Kia EV3 electric SUV breaks cover— offers 600km range

After teasing it a couple of weeks ago, Kia has taken the covers off the EV3 electric SUV globally. The upcoming compact electric SUV will sit below the EV9 and EV5 in the Korean brand’s all-electric SUV lineup. The EV3 is slated to go on sale in its home market South Korea next month and will be introduced in Europe by late 2024.

A concept prototype of the same broke covers for the first time in October last year. It is based on Hyundai Group’s E-GMP platform which also underpins the likes of EV9, EV6, and EV5. The EV3 will be offered in two versions namely Standard and GT Line.

Kia EV3: Design & Dimensions

Like the flagship EV9, the EV3 is based on Kia’s Opposites United’ design philosophy. Up front, it gets an angular front fascia with a sealed-off Tiger Nose grille flanked by Kia’s signature ‘star map’ LED lighting pattern housing L-shaped LED DRLs. Moreover, the front bumper is integrated into the entire fascia as one single piece entity.

The side profile gets flared wheel arches which are amplified by thick black claddings. These wheel arches are filled with unique geometric aerodynamically designed  alloy wheels that give the SUV a funky look. The rear door handles are flush-fitted on the C-pillars. The long, sloping, and sleek roofline seamlessly transitions into a hatchback-style tailgate giving it a crossover appeal. 

At the rear, the EV3 gets L-shaped LED taillamps extending on both ends connected by a sleek plastic element at the centre. Other visual details at the rear include a sculpted tailgate, a raked windshield, a chunky silver skid plate in the bumper, and GT badges for the GT trim. The EV3 can be had in as many as nine colour options including two exclusive shades namely— Aventurine Green and Terracotta.

When it comes to size, the EV3 measures 4,300mm long, 1,850mm wide, 1,560mm high and has a wheelbase of 2,680mm. This makes it essentially an all-electric derivative of Seltos, although both are very distinct in their design and other properties.

Kia EV3: Interiors & features

Inside the cabin, the EV3 adopts a minimalist layout with the highlight being a massive 30-inch screen featuring a twin 12.3-inch screen setup for the touchscreen infotainment and digital instrument cluster, and a 5-inch display for climate control. The cabin looks very practical with plenty of storage spaces including a sliding table under the centre console. The sleek AC vent is nicely concealed and runs parallel along the width of the dashboard.

The interiors can be had in Subtle Grey, Warm Grey and Blue finishes whereas the GT trim is available in Onyx Black. Other novelties on offer include upholstery made from sustainable materials, configurable ambient lighting, a personal AI voice assistant, an optional 12-inch head-up display, a two-spoke multifunction steering wheel (3-spoke unit in GT trim), Harman Kardon sound system, and an ADAS suite.

Kia EV3: Powertrain specs

Kia is offering the standard EV3 with two battery pack options— 58.3kWh and  81.4kWh— the latter offering a peak range of 600 km (WLTP). Both battery packs can be from 10 to 80 per cent in just 31 minutes. The former can be fast-charged up to 102 kW and the latter can use up to 128 kW fast charger. Further, both versions utilise the same motor which dishes out 201 bhp and 283 Nm of peak torque. 

In fact, EV3 is the first Kia model in the E-GMP architecture to come with a front-wheel drive layout. As for performance, the EV3 can clock a top speed of 180 kmph and can sprint to 100 kmph from a standstill in 7.5 seconds. Like other EVs built on the E-GMP platform, the EV3 also supports Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) charging. EV3 also comes with i-Pedal version 3.0 which allows one-pedal driving.

Kia EV3: Rivals & Expected India launch

Kia EV3 will go up against other electric SUVs and crossovers like Hyundai Ioniq 5, BYD Atto 3, MG ZS EV and the Volvo XC40 Recharge. Kia hasn’t confirmed the launch of EV3 in India but we can expect the EV3 to be assembled at the company’s Anantapur facility in Andhra Pradesh some time in the future since India is one of the global production hubs for the South Korean carmaker.