A Small EV With Big Potential
Kia has been on an EV tear lately, and it’s not stopping with the EV6 or the EV9. It was only a matter of time before the latter’s blocky, attractive design language proliferated elsewhere in the lineup, and next up is the upcoming Kia EV3. Not only that, Kia also just announced the subcompact SUV will indeed make it to the United States market. For a market relatively starved for affordable EVs, this is a big deal!
During a preview event held during April’s Milan Design Week in Italy, we got up close and personal with base and GT-Line EV3 models. They weren’t quite production-ready, but they were very close. And to set immediate expectations, this opportunity was design-focused, with very few technical specifications to share.
But what few specs Kia did share are impressive, and historically, the automaker has stayed true with its concept-to-production claims. Should the EV3 deliver on these promises, U.S. buyers will have a very attractive option.
Design
As soon as the EV9 made its debut, you must have known its looks were too good not to share. Unsurprisingly, they translate well to the far smaller EV3. With a surprisingly long wheelbase and short overhangs, the spunky new Kia is sized between a subcompact and a compact SUV. Practically speaking, it occupies roughly the footprint as a Ford Bronco Sport, just shorter in height.
Kia’s head of global design, Karim Habib, said the EV3 is a crossover in concept, but he and his team wanted to do something more geometric. As such, there are a lot of upright lines that provide visual bulk, and the vertical light fixtures typically seen on much bigger vehicles are applied here. It all works and results in a fun little package that visually presents bigger than it is, which is the reverse effect of the Hyundai Ioniq 5.
The ground clearance isn’t as high as, say, a Subaru Crosstrek, but Kia says this is to improve aerodynamic flow and therefore efficiency.
The base and GT-Line models we saw don’t look super different from each other, but an easy way to tell—apart from the badging—are the wheels and that the GT-Line has high-gloss body cladding. The Base also has a metal garnish running along the bottoms of its doors, whereas the GT-Line’s panel is body-color. We think the Base looks better in this regard (what happened to no piano black?) and will probably be easier to keep clean.
We’re also not super sold on the floating roof design, as it feels like a trend from 2015, but, overall, the EV3 is indeed a very modern and cool take on the subcompact segment. It’s especially striking when viewed in profile, because then you can really see how close to the corners designers pushed the wheels and how long the doors truly are.
Interior
As its boxy exterior suggests, the EV3’s cabin is spacious and offers abundant headroom. The flat floors mean you have more freedom to spread out, despite Kia saying it raised passenger floor height to accommodate battery and electronics packaging.
The 30-inch driver information cluster and infotainment screen combination from the EV9 appears in the EV3, as do physical buttons and knobs for volume and climate controls. It’s all driven by the same ccNC operating system, with its ChatGTP-based AI voice assistant. The functional front center console includes an armrest, a little table that slides out, and a cubby beneath for bulkier objects. It offers a very intuitive flow.
Kia also claims Vehicle to Load, or V2L, capabilities that will power small electrical appliances like “a coffee machine or hairdryer” when the car is parked.
There is an optional 12.0-inch head-up display on certain trims, but no leather will be found in any EV3—a nod to the company’s sustainability aims. For those who need further validation of their choice, a hidden QR code on the passenger-side dashboard takes you to Kia’s sustainability site where you can learn about the sugar-cane-based dashboard, recycled PET in the carpet and headliners, and exterior panels made from recycled Kia parts.
Storage options include a tiny front trunk and a reasonably sized rear cargo space that has a two-step floor that can be repositioned for extra room or to hide items below. This feature—while not revolutionary to car design—is not widely implemented but is always handy. That said, final specs and finishes may vary from market to market, so it remains to be seen what will make it to the U.S.
The Specs We Do Have
Riding on the versatile Hyundai/Kia E-GMP EV platform, the EV3 has an 81.4-kWh battery, up from the typical 77.4-kWh battery found in related models. We’re told to expect an EPA range of around 300 miles. The EV3 will also be the first production car to use Kia’s new i-Pedal 3.0 tech that lets you change the aggressiveness of the regenerative braking during one-pedal driving.
At this precise moment, the EV3 will compete with the Toyota bZ4X and Subaru Solterra, but this comparison already feels wack: The Toyota and Subaru are fine cars but less-than-stellar EVs, and Kia already has a reputation of building stellar EVs. There’s also a parallel to the Volkswagen ID4, which is solid, but the Kia will benefit from newer technology and its more stylish design.
Kia has announced a target price range in the U.S. of between $35,000 and $50,000—the latter likely covering an eventual dual-motor GT model, with the GT-Line falling in between. The EV3 launches in Korea this July, in Europe in late 2024, and in the U.S. “after ’25.” The goal is to sell up to 80,000 units in the U.S. alongside the Niro, with that model transitioning to mostly hybrid variants. The timing is likely related to sourcing production in North America to maximize affordability by qualifying for the full $7,500 tax incentive.
There are already too many too–expensive EVs but not enough small and affordable ones, so it’s a segment that definitely needs broadening. Kia was the first to bring a non-luxury three-row EV to market with the EV9. It’s on track to perform a similar trick with the EV3.
