Kia today debuted a cute toy bulldog of an SUV, all-electric and, quite possibly, reasonably affordable. Company officials confirmed that the Kia EV3 will come to the U.S., though they didn’t reveal an on-sale date.
We’re guessing it will arrive as a 2026 model.
The EV3 fits into the subcompact SUV class, though we could probably get away with calling it a hatchback based on its relatively low stance.
Kia designers have been in rare form with their electric vehicles (EVs), and the EV3 doesn’t break that streak. The brand’s midsize EV6 wears lovely aggressive curves and features a range of over 300 miles in some trims and a high-performance edition with nearly 600 horsepower.
Its 3-row EV9 introduced an angular new design language that created a buzz and has many of the same practical virtues as its award-winning Telluride gas-powered SUV.
The EV3 shows promise and could continue that success. No one outside the company has driven the car yet. But EVs are assembled like Lego blocks, with models of different sizes sharing many common parts. There’s little reason to believe the EV3 will not be fully baked, given that it uses ingredients from well-known recipes.
Kia hasn’t named a price. There’s a shortage of affordable EVs on the market. With its modular construction and small size, this has potential to slide in around the $30,000 range. We don’t yet know if Kia will build it in the U.S., so we can’t promise it will be eligible for U.S. federal EV tax credits. But the company does have an EV factory under construction in the state of Georgia.
Blocky Design Language Works Well at This Size
Many journalists, on first glance, say the EV3 shares the EV9’s blocky design language. That’s true, but in the same way a toy bulldog and a 250-pound Mastiff look alike.
From the outside, the EV3 isn’t an EV9 hit with a shrink ray. It’s entirely its own design. The angular lines and “star-map” lights are there, but they come together to create something cute and stylish rather than sharp and imposing.
A floating roof design keeps it from looking too heavy. Black trim low on the doors makes it look taller than it is.
Stylish Interior With Wide Screen
The snap-together nature of EV design does good things for the EV3’s interior. It shares the EV9’s screen set – two 12.3-inch screens flanking a 5-inch air conditioning panel that give the effect of one screen nearly 30 inches wide.
It’s a large car part and makes the dashboard of a small car look as tech-heavy as a luxury car. We thought of the Cadillac Lyriq’s huge screen array.
A row of touch-capacitive buttons beneath and many steering wheel controls save you from doing everything through the touchscreen.
Kia says, “Customers have a wide selection of interior colors, materials, and trim finishes inspired by Air, Earth, and Water elements. Options include Subtle Grey, Warm Grey, [and] Blue, while Onyx Black is available exclusively on GT-line trim.”
The model seen in photos, and a version shown to Kelley Blue Book on a trip to South Korea last year, include mustard yellow interior highlights that lend a stylish air.
Kia promises extensive use of recycled materials inside, including dashboard fabric. “Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is among the most easily recycled plastics in the world, features in numerous areas of the interior, including the seats, headliner, door armrests, garnish, floor mats, and luggage board,” the company says.
Performance, Range Under Wraps for Now
Every EV3 will be front-wheel drive (FWD), with one electric motor on the front axle and none on the rear. That will likely help keep prices down, but we’d love to see more all-wheel-drive (AWD) options at this size.
That motor is good for 150 kW (about 202 horsepower), which should keep performance reasonable but not sporty. Kia says 62 mph comes 7.5 seconds after launch.
Kia hasn’t given range estimates that would make sense to American shoppers. Standard range models will carry a relatively small 58.3 kWh battery, while a Long Range model will get 81.4. Kia claims a range of 372 miles for the larger battery but uses a European formula to calculate it. America’s EPA uses a much stricter formula that produces shorter estimates.
“With the EV3, Kia is the first manufacturer to bring Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) charging to the compact EV SUV segment, giving occupants the freedom and flexibility to power external devices such as laptops, small fridges, coffee machines, or hairdryers,” the company says. We love making coffee and doing our hair in a subcompact car.
Price Will Be Everything
EV prices have steadily declined for a year and a half, but most EVs currently on the market still come in over $40,000. With Tesla recently canceling plans for a more affordable Model 2, there’s a lot of room for a competitive subcompact SUV for entry-level shoppers.
The EV3 will likely do battle with Volvo’s EX30 for their attention.
