Kia unveils its compact electric SUV, the EV3

Kia unveils its all-new compact electric SUV, the EV3. It is built on the same platform as the Kia EV6, which is available in India and the EV9. The EV3 comes with two battery capacities, a standard and long range, and also gets different styling packs like the GT-line trim. The Kia EV3 is 4300mm long, which is about the length of the Seltos and boasts of bringing tech from larger SUVs like the EV9 into a more compact segment. 

Kia EV3 design

On the outside, the Kia EV3 gets styling that looks like a Kia, but is radically different from everything else in their line up at the same time. The front end gets vertical headlamps, DRLs and a 25-litre frunk storage capacity. The wheels have a geometric design and are in chrome for the standard trim and have a different design for the GT-line. The rear has a sloping roofline, gets full-width LED tail lamps and a 460-litre boot capacity. The car is available in nine exterior colours including Aventurine Green and Terracotta which was developed particularly for the EV3.

Kia EV3 interior

The Kia EV3 gets a very spacious and practical cabin. There’s plenty of storage space on the sides, in the centre and under the dash near the floorboard. The centre console gets a sliding table which can be used for eating food or working on a laptop. While you’re charging the battery and have nothing to do, you can put the seats into a fold-back relaxation mode and watch Netflix or play arcade games on the 12.3-inch infotainment system, paired with a Harman Kardon audio system. The 12.3-inch instrument cluster can be customised with various themes and there’s also a 12-inch heads-up display with navigation and a digital speedometer. The interior can be specced with a variety of trim finishes and materials inspired by nature’s elements like earth, fire and water. Subtle Grey, Warm Grey and Blue interior finish is available for all variants, while the Onyx Black is available only on the GT-line. Sustainable materials like recycled plastic have been used in the seats, headliner, floor mats and plastic cladding.

Kia EV3 powertrain

The Kia EV3 gets a 58.3kWh battery as standard and a long range variant which gets a  81.4kWh battery, the latter getting a WLTP range of 600km. In both the variants, the electric motor makes 201bhp and 283Nm, and the power is sent to the front wheels. 0 to 100kmph sprint comes up in 7.5 seconds and the top speed is set at 170kmph. Level 2 ADAS is available which includes electric dynamic torque vectoring control (eDTVC) which helps in putting down power smoothly. Fast charging enables the car to charge from 10 to 80 per cent in just 31 minutes and also gets the V2L feature similar to the EV6. V2L (vehicle-to-load) allows the owner to charge or power other devices like laptops, fridges, coffee machines or even charge an electric scooter, by using the EV3 as a power source.

Kia EV3 rivals

The Kia EV3 will be launched in South Korea in July this year and while there is no official confirmation, it is possible that it will come to Indian shores sometime next year. It will go up against other EVs like the Hyundai Ioniq 5, BYD Atto 3, MG ZS EV and the Volvo XC40 Recharge.