VM Test Drive Kia EV3: When 4.3 Meters are Mid-Range Again
Brief flashback: Once, a vehicle length of 4.3 meters was considered mid-range - true mid-range in the format of a VW Passat. Nowadays, they are considered small to compact, and such models are often marketed as city or second cars. Kia is now elevating the EV3 back to the status of a primary vehicle – rightly so?
The soft suspension absorbs even rough unevenness
Rightly so! After seemingly considering and benchmarking everything, we had the opportunity to take a few laps and were very impressed: By a comfortable suspension that completely avoids rumbling over transverse joints or bumps, dampening in a manner akin to Volkswagen group standards, and perhaps feeling a touch too soft for some. And a decent steering. Of course, in Germany, one might prefer all this a bit crisper, but the overall tuning is well done. At the limit, the front-wheel-drive remains extremely neutral for a long time until it neatly rotates by easing off the accelerator! Here too, Kia has benchmarked well.
81.4 kWh is a lot of battery for a compact
Briefly on the facts: The EV3 measures 4.3 meters in length, offers a 2.68-meter wheelbase, and comes with two battery sizes: 58.3 and 81.4 kWh. Which is promising for the vehicle format. Just as an aside. They have also "upped the ante" in driving assistance: The EV3 ideally understands abstract commands clearly (though in our pre-production model, this wasn’t fully programmed, it hardly understood anything), scores with equally clear handling (climate control with rocker buttons and on the extra screen), and at least now you can silence the speed warning with the press of a button. And there’s also now a practical extra button for preconditioning the battery. In case you decide to charge spontaneously and do not want to leave it to the now actually smarter charging planner. Only the lane-keeping assistant remains a bit rough, but that’s criticism on a high level.
Kia has also revised the recuperation: There are three levels up to One-Pedal Drive, which you can "paddle" on the left, and on the right, you can choose between auto and manual, with auto being very good: It recuperates appropriately for traffic rather than with full force. However, if you suddenly need to brake on a country road because a curve tightens or the space narrows, you should not rely on the automatic: If it recognizes the road as “clear”, the EV3 doesn’t recuperate at all at high speeds, as it wants to carry as much momentum as possible. Therefore, it is better to operate in fixed recuperation mode two or three on winding country or serpentine roads.
The headrests in the GT-Line feel much softer
And how do four adults sit now? Fine! In the GT-Line, the Kia-typical soft headrests flatter the head, but otherwise, it is surprisingly less noble than the base versions “Air” or “Earth.” Well, it still has two-tone synthetic leather instead of fabric seats and a dark instead of a light fabric strip at the front. This noticeably “warms” the otherwise very “plastic-synthetic leather-heavy” Kia interior! When it comes to colors, Kia remains pragmatic: solid snow white is standard, everything else costs extra.
Thanks to a 2.68-meter wheelbase, even four large passengers can sit comfortably in the rear, and the trunk with 460 to 1,251 liters can also swallow larger travel luggage, almost as much as in the much longer EV6. Additionally, there’s a well-usable 25-liter frunk. Thus, the EV3 really runs as a full-fledged family friend! Only in terms of towing capacity, it looks bleak: The base offers only 500 kilograms braked, with a large battery you can tow 750 or 1,000 kilograms braked.
Modern architecture: Also in square wheel design. | Photo: G. Soller
Crisp rear, large angular wheel arches give it "presence". | Photo: G. Soller
Distinctive: The vertical daytime running LEDs at the front. | Photo: Kia
Surprisingly ample space in the rear. | Photo: Kia
The dashboard design is oriented towards the EV6 and EV9 but has been optimized in detail and made more pleasant with fabric. | Photo: Kia
460 liters of trunk space is almost as much as in the EV6, but it is shorter and deeper. | Photo: Kia
At the front, there is an additional 25-liter frunk. | Photo: G. Soller
Retractable "tray" at the front - requires some effort. | Photo: Kia
The EV3 offers a maximum of 1,251 liters of trunk space. | Photo: Kia
The suspension is very comfortable and somewhat soft. | Photo: Kia
Glattflächiges Heck, toller cW-Wert von 0,26. | Foto: Kia
Zweifarbiges Interieur beim GT-Line. | Foto: Kia
Auch der fährt sich eher weich. | Foto: G. Soller
Markante Scheinwerfer. | Foto: G. Soller
Basically favorable consumption
And what does it consume? We fluctuated between 15.6 and 19.4 kWh/100 km net, ending up showing 17.4 kWh/100 km on the display, which is just under 19.3 kWh/100 km gross. But it could be more economical. And with the 81.4 kWh battery, this means a REAL 400 + x kilometers range. Great range – again more than the compact class.
Due to its 400-volt architecture, it cannot charge as quickly as the EV6 or EV9: For the 58 battery, Kia states 29 minutes from 10 to 80%, while for the 81 battery it takes 31 minutes. It can handle V2L anyway, basically also V2G. However, this still depends on the electricity suppliers, with whom Kia is still negotiating accordingly, but it could realistically be factored in by 2026, as with Renault.
Starting at 35,990 euros for the base model in the “Air” trim
What does the EV3 cost? The Air, equipped with basic features, starts at 35,990 euros, which is 30,243.70 euros net. We would opt for the “Earth” with the necessary seat and steering wheel heaters, which starts from 38,290 euros, that’s 32,176.47 euros net – with a “small battery”. Our first choice would be the “Earth” with a large battery starting from 43,690 euros, which is 36,714.29 euros net. Unfortunately, that does venture into the mid-range class.
Little “perk”: Anyone who orders by 31.12.2024 will additionally receive the somewhat unnecessary Premium Mobility Guarantee for two years, including Kia Charge charging option without basic fee for the first two years with an Advanced tariff and Aral Pulse Light package, which can actually save charging costs for frequent long-distance use.
What does that mean?
With the EV3, Kia has once again turned a 4.3-meter car from the compact to the mid-range class! This is something that cannot be praised enough for the brand, especially as they did not allow any weaknesses otherwise. Sure, it could charge a tad faster and be tuned a bit firmer. But it comes with the stronger all-wheel drive... Also interesting: Kia does not want to offer anything less than 150 kW, meaning the EV3 starts above the EV6 in terms of performance.
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