Kia’s on a roll. Following the success of the Kia EV6, the business is in the process of unveiling the new SUV-sized EV9 — and has already revealed the next generation EV5. On top of that, the business has released concept versions of its next-generation electric vehicles, including what could be the most affordable EV of all: the EV3. The Kia EV series appears to follow the rule that lower numbers indicate a lower price — and if this is the case, the EV3 will be Kia’s cheapest electric vehicle to date.
Kia EV3 design:
The Kia EV3 appears to have the same overall design language as Kia’s prior electric automobiles. Kia has shown a concept version of the car, which appears to have the same boxy design as the new Kia EV9 but in a considerably smaller body. Kia still touts the car as a “small SUV,” but don’t expect it to be as spacious as the Kia EV9. There are two rows of seats, although even the second row isn’t as spacious as some other electric vehicles.
The EV3 concept model has rear-hinged back doors, which means that both the front and rear doors open outwards. However, it appears that this function will not be included in the production version of the car. When Kia enters the production phase, it frequently keeps relatively close to the outward design of its concept cars, but some features are ultimately dropped.
The inside of the Kia EV3 is bright and modern, with a single huge screen spanning the front of the car and minimal conventional buttons. It resembles Kia’s past concept electric vehicles, albeit the commercial model is likely to be more traditional, with a dual display in the front and a few more actual physical controls.
Price:
Kia has yet to announce any details about the pricing of the EV3 — however we can speculate. If the company follows the trend of lower-numbered cars in the lineup being cheaper, then the EV3 will be its cheapest electric car so far. Hopefully, that will put the base model of the car somewhere in the $30,000 to $35,000 range — though it’s entirely possible that the car will start closer to $40,000. We’ll have to wait and see how much it actually costs.
Release date:
Kia has yet to make any comments on the EV3’s debut schedule, but the fact that it has a concept version of the vehicle ready is a promising omen. The concept EV9 was presented almost two years before the production vehicle appeared on sale, and the EV3 is anticipated to follow a similar path. That means that we won’t see the EV3 in the actual world until late 2025. That, again, is just supposition.
Colors And Models:
Because Kia has only revealed a concept version of the EV3, it hasn’t announced what we can expect from the drivetrain and colors of the car. If the base model is truly inexpensive, it’s likely that it’ll be a single-motor car, with options for dual-motor configurations. It’s also likely that the car will come with different battery sizes, allowing users to get either standard-range and long-range models. Color selection is anyone’s guess, however the concept version of the car was revealed in a nice tan color.
Speed And Range:
Kia’s higher-end cars have been built on an 800-volt architecture, however ,it looks like its lower-end cars won’t be quite as powerful. Kia has announced that the EV5 will be built on a 400-volt architecture, leading us to assume that the EV3 will be too. This means that the car won’t be able to charge quite as fast as the EV6 and EV9, and will support a maximum charging speed of around 250 kilowatts. That’s still relatively quick, but not as quick as the 350kW-equipped EV6.
Performance:
One of the benefits of electric cars is their immediate throttle response, and the Kia EV3 will get that too. If, however, the EV3 is designed as a budget car, it may not be quite as zippy as the EV6. A single-motor configuration will hopefully get from 0 to 60 miles per hour in around 6 or 7 seconds, with a dual-motor configuration getting there in 4 or 5 seconds. We’ll have to wait to find out more details about the EV3’s drivetrain, though.
Conclusion:
There are a number of things we hope to see from the EV3. Namely, we’re hoping that battery tech will have improved enough by release for even the base model of the car to get 300 miles of range or more. We’re also hoping that it will indeed be built in the U.S., allowing customers in the U.S. to take advantage of the EV tax credit — if it still exists by the time the car is released.
