2024 is coming to an end, but not before we meet the Kia EV3, one of the most talked-about cars of the year. With its combination of price, range and space, it suddenly makes an electric car a serious alternative to a petrol model.
What stands out about the Kia EV3 (2024)?
When it comes to exciting, progressive EV technology, you should not go to the European car brands. Come on has mastered it and has been under the spell of the plug virus for years. After the EV6 was showered with prizes (we also declared it a winner in 2021). Auto Review car of the year out) and the EV9 made short work of Kia’s Calimero complex, the stars are also favorable for the EV3.
Kia is undeterred by ending the EV subsidy in 2025. The EV3 is so good that it does not need the financial incentives to break the bank, the Koreans say. They radiate self-confidence. Kia expects that by 2030, almost 70 percent of the EV3 segment’s supply will consist of electric cars, and that a large part of these will have a Kia logo on the hood.
The EV3 comes with one engine variant (204 hp) and two battery packs (58 and 81 kWh). The latest version has a range of no less than 605 kilometers. With the smaller battery you can still go 436 kilometers.
Externally, the EV3 is a small EV9. Both share the same chassis (E-GMP), a kind of construction kit that can be shifted to your heart’s content to put cars of different sizes on the road. The charging technology is not the same (see question 3).
What’s good about the Kia EV3?
Lots of things. Firstly, the chassis is excellently balanced. The tuning is comfortable and we were more than grateful to Kia for that on the rough Portuguese back roads. If you step into a larger EV6 after an EV3, you will suddenly notice how sturdy the latter is. Give us the EV3.
The space is also good, you can easily travel with four adults (or two bored teenagers in the back seat). With a length of 1.90 meters it is still not a punishment to sit in the back, the front passenger does not even have to hug his knees against the dashboard. Kia is tight on this part Volvo EX30 for embarrassment.
It is also striking how well the sounds of the wind and the tires are dampened. At 120 km/h you can still listen to your favorite Mozart string quartets.
Finally, we mention some silly antics that you weren’t expecting, but that upon reflection will still make you happy. You can now also drive backwards with one-pedal driving (without a brake pedal). We become good friends with the range assistant, a kind of oracle that checks whether you reach your destination. This function is in the driver display and shows the maximum and minimum driving range that is achievable. He looks at your driving style and also takes into account your driving style in the past.
“Kia embarrasses the tight Volvo EX30 in this part.”
With Kia CarPay (not to be confused with Apple’s CarPlay), you can pay for the parking garage via the car’s navigation system. You no longer have to search for that machine in the dark recesses of the garage that is not out of use. Make a long nose at the long line.
Also nice: relaxation seats that can be completely flat, so that not only the car, but also the driver is charged again after a visit to the fast charger. The extendable center armrest on which you can place your laptop to watch some cat videos after your power nap is not RSI-proof.
What could be improved about the Kia EV3?
There is little to complain about, but one annoyance keeps cropping up during the test drives. It’s the intrusive security systems. You cannot switch off all systems with one well-aimed push of a button, as with Renault.
Instead, Kia opts for a complicated multi-track policy. For the speed warning you have to press and hold the volume button for 3 seconds. Deep in a menu of the infotainment system there is an option to switch off the other systems one by one. Tip: place this menu under the favorites button on the steering wheel. If you forget, you will hear annoying beeps every time and the lane assistant will push you back with a firm push if you want to avoid a parked car.
You can even switch off one system only when the car is stationary: the acoustic warning for changed speed limits when the car has read a traffic sign. Only sometimes he reads like a forty-something who still denies that he needs reading glasses.
We don’t really blame Kia for the last point; the EV3 does not have 800V charging technology. But even with 400 volts you can recharge a range of 202 kilometers in 15 minutes in the 81 kWh version.
What is the price of the Kia EV3?
The Kia EV3 can already be viewed in Dutch showrooms. The price of the EV3 is 36,995 euros (Kia EV3 Air, 58.3 kWh). There will still be an opportunity to receive a SEPP subsidy for a while before the scheme ends on January 1.
If you go for the large battery pack of 81.4 kWh, you will spend at least 41,495 euros. The most expensive Kia EV3 is the GTPlus Line, the price of this top model has now risen to 49,195 euros.
2025 will be an exciting year in the compact EV class. The Volvo EX30 made a stunning entrance in the Netherlands and achieved unprecedented sales figures. The same applies to the EV3, 2000 people ordered one before they had seen it in real life. The Skoda Elroq will come on the market early in 2025 and is also a car that could cause a stir. We are already looking forward to the comparison test ons magazine.
What do I think of the Kia EV3?
Like Kia, I believe in an electric future and that’s why I’m happy that the EV3 is here. With a price under 40,000 euros, it is interesting for more people than the EV6 and the enormous EV9, although it is of course still a lot of money. The very modern EV3 makes an excellent impression with its combination of comfort, a good range, fast charging times, cool gadgets, lots of space (hello Volvo) and excellent driving characteristics. This is one of the most remarkable cars of 2024, which also has a noble goal: to make EVs accessible to more people.
Source: www.autoreview.nl
