option, always with the aim of remaining affordable for those who simply do not need it. This equipment, which still allows you to optimize heating consumption in winter, is offered in a pack for 1,550 euros with bidirectional charging (as in the latest R5, the possibility of returning electricity to the grid with V2G (“vehicle to grid” ) standard or at home with V2H (“vehicle to home”)
Our top-of-the-range GT-Line version also included almost all options, which you can choose according to your wishes and budget. In this way, the catalog remains varied and will allow the addition of a head-up display or heated and ventilated seats.
As standard we will continue to have adaptive cruise control, reversing camera with front and rear radars, dual-zone automatic air conditioning and even keyless opening and starting.
From 36,000 euros… but without bonus
Kia is betting a lot on this EV3 to relaunch itself in electric vehicles. In this year 2024, which is quite complicated and involves the loss of the ecological bonus for cars manufactured outside of Europe, its sales share of this engine is lower than the market average. In 2025, Kia aims to double its current share, up to 25% of its sales in France and an EV3 that should represent half of these zero-emission sales.
Our test model is far from affordable, but with a high-end finish and numerous options, it represents an extreme, but practical case to discover all the functions offered. Our long-range GT-Line version starts at 46,000 euros, but adding the color and the different option packs we arrive at our final price of 52,000 euros.
Long range should still account for 60% of sales, Kia predicts, with the EV3 starting at €41,000.
This is 5,000 euros more than the starting price of the standard autonomy version, which starts at 36,000 euros.
A constant price compared to competitors such as the Renault Mégane E-Tech, although the versatility of the EV3 can lead to comparisons with a Scénic or the Volvo EX30.
Source: BFM TV
