Kia Ireland are on to a winner with the new EV3 launched last November. It's the carmaker’s smallest electric car, for which they claim 'groundbreaking design and an industry-leading electric drivetrain’.
Kia are currently in fifth place in SIMI’s passenger car sales charts with 3,711 units already sold this year - a 9.15pc rise over the whole of 2024. The Sportage SUV remains Kia’s top seller here, but the all-electric EV6 and seven-seater flagship EV9 are also proving very popular with Irish buyers.
The EV3 is slightly shorter in length than the Sportage but with the same wheelbase which means it has good space front and rear. The car borrows features from the EV9 such as the LED light signatures that feature the latest ultra-slim and vertically aligned Daytime Running Lights which emphasise a new interpretation of Kia’s Tiger Face design.
The car’s confident stance is immediately apparent with the wide clean-surface bonnet, the side profile show the car’s spectacular silhouette, SUV cladding, gloss black features and floating roofline that seamlessly transitions into a hatchback-style tailgate. There are muscular lines and shapes, bold wheel arches and flush front and integrated rear door handles that pop out to open doors. The rear lamp design seamlessly integrates with the rear glass, while the power operated tailgate maintains the wide and sleek look.
The two-tone interior is one of peace and calm. My driver’s seat had two memory settings and power adjustments that included lumbar support which all contributed to providing gentle support all the way up my back. Front seats and the two outer rear ones, as well as the steering wheel, can be heated. A power-adjustable sunroof covers the front part of the roof and can tilt open.
I found the low height of the dash and the high driving position provided great visibility out front and when approaching junctions but the thickness of the window pillars can slightly hinder your view. The power on/off switch is on the gear shifter off the steering wheel column and a brake switch is on the driver’s side of the dash.
A highlight for me was the floating 30-inch widescreen display with an intuitive design. Both central console and instrument cluster screens merge together with a black background and colourful graphics. The central screen deals with climate, navigation and your entertainment requirements including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There are physical buttons for volume and temperature controls.
A Head Up Display includes a blind spot monitor that alerts via red arcs when a vehicle is approaching from behind on either side; there are also blind spot warnings on the side mirrors.
Paddles on the steering wheel allow one-pedal driving which means you can lower the car’s speed to a stop by gradually lifting your foot off the accelerator pedal which is great for city driving.
The specification includes a wireless phone charger and a Type C USB port up front. Two more USBs are integrated into the sides of the front seats for rear passengers to charge their devices. As the EV3 was designed as an electric car, a flat floor here provides more foot space.
All EV3s come with front and rear parking sensors as well as a very good rear view camera as standard.
A neat feature is how a tray can slide out from the central armrest for use as a lap top work area when the car is stopped. It means there’s no storage area below the armrest. Kia get around this by providing a big open storage area close to the floor to hold larger items. Boot space is a decent 460 litres, and you can adjust the floor level. There’s no spare, just a tyre sealant kit. Cable space is provided in a 25 litre frunk under the front bonnet.
Three trims are Earth 2, Earth 3 and GT-Line (the latter spec of my review car)
Two different range variants are offered, the Standard model exclusively with a 58.3kWh battery with a 436km range, while the Long Range variant with up to 605km range is fitted with an 81.4kWh battery. Both models use a 150kW/283Nm electric motor that powers the front wheels and allows a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 7.5 seconds and a maximum speed of 170km/h. When I collected my car for my test drive days, the battery was charged to 99pc with 463kms of indicated range available.
Kia claims a breakthrough in thermal management technology gives EV3 battery efficiency and charging time an edge over rivals, even in harsh conditions.
The car can charge from 10pc to 80pc in around 30 minutes using a fast charger - a bit longer for the more powerful battery. You can just drive up to a charging point as the charger is located front right side.
Standard spec includes 17-inch alloy wheels, screens, LED headlights, heated front seats and steering wheel, wireless phone charging and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Earth 3 features 19-inch alloys, vegan leather seats, power adjustable front seats and blind-spot collision avoidance. The range topping GT-Line adds special styling, power adjustable power tailgate and Vehicle-2-Load (V2L) to power external devices like laptops, small fridges, coffee machines or hairdryers.
This family car was very quiet on the road with no wind noise and proved a very comfortable ride for all onboard. It was nippy with immediate torque from the off. However, I found the continuous beeps for the lane departure warning system to be obtrusive so turned it off.
As of March 2025, the EV3 has not been assessed by Euro NCAP but a maximum 5-star safety rating is likely given all the top notch safety features onboard.
EV3 comes with Kia’s seven year warranty.
The entry level Earth 2 with 58.3 kWh battery is from €36,790 (after grants), my GT Line with the 82.4kWh battery is from €47,190.
