Kia on Thursday took the covers off the striking yet small EV3 subcompact crossover.
It's the production version of a concept of the same name shown last fall, and the show car's lines have been transferred faithfully onto the production model that's set to start sales in Korea in July. A European launch will follow in the second half of the year, and while Kia plans to expand sales to more regions, the U.S. hasn't yet been confirmed as one of them.
At just 169 inches long, the EV3 is about four inches longer than the Kia Soul, making it the automaker's smallest EV yet. It's similar in size to the Volvo EX30 and recently revealed Mini Aceman, and also like those vehicles, Kia has managed to fit a lot in, despite the tiny dimensions.
The EV3 rides on Hyundai Motor Group's flexible E-GMP platform found in the EV6 and EV9, as well as some Hyundai and Genesis offerings. The Standard grade features a 58.3-kwh battery, while a Long Range grade features an 81.4-kwh battery. In both cases power comes from a single electric motor rated at 201 hp and capable of delivering 0-62 mph acceleration in about 7.5 seconds. The top speed is 105 mph.
New Kia EV3
With the bigger battery, Kia claims a range of 372 miles on the WLTP test cycle used overseas. That should still be more than 300 miles on the stricter EPA cycle. The range is aided by a relatively low coefficient of drag (for an upright crossover) of just 0.263. When it comes to charging, a 10-80% charge should take around 31 minutes using a DC fast-charger, the automaker said.
The exterior design adopts the rugged styling cues of the EV9, while inside the designers have gone with the ubiquitous modern dash comprised of a single display panel housing individual digital screens for the gauge cluster and infotainment system.
The screens in the EV3 measure 12.3 inches each, and Kia said it plans to provide downloadable themes to customize them, as well as offer streamable content, which will be handy during waits at the charging station. Also included is a generative AI-backed voice assistant and a 12.0-inch head-up display.
Kia also recently launched an electric compact crossover in China dubbed the EV5 and plans to have as many as 14 EVs in its global lineup as soon as 2027. Also in the pipeline are a compact hatchback to be called the EV4 and an electric pickup truck that will be sold in the U.S.
