Kia EV3 review: I drove the cute SUV Kia say will become their best seller - they're right, it should
.jpeg?trim=244,199,210,230&crop=&width=640&quality=65&enable=upscale)

“We expect the EV3 to become our best-selling EV of all time in the UK,” says Paul Philpott, president and CEO of Kia UK. A compact SUV with up to 367 miles of range, impressive kit and with prices starting at £32,995 (£35,995 for the big battery), on paper it has all the ingredients to be a success.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating and I put the three launch grades of EV3 through their paces across Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire to find out if the confidence shown by the team at the Korean manufacturer is misplaced, or if they have another hit on their hands to follow the success of the EV6 and EV9.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdIn the aftermath of Storm Darragh, this was the soaking wet Cotswolds of Clarkson’s Farm, where it rains relentlessly for two weeks and floods Jeremy’s foundations and not the sunny garden party and naked tennis Cotswolds of Jilly Cooper’s Rivals. The picturesque villages were still there amongst the water-logged fields, but the routes were a tad treacherous. Police signs diverted us past B-roads blocked by fallen trees and huge puddles obscured wicked potholes, on the A40, spray hung in the air from passing HGVs and vans, coating everything in a thin, dirty veneer. Scottish drivers would feel right at home.
Against the dreich backdrop, it’s the entry-level Air model that stands out on first impression, the Frost Blue paint job popping in front of yellow oolitic Cotswold limestone walls. An EV9 in miniature, the narrow headlights and chunky bodywork draw obvious lineage from the larger halo model. In a tough competitive set, it’s more contemporary in appearance than the Hyundai Kona Electric, badgemate the Kia Niro EV, more premium looking than the Dacia Spring, Jeep Avenger and Peugeot e-2008 and has a prettier front-end than the Honda e:Ny1 and Volvo EX30.
Buy our new annual subscription package & enjoy our award-winning journalism plus everything The New York Times has to offer, including The Athletic, Games and more. Subscribe here.
The latter car is one Kia has picked out for comparison alongside the Volkswagen ID.3 and Cupra Born, although I’d add a more recent release, the Renault Scenic E-Tech, which despite being in a class above in terms of size is a close peer in terms of both price and performance statistics.
Comfort, interior and practicality
Air trim models might be the entry point to EV3 ownership, but are no budget offering in terms of quality. The airy cabin is well-equipped with 12.3-inch driver display and 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system on the dash, heated front seats and steering wheel plus driver assistance features like blind spot assist, rear parking cameras and sensors plus a general feel of decent build quality and ergonomic layout.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdKia EV3 Air 81.4kWh FWD
Power: 201bhp
0-62mph: 7.7 seconds
Max Speed: 105mph
Battery: 81.4kWh lithium-ion polymer battery
Charging: AC Normal charge time (10-100%) (230v / 16A): 7h 15m , DC Fast charge time (10-80%) 350kW: 31m
Energy consumption: 4.2mi/kWh / 149Wh/km (combined)
Range: 375 miles (combined urban and extra-urban)
Price: £35,995 on the road
It’s the GT-line trim level that impresses the most in terms of bang for buck. Electrically adjustable (artificial) leather seats with lumbar support, fabric-wrapped dashboard, privacy glass and wireless phone charger are among upgrades to ‘Air’ in terms of convenience and really up the premium feel to the interior. Special mention to the seat headrests in GT-line trim and above which are very comfortable indeed. Who knew that a cushioned headrest was what was missing from my automotive life? Not me.
GT-Line S adds more kit still, including power tailgate, blind spot view monitor and premium audio from Harman Kardon. In terms of kit for your money, GT-Line very much felt like the winner for me, unless you plan to equip the heat pump option, which is only available on GT-Line S models in the UK.
That option might well appeal to a few potential buyers. GT-Line S with the heat pump equipped comes in at £43,895 - £493 per month on a PCP deal. The range conscious in colder climes might view this as money well spent. I run an EV at home as a family runabout and, over three years of ownership, have quantified a 15 per cent drop in range during the winter months, compared with the summer. Studies have shown that a heat pump can improve the range of an EV by 10 per cent during cold weather, also known as October to March in Scotland.
.jpeg?trim=410,109,46,323&crop=&width=640&quality=65)

Rear cabin space is decent, with ample headroom if, like me, you’re an adult of average height. GT-Line S cars add heated rear seats whereas Air and GT-Line models only care about front passenger bums.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdBoot space is reasonable at 460 litres as well and compares favourably with the Volvo EX30, with just 318 litres. It is however lower capacity than the Renault Scenic E-Tech (545 litres) and, at a similar pricepoint in the class above, the older, and admittedly lower maximum range, Kia Niro EV with 475 litres. Buyers set on a Kia and considering the lowest-range Air with the 58,3kWh battery may also consider the 64.8kWh Niro as an alternative with practicality benefits.
Driving the Kia EV3
Kia does plan to release an all-wheel drive version of the EV3 for European buyers but, as yet, no date and at launch all UK variants feature the same two-wheel drive drivetrain. All three of the cars I drove were long-range models, with the 81.4kWh battery. On entry level ‘Air’ models that means 375 miles of range, while this drops to the mid 360s for GT-Line and GT-Line S trims.
Kia EV3 GT-Line
Power: 201bhp
0-62mph: 7.9 seconds
Max Speed: 105mph
Battery: 81.4kWh lithium-ion polymer battery
Charging: AC Normal charge time (10-100%) (230v / 16A): 7h 15m , DC Fast charge time (10-80%) 350kW: 31m
Energy consumption: 4.1mi/kWh / 149Wh/km (combined)
Range: 367 miles (combined urban and extra-urban)
Price: £39,495 on the road
There are a huge number of variables that impact an electric vehicle’s range across any journey and in a relatively unscientific on-road test any driver is unlikely to replicate the official estimates. On my opening, 38-mile, leg of my drive at the wheel of a GT-line model I achieved an average of 2.9 m/Kwh, while the return leg of 42 miles in the same car heralded a more respectable 3.6 m/Kwh. Driving the same route at the wheel of the Air model I saw an average of 3.1 m/Kwh. This in winter, with neither car fitted with the range-extending heat pump, would suggest most drivers will be able to comfortably see between 250 and 300 miles of range on a single charge without much effort and considerably more if predominantly urban driving.
.jpeg?trim=83,0,85,0&crop=&width=640&quality=65)

The EV3 allows a manual adjustment of regenerative braking via steering wheel-mounted paddles. During a mix of stop-start driving through small, windy villages and higher speed stretches shuttling back and forth between Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, I found the penalty in momentum from using the strongest setting offset any benefit in energy collected and actually reduced the efficiency. The lighter two settings delivered the better overall balance between energy capture and maintaining momentum without acceleration.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThere’s little to distinguish between Air and GT-Line models in terms of driving, the Air has a slightly better ride over rough surfaces thanks to smaller wheels with higher-profile tyres. Suspension on all cars is fairly pliant and, despite Air cars having the edge, all versions ride well overall.
The easy-going ride carries into the way the car handles, which is to say it’s not exactly sporty. There’s a bit of roll in the corners and a slight dip of the nose under assertive braking. It’s a car geared for comfort, not driving thrills and in that respect it delivers.
Kia EV3 GT-Line S
Power: 201bhp
0-62mph: 7.9 seconds
Max Speed: 105mph
Battery: 81.4kWh lithium-ion polymer battery
Charging: AC Normal charge time (10-100%) (230v / 16A): 7h 15m , DC Fast charge time (10-80%) 350kW: 31m
Energy consumption: 4.1mi/kWh / 149Wh/km (combined)
Range: 361 miles (combined urban and extra-urban)
Price: £43,895 on the road
Which isn’t to say it's slow. All versions of the UK car have an output of 201bhp and a nought to 62mph time of 7.5 seconds which is more than enough performance for a small family car and it felt powerful enough off the line, with more than enough power for overtaking on dual carriageway.
Verdict
There’s a lot to like about the EV3, which will replace the Kia Soul EV in the Korean manufacturer’s line-up. It looks great and all three trim levels stack up well in terms of convenience and comfort. GT-line looks to be the best balance of interior luxury and equipment for the price, but even the base spec Air feels well equipped.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdWith a larger boot than many peers and reasonable cabin space, the EV3 could woo buyers surveying options in the C-segment that are put off by the prevalence of models that fall foul of the luxury car tax band. All bar the top spec GT-Line S model come in under the £40,000 threshold for the levy.
Cutting edge design, fast charging and the 350-mile plus range figures that are the tipping point for many buyers on the fence over EVs round out the package. It’s easy to see why Kia’s management in the UK are very confident about the EV3’s prospects.
Time will tell if it becomes an all-time best seller, but with more than 1,200 ordered in its opening weeks on sale it’s off to a good start.
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.