Having lost its electric Soul in 2022, Kia is now finding itself in the midst of a full-scale street fight.
Just 12 months ago, the EV roadmap looked relatively straightforward. Having saturated the early adopter market and won over buyers in the high-end markets, it was time to move on to the mainstream and launch more affordable electric cars.
Only it seems like many mainstream buyers haven’t bought into the plan, for a variety of reasons. So, for now, the carmakers have a pipeline of new EVs hitting the market, but a limited number of buyers ready to make the leap to electric.
A fleet of new all-electric compact crossovers – in layman’s terms, family hatchbacks dressed up to look a bit like SUVs – are heading our way. And with electric car sales down more than 25 per cent so far this year (and more across other markets in Europe), what was meant to be a festival of affordable new EVs, now has the makings of a bloodbath.
Enter the EV3. Some time ago, Kia quietly pulled the plug on its funky crossover, a car that I rated as the best in its class; but clearly the majority of buyers disagreed. Instead, they opted for the more mundane Niro.
While the Niro remains, the EV3 fills the void – in all-electric guise – left by the Soul. Up against a host of similarly-sized electric cars, it has its work cut out. Whereas the Soul had an individual character, this boxy crossover looks a lot like the rest of the market.
True, it carries with it the styling touches of the rest of Kia’s EV range, which means you get smart strip lights on the front and a flavour of the chunky silhouette of the larger EV9.
Similarities continue on the inside, where the dash is dominated by two 12.3-inch screens – one for infotainment, the other for driver instruments – and underneath a control strip for all the climate controls.
They’ve also included the impressive ambient lighting set-up that features on bigger Kias – and was a nice feature on the old Soul, though this is significantly upgraded.
Kia has managed to take a set-up that first featured in a much bigger car and shrink it to fit into the smaller EV3 without sacrifices.
In fact, despite its diminutive size – think Ford Focus or VW Golf – the EV3 manages to feel as spacious inside as much bigger rivals. That’s not just a trick of the eye; there is impressive legroom front and rear in this car, accompanied by a plethora of stowage options and cubbyholes (though surprisingly no storage bin between the front seats).
A big 460-litre boot is enhanced with the 25-litre “frunk” under the bonnet, which can store the charging cable if you want. The interior trim feels modern, and the materials are as good as on the rest of this brand’s range, which have consistently impressed passengers we have carried in Kias.
On the road, the EV3 is smooth and responsive, but as with a growing fleet of electric cars on the market right now, it doesn’t sparkle or excite.
Perhaps the most impressive feature of the EV3 is its responsive steering and reactions that belie the size of this car.
Kia engineers clearly worked off the brief to make this an easy car to drive if you have spent your motoring life with a combustion engine. The EV3 doesn’t try to bury you into the seat when you floor the throttle, but delivers acceleration in a similar way to a faster-paced hatchback. The power is still there – and there is no lack of overtaking pep when you need it – but it’s delivered much smoother than in early iterations of electric cars.
There is, of course, significant body roll when you pit it against a set of corners at speed and the car tends to bounce a lot as the ESP stability control tries to keep everything in check. If anything, the ESP could be a little more engaging, given the target market for this car is not enthusiastic drivers but regular family commuters.
And these regular commuters will find the transition to EV3 from a petrol or diesel car remarkably easy.
The EV3 also benefits from its more diminutive scale, delivering the sort of about-town handling that you get from family hatchbacks, designed with shopping centre car parks in mind. Like many drivers these days, I’ve become dependent on reversing cameras and the Kia system is top-notch, particularly its blindspot monitoring system.
As for its power supply, a single 201bhp (150kW) motor driving the front wheels keeps the show on the road. Two battery options will be available: a 58kWh and an 81kWh, with the former delivering a WLTP official range of up to 436km, while the bigger battery manages 605km.
The EV3 is the first model to benefit from Kia’s latest i-Pedal regenerative braking technology, which allows the driver to adjust the level of regenerative braking according to their preference, enabling one-pedal driving. Several cars already offer i-Pedal modes, but this is perhaps the most nuanced – and less funfair bumper car.
The ease of one-pedal driving mode fits well with a car that leans towards comfort and relaxing driving dynamics rather than performance.
With starting prices of €36,790 for the 58kWh EV3 in entry-level Earth 2 specification – and €40,350 for the longer range 81kWh version – Kia is certainly bang on the money when it comes to the competition. At this price point the EV3 also undercuts its own popular Niro range, though it is offered in both hybrid and EV formats.
Three trim levels are on offer: Earth 2, Earth 3 and GT Line, though you can only get the smaller battery in the entry-level grade. That grade is still impressive, as it includes the dashboard screens, heated seats, LED lights and the like, but for €42,840 it’s probably worth the price walk to the mid-range Earth 3, which not only delivers that extra range but also powered heated front seats and that impressive blind spot monitoring system.
In a cut-throat market, the good news for Kia is that the recipe of relaxing driving dynamics, good tech, impressive range, family space and a competitive price should ensure it will be one of the winners in this battle.
