We like
Lovely to drive around town or at speed, great size, attractive exterior design, interior packing is clever, start price is appealing, choice of battery options, established dealer network

Room for improvement
Lacking key equipment like surround view camera, high-spec models very expensive for a small front-wheel drive electric SUV, frustrating ADAS technologies

Overview

 

KIA might have hit the nail on the head with the sizing and (most of) the specs of the new EV3 electric compact crossover SUV, but there are some notable omissions when you compare it to affordable EV rivals from China.

 

The all-new EV3 is an important player in the Kia Australia range, offering the range-opening position for its electric vehicle line-up with a starting price for the Standard Range Air variant of $47,600 plus on-road costs.

 

That’s a great deal, with the base version offering up an acceptable 436km (WLTP) driving range from its 58.3kWh battery, while sharing the same power and torque outputs (150kW/283Nm). That makes it the lightest and fastest of the EV3s, with a 0-100km/h time of 7.5 seconds.

 

The Air grade is available with the Long Range battery too, an 81.4kWh pack offering up a huge 604km of EV driving range, but at a cost. It lists at $53,315 +ORCs. Same power from its front-mounted electric motor, meaning a 0-100km/h time of 7.7 seconds.

 

Then there are the more heavily specified Earth ($58,600 +ORCs) and GT-Line ($63,950 +ORCs) models, which upgrade to larger 19-inch alloy wheels with more assertive rubber, at the cost of a heap of driving range. They claim 563km (WLTP), again with the same motor.

 

There is obviously a heap of spec changes in terms of standard equipment as you spend more. For instance, you shift from a manual tailgate and manual driver’s seat with cloth trim in the base Air up to an electric tailgate, electric driver’s seat, and front seats with heating and ventilation if you pick the Earth model, not to mention a heated steering wheel.

 

Spend up to the GT-Line and you’re not getting any extra performance (it shares a slower 7.9 second 0-100km/h time with the Earth), but it does have better lighting technology, gloss black exterior trim finishes, a unique interior design with electric passenger seat adjustment, a head-up display and an eight-speaker harman/kardon sound system.

 

Up front, all versions score a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment display with wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as built-in sat nav. There’s a 5.0-inch climate control display between that screen and the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, and it has a quality look and feel to the cabin, reminiscent of the EV9 large SUV.

 

Rear seat space is roomy enough for smaller adults, but big units might find it a bit tight for headroom. There are ISOFIX points and three top-tethers standard, as well as directional air-vents to keep things comfortable, and decent loose item storage through the cabin as well.

 

Boot space is 460 litres, generous for a car of this size, and there’s a 25-litre front trunk area, which is ideal for storing your charging cables – Mode 2 and Mode 3 – also included in the cost.

 

There are four USB-C ports and a wireless phone charger, not to mention a power point in the second row for charging items, and an external vehicle-to-load adapter included for all grades.

 

Speaking of charging up, the EV3 has 11kW AC charging (three-phase power required), and that means it should be capable of recharging 10-100 per cent at that rate in five hours 20 mins for the Standard Range Air, or seven hours 15 mins for the bigger-battery versions.

 

There is DC fast-charging capability as well, of course, up to 100kW for the Standard Range, and 127kW for the Long Range models. Be aware, the charging port is precariously located on the front fender, so it might be a problem for street parkers.

 

The EV3 has not yet been rated by ANCAP, but it has a whole host of technology that is designed to meet the five-star preference for fleet and family buyers.

 

Standard is autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian, cyclist and junction detection, as well as lane keeping technology, adaptive cruise control, driver monitoring camera, speed sign recognition and warnings, and a reversing camera with parking sensors.

 

This Kia misses out on a surround-view camera and there’s no blind-spot view monitoring system either, though you do still get blind-spot detection and assistance, and rear cross-traffic alert.

 

Kia continues to offer a its seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, while the battery pack is covered by a seven-year/150,000km warranty.

 

There is up to eight years of roadside assistance included if you service with the brand, and customers have the choice of three-, five- or seven-year prepaid service plans to pick from, which can be passed on to the next owner.

 

Finance through Kia, and you may be able to agree to a retained future value, as well.

 

Driving impressions

 

There is a lot to like about the drive experience in the Kia EV3, but unfortunately a lot of it is drowned out by abrasive and frustrating driver assistance and audible warning technology.

 

There are bings and bongs for the speed sign recognition system, and the overspeed warning system, and the lane-keeping system, and the driver monitoring camera system… It is a sensory overload, and it can be a very annoying thing to jump in and drive – especially if you live somewhere where you know the speed limits and you don’t need to be reminded of them.

 

Unfortunately, unlike many other brands with tech like this, Kia continues on with its overbearing warning chimes, and you need to turn those safety features off every time you drive the car, if you don’t appreciate them. It would rule this car out for me, personally, because I can’t stand them.

 

What a shame that is, because otherwise it’s a cruisey little electric car with ample power and torque for urban and open road duties, and a great level of refinement for gruff country road surfaces too.

 

The brand has put the EV3 through its now-traditional ride and handling program, and the tune we receive in Australia is tailored to local conditions and tastes – and that’s evident from its positive handling attributes, likeable steering behaviour and composed suspension calibration that makes it ride more comfortably and confidently than many of its rivals.

 

A fine effort from the South Korean maker, and certainly an eye-catching one. And for some buyers – be they businesses or mums and dads – it could well be the ideal option, and at a great size, too.