New Kia EV3 electric SUV is cheaper than a Volvo EX30 and Cupra Born
Kia’s compact all-electric SUV offers up to 372 miles of range; first examples arrive with customers later this year
The all-new Kia EV3 is set to go on sale on 1 August, and prices for the compact all-electric SUV will start from £32,995 – about £2,000 less than key rivals like the Volvo EX30 and Cupra Born, and undercutting the slightly larger Kia Niro EV by more than £4,000.
The entry-level EV3 ‘Air’ offers up to 267 miles of range, thanks to a 58.3kWh battery, or for an extra £2,000, buyers can get a larger 81.4kWh unit that’s good for 372 miles on a single charge. ‘GT-Line’ and ‘GT-Line S’ models are fitted with the bigger battery as standard, but due to their larger wheels, the maximum range is reduced to 347 miles. Every EV3 uses a 201bhp electric motor, driving the front wheels.
Standard kit across the range includes a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display, 5.3-inch climate control screen and 12.3-inch touchscreen all housed in a single panel – just like in the Kia EV9 seven-seat SUV, from which the EV3 borrows plenty of other styling cues.
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto also feature, along with a reversing camera, heated front seats and steering wheel, LED headlights and 17-inch alloy wheels. Smart cruise control and driver-attention warning are among the suite of driver-assistance technologies onboard, too.
The EV3 GT-Line is priced from £39,495 and adds sportier styling, 19-inch rims, gloss-black exterior trim and rear privacy glass, while the interior gets two-tone seat upholstery, alloy pedals, a sliding centre console and a wireless smartphone charging pad.
The top-of-the-range EV3 GT-Line S starts from £42,995, and features luxuries like an eight-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, a head-up display, an openable sunroof, ‘premium relaxation’ front seats, a powered tailgate, a 360-degree surround view camera and blind-spot monitoring.
Premium paint options cost £625 extra on Air and GT-Line trim, but come standard with GT-Line S cars, which are the only ones available with an energy-saving heat pump that costs £900 extra.
Click here for our list of the electric cars with the longest range...
