Kia EV3 Review & Prices

As far as small electric SUVs go, the Kia EV3 is an absolute cracker - and a worthy follow up to its bigger and highly accomplished EV6 and EV9 siblings. Where some small EVs feel… small, the EV3 comes over all David vs Goliath in the way it stands out against bigger alternatives.

That being said, the EV3 is just one of a number of highly desirable small EVs. The Cupra Born, Volvo EX30, Peugeot E-2008 and Alfa Romeo Junior all have their own qualities - but so does the Kia EV3.

It’s the funkiest of the current crop of small SUVs, looking like it’s driven straight off of the set of Blade Runner 2042. Vertically stacked LED lights on the far corners of the bodywork and angular, cladded wheel arches give the EV3 a rugged, futuristic look - matte black on entry-level ‘Air’ models and gloss black on ‘GT-Line’ trims. Don’t expect any off-road ability though, as the EV3 is front-wheel drive.

Kia EV3: electric range, battery and charging data

Range: 270 - 375 miles
Efficiency: 4.6mi/kWh
Battery size: 58kWh - 81kWh
Max charge speed: 128kW
Charge time AC: 8hrs 20 - 11hrs 30 (0-100%, 7kW)
Charge time DC: 29 - 31mins (10-80%, 128kW)
Charge port location: Right front wing
Power outputs: 204hp

Four tall adults can fit in comfort, though the middle seat in the rear bench is a touch cramped. GT-Line EV3s get a handy sliding tray on the centre console, but the Air makes-do with an extra cubby instead. Base models also get fewer soft-touch plastics than the GT-Line trims, and are only available with light-grey cloth upholstery.

There’s a floating triple-screen arrangement, with a 5.3-inch climate control screen sandwiched between the 12.3-inch driver’s display and infotainment screens. It’s a good idea in theory, but it’s obscured by the steering wheel making it a pain to use.

A 460-litre boot makes the EV3 a practical load-lugger, plus there's a 25-litre frunk at the front of the car too - handy for small items which would roll around in the back.

The EV3 is a very comfortable car to drive, especially with the Air’s 17-inch standard wheels, but don’t expect it to feel like a sports car on a twisty road. That’s the trade-off for its soft suspension, but it makes broken, uneven roads feel much smoother than they are without bouncing around.

Entry-level EV3 models can go roughly 270 miles on a charge according to Kia, whilst cars with the bigger battery can reach around 375 - a notable figure compared to some of the EV3’s alternatives. It’s only the top spec model which is available with a heat pump though, something to bear in mind if you’re after winter efficiency.

If the EV3 ticks your boxes for an electric car, you can browse Carwow’s Kia EV3 deals here. You can also check out more new Kia deals or consider other used Kias instead. Carwow can even help when you decide to sell your car, too.

The Kia EV3 starts at around £33,000 in Air trim with the smaller battery, climbing an extra £11,000 for the top of the range GT-Line S with the heat pump. That means the base-spec Air undercuts the Alfa Romeo Junior by almost £1000, whilst still having plenty of standard kit.

The triple-screen dashboard is standard, as are heated front seats, flush door handles, a reversing camera, all-round parking sensors and a suite of safety aids. If you’re after a long-distance cruiser, the Air with the larger battery will be the one to go for at almost £36,000 - but with 375 miles of range.

Air-spec EV3s come on 17-inch wheels, with heated seats and steering wheel as standard. Upgrading up to GT-Line adds 19-inch wheels and artificial leather seats with an electric driver’s seat and sportier bumpers. GT-Line S trim has electric, reclining and cooling front seats as well as rear seat heating, plus a Harman Kardon sound system and 360-degree cameras.

Not exciting to drive, but quiet, refined and comfortable all the same

In town

The EV3 has the same benefits when it comes to driving around town as all electric cars do. The silent powertrain is smooth as butter when it comes to accelerating, and there’s plenty of power available low-down to allow you to nip out of junctions smartly and exploit tight gaps when you need to. There’s no gearbox to worry about either, so your left leg gets a welcome rest - and it's even smoother than a good automatic in this regard.

Kia also gives you loads of different options for regenerative braking, which is nice considering the Volvo EX30 and Peugeot E-2008 only give you the option to turn it off or on. You can select three levels of strength, and toggle ‘i-Pedal’ mode, which takes the car down to a full stop just by lifting off the accelerator, so you don’t have to touch the brake at all. There’s also an auto mode, which chooses the level of regen based on what’s in front of you - but we didn’t find this mode particularly reassuring.

No matter what mode you’re in, the EV3 deals quite well with lumps and bumps around town. It’s quite a heavy vehicle and has fairly soft suspension, so it can feel a little lumbering when you get lots of bumps one after the other. But the payoff is that it’s fairly smooth over rough surfaces. Visibility is pretty good, too, with nice square dimensions that make parking easy - and all-round sensors as standard make it easier still.

On the motorway

The Kia EV3 doesn’t have the ballistic performance of something like a Volvo EX30 Twin Motor or a Tesla Model 3, and so you have to put your foot down a little more than those cars when it comes to joining a faster road. But with 204hp on tap, it’s hardly slow, and you can get up to speed without any drama.

Once you’re cruising, there’s a little more wind noise than you get in some alternatives, but it’s not obtrusive. The automated driving features work quite well, and adaptive cruise control helps take the sting out of long journeys - especially as Kia’s system detects the presence of your hand on the wheel, not just the pressure, so you don’t have to worry about giving the helm an occasional wiggle.

On a twisty road

This is where the EV3 feels like it loses some ground to its best alternatives. It’s not bad in any way, with plenty of grip and responsive enough steering. But it’s front-wheel drive and set up for comfort rather than cornering, so compared to rear-wheel drive alternatives with more power it just doesn’t feel as lively or as much fun.

A Volvo EX30, MG4 or Volkswagen ID3 are all more enjoyable to drive, though the Kia is on a par with something like a Renault Megane E-Tech or Peugeot E-2008. There are driving modes you can switch into, but even in Sport you won’t really feel the need to ‘send it’ into corners. It’s better to just ease off and make the most of the EV3’s relaxing nature instead.

Lots of room in the back seats and boot, though storage for smaller items could be better

The Kia EV3 is quite an upright, square car, so it’s no surprise passenger room is excellent. Front-seat occupants get plenty of space, helped by Kia shrinking down the climate control systems so they fit into a smaller dashboard - freeing up legroom.

The front seats and steering wheel have loads of adjustment, and are pretty comfy - even if they’re a bit flatter and less supportive than the very sculpted items in the Volkswagen ID3.

The glovebox and door bins are large, but the centre console isn’t very clever. The cupholders are practically on the floor, making it tricky to reach for drinks while you’re on the move. Air models get a storage cubby in the centre armrest, whilst GT-Line models get a flat, tray-like surface instead.

It extends forwards too, bridging the gap between the armrest and the dashboard. It’s a handy place to rest a laptop if you’re using the EV3 as a mobile office, or perhaps a Happy Meal if you’re dining in your car - but it’s pretty useless when you’re on the move, as there’s no grip to the surface.

Space in the back seats

There’s space in the back of the EV3 for two six-foot adults to get comfy, with plenty of leg and head room - it’s notably roomier than a Volvo EX30. There’s also a totally flat floor so no obstructions to sliding all the way over from one side, and even the centre passenger has somewhere to put their feet - though the cabin is a little narrow to squeeze three adults in for long periods.

Rear-seat occupants get a central armrest and handy USB-C ports on the front seatbacks are perfect for charging gadgets. It’s a shame that the seatbacks themselves are made of hard plastic, so it’s not the most forgiving to have your knees pressed up against them. The rear seats also don’t do anything clever like slide or recline.

Boot space

The EV3’s 460-litre boot is a really good size, easily beating the 318-litre Volvo EX30, 323-litre Smart #1, and even the 440-litre Renault Megane E-Tech. It’s on a par with the forthcoming Skoda Elroq, which has 470 litres of space.

It’s worth noting that the Kia’s boot is only that big when you have the adjustable floor in its lowest position, whereupon you get quite a lip at the load sill and a big hump in the floor when you fold the rear seats down. Raise the floor up and it’s still roomy, but a bit less capacious - though it’s worth it for the totally flat loading area you get as a result.

The EV3 even has a frunk - though at just 25 litres, it’s barely big enough to fit a charging cable in. Still, that’s not really any less roomy than the Smart #1 or Volvo EX30, and the MG4 and Renault Megane E-Tech don’t even get one at all.

A great infotainment system and nicely built cabin - it’s a shame some of the materials are on the cheaper side

The EV3’s interior is interestingly designed and quite practical, with design touches that make it feel like a more expensive car. The highlight is the huge curved display on top of the dash, which is actually three screens in one. From right to left (or left to right in our European test cars, pictured) there’s a 12.3-inch driver display, a 5.3-inch screen that shows your climate controls, and another 12.3-inch touchscreen for infotainment.

The driver’s screen is big and clear, and for the most part mimics the same setup as a pair of traditional dials, with speed on one side and the power/charge meter replacing a rev counter on the other. The climate screen is, we reckon, a bit useless - it’s mostly blocked by the steering wheel and is quite a distance from the physical climate buttons lower on the dash. It would make more sense to display them on the main screen, immediately above the switches, or perhaps in a smaller, separate display elsewhere.

The infotainment screen has dozens of menus and can be a bit intimidating at first. However, all the functions you use regularly are quite simple to get to grips with and the screen is big, clear and responsive enough to make interacting with it easy. There’s also standard, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto if you want to bypass Kia’s own system, with a wireless smartphone charging pad standard from the mid-spec model - and plenty of USB-C ports if you prefer to use them instead.

Material choices are interesting. Kia’s mostly shied away from using the piano-black plastics favoured by a lot of European manufacturers in favour of silver and grey tones. The door cards feature a sort of beige shade that really helps the cabin feel brighter.

There are some interesting textures too, though these are often used to disguise the fact that some of the plastics aren’t the highest quality - especially on Air models, where the plastics are notably different than in GT-Line cars.

The dashboard is particularly susceptible to glare on a sunny day, too. The central 'table' for instance, feels quite rough, and the door cards on lower-spec models are made of cheaper, harder plastics than those higher up the range.

We’ve already mentioned the Kia EV3’s exceptional driving range but it bears repeating. Even the small-battery version, with its 270-mile official range, would be good enough to give the Renault Megane E-Tech or VW ID3 a run for their money. It’s not just that the battery’s a good size, either - the EV3 uses it very efficiently, with an official rating of 4.6mi/kWh.

The larger battery is just as efficient but with its greater size it gives a maximum range of 375 miles for the entry-level Air model. Even top spec cars only drop this to 361 miles, which is still on par with the longest-range VW ID3 you can buy. We look forward to testing both of these cars in the UK and over longer distances to see if they can measure up to their official claims, but Kia has good form in this regard, with all of its previous EVs getting closer than most alternatives to their claimed figures.

Charge rates are decent but not outstanding - the EV3 can top up at 128kW, which is around half the speed of the larger EV6. It means a 10-80% charge should take around 30 minutes, which is still quick enough to make the EV3 a viable companion for longer road trips - it’s just a shame it can’t make the most of the increasing number of high-powered charging stations across the UK and Europe.

It’s also a bit annoying that a heat pump isn’t standard equipment. Fitting one can improve range in the winter by making the car’s heating system more efficient, and it comes as standard on an increasing number of new EVs - notably budget offerings such as the BYD Dolphin or Hyundai Inster. For the EV3, it’s an optional extra and only available on the range-topping GT-Line S model, so for the others you may find that winter range is reduced a little more than you’d hope for. However, with so much range to play with in the first place, it might not be a problem for you.

With zero emissions, the EV3 pays the lowest available road tax, and company car Benefit-in-Kind rates are competitive too. Better yet, even the big-battery versions can be had for well below £40,000, so they avoid the Expensive Car supplement to your yearly tax bill.

The EV3 has yet to be tested by safety organisation Euro NCAP, but past Kias have performed very well. Apart from the Niro, which scored four stars, every Kia tested since 2020 has achieved the full five-star rating, most recently the EV9 SUV.

Every EV3 comes with the full suite of mandated safety aids, while higher trim levels also get some additions like an all-round parking camera and a clever blind-spot monitoring system that flashes up a camera image in the instrument cluster when you signal.

Kia’s added a handy shortcut to turn off the particularly annoying overspeed warning beep, which is welcome - you just have to hold down the steering wheel’s mute button. However, even with this off, you’ll want to supplement it by turning off a few more notifications. If you don’t, the EV3 has an almost infuriating cacophony of beeps the entire time you’re driving, including one every time the speed limit changes.

The EV3 is brand new so hasn’t featured in any reliability surveys yet. However, in the 2024 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey the brand as a whole came an encouraging third place, and had two cars - the Picanto and the Sportage - just outside the top ten.

Electric cars generally have less to go wrong than combustion-engined models, though the amount of software involved in keeping one running is eye-watering so that doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll be flawless. However, Kia’s standard warranty is a really generous seven years or 100,000 miles, much longer than the three years of cover you get with a Volvo EX30 or VW ID.3.