2027 Kia EV3 Reviews, Pricing & Specs

The EV3 isn’t particularly attractive, but it’s not offensive, either. It’s roughly 40 centimetres shorter than the EV6 and 3 cm taller, and it has an upright and more squared-off look. The lines adhere to Kia’s Opposites United design language that contrasts shapes found in nature with those of the human and industrial world.

The nose features very little grille area with large daytime running lights at the corners in the shape of stylized upside-down Vs. Vertical LED headlights are integrated with the DRLs, a hood line connects the DRLs, and a frowning lower line leads into a small and low-set grille. The flanks sport a combination of rounded shapes with squared-off and creased lines.

Black cladding surrounds the wheels and covers the rocker panels as well as a concave character line above the rockers. The 17- or 19-inch alloy wheels are pushed to the corners, giving the EV3 the shortest overhangs in the brand’s lineup. The rear end has a built-in spoiler, drooping LED taillights, and a swath of dark trim down low.

Four-spoke-design wheels give the EV3 a static look, but the EV3 does a good job of cheating the wind. A full underbody cover and active air flaps contribute to a slippery 0.275 coefficient of drag.

The interior has a simple horizontal layout highlighted by the 30-inch bank of screens. Cloth upholstery comes standard in the base Light and Wind trims, and the other models get standard synthetic leather. The GT-Line trims have a two-tone off-white and grey colour scheme, and the GT has grey synthetic leather and synthetic suede upholstery with neon green accents.

The interior materials are appropriate for the EV3’s entry-level price point, yet they feel fairly substantial. There are quite a few hard plastics, but they have fine fit and finish. A cloth swath on the dash provides a nice bit of contrast without adding too much cost for Kia.

The EV3 is offered with front- or all-wheel drive, two batteries, and three power levels. In its base Light trim, it has a 58.3-kWh battery with a single front motor good for 201 horsepower and 209 pound-feet of torque. The step-up Wind trim swaps in an 81.4-kWh battery while keeping the same power level with front-wheel drive (FWD) in all trims. Opting for all-wheel drive (AWD), which is available on all trims but the base Light for $2,500 extra, adds a second motor at the rear to up the output to 261 hp and 284 lb-ft. The GT trim has AWD as standard and makes 288 hp and 345 lb-ft.

We drove the 201-hp FWD Land and 261-hp AWD GT-Line trims. While FWD models have modest power, it’s perfectly adequate for everyday driving. The EV3 doesn’t push you back into your seat at launch, but the immediate torque of the electric motor helps it get out ahead of traffic and post a quoted 0-100 km/h time of 7.7 seconds, which feels right. Power is more readily available at lower speeds, so passing power is only modest.

The extra motor provides some welcome additional thrust. Our AWD GT-Line model was noticeably stronger from a stop and during passing maneuvers. Kia quotes a seemingly appropriate 6.6-second 0 to 100 km/h sprint.

While we didn’t drive it, Kia says the GT model cuts the 0 to 100 km/h sprint to 5.7 seconds. It also gets firmer suspension tuning, which might be a dealbreaker. More on that shortly. Kia offers four levels of brake regeneration via its iPedal system. Triggered by steering wheel paddles, it varies from freewheeling to nearly one-pedal driving. Drivers will decide for themselves what setting they prefer, but it’s good to have the choice.

In general, the EV3 drives well. It offers the quiet cruising of an electric vehicle without excessive wind or road noise. The steering has some good heft to make it stable mid-corner, and the low-set battery and short 2,680-millimetre wheelbase make it fairly agile. Its all-season tires and 1,740 to 2,020-kilogram (3,836 to 4,453-pound) curb weight mean it isn’t truly sporty, though.

The suspension absorbs most bumps well, but the short wheelbase, excess heft for its size, and some odd damper tuning create a real problem over ruts and dips. In these instances, the suspension compresses then shoots the body back up, disrupting passenger comfort and sometimes upsetting vehicle balance. When we hit a dip in a corner, it caused the EV3 to alter its course slightly. We weren’t going particularly fast in that instance, but it caused us to slow down on a winding coastal road for fear that another dip could send us heading off the road. Kia needs to do some work on the rebound properties of the EV3’s dampers.

The EV3 has a small footprint but good space for its size. Front seat occupants have plenty of space in the EV3. Heated front seats with manual adjustments and a heated steering wheel are standard, while 10-way power driver’s seat adjustments come in at the Land grade and the GT-Line and GT trims get ventilated front seats and a 10-way power front passenger seat. Standard dual-zone automatic climate control aids comfort front and rear, but heated rear seats are not available.

The second row also offers good space for a vehicle of this size. Our 6-foot-4-inch co-driver was able to fit behind his own front seating position, though with his knees brushing up against the front seat back. Fitting three adults across in the back will be a stretch, but two back there will usually be comfortable.

There’s good space for small items, too. The centre console has open and closed elements to provide easy access to phones, keys, change, etc. It’s a two-tier console with room for a purse in the rubberized lower level. However, the top tray isn’t rubberized, so items can slide around and fall out.

Cargo space is excellent for the size. The EV3 has 609 to 740 litres of cargo space behind the rear seats depending on whether the adjustable load floor is in the high or low position. That expands to between 1,470 and 1,600 litres with the rear seats folded down. It also has a small 25-litre front trunk. In all, that’s more space than the typical subcompact crossover due mostly to the upright design.

The EV3 has an abundance of screen space. It gets dual 12.3-inch screens, one a digital instrument cluster and another an infotainment touchscreen, plus a 5-inch climate control touchscreen that sits between them. It all sits under one piece of glass.

The infotainment touchscreen allows for video streaming through Netflix and YouTube when parked, and it can display several themes including Marvel, Star Wars, Disney, Pixar, and all 30 NBA teams. Also standard are wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, cloud-based navigation, satellite radio, and a six-speaker audio system. The infotainment system offers music streaming, and a wireless smartphone charger comes on all but the base trim. On upper trims, buyers can also get a head-up display, a digital key, and an eight-speaker Harman Kardon audio system.

The infotainment system is easy to use. The driver can scroll through the screen to access various icons, and touch controls below the screen provide quick access to the home, map, media, search, and setup screens. There is also a star hard key that provides a shortcut to frequently used controls.

The 2027 Kia EV3 comes standard with forward collision warning with intersection assist, automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring and collision avoidance assist, rear cross-traffic alert, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, rear occupant alert, a driver attention monitor, a safe exit warning system, automatic high beams, and the Highway Driving Assist that combines adaptive cruise control with lane keep assist.

The GT-Line Limited and GT trims get front, rear, and side parking sensors, enhanced automatic emergency braking with oncoming vehicle alert and steering support during passing maneuvers, rear automatic emergency braking, a blind-spot view monitor, a surround-view camera system, remote smart park assist, and the Highway Driving Assist 2 system that can initiate lane changes.

That’s a lot of standard and available driver assistance features for an entry-level SUV. All systems worked well during our initial drive, but we didn’t put many of them to the test. We will require more time behind the wheel to get a true picture of all the systems, though these systems work well in other Kias, so we expect similar results. We are particularly fond of the blind-spot view monitor as it really helps the driver place the car within its surroundings.

As a new vehicle, the EV3 has not yet been crash tested by either the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

The EV3 is one of the most affordable EVs on the market with a starting price of $39,180 including the mandatory $2,185 destination fee. However, its value doesn't really shine through at that price point, offering only 356 kilometres of range from its 58.3-kWh battery pack compared to 422 kilometres for the Chevrolet Bolt, 488 km for the base Nissan Leaf (though the base 2027 Leaf with a smaller battery rates at 341 km), and even 407 km for the outgoing Niro EV it replaces.

The much better choice is the step-up Wind trim, which adds the larger 81.4-kWh battery and increases the range to 517 km with FWD at $43,180 or 451 km with AWD at $45,680. The Land trim runs $45,680 with FWD and $48,180 with AWD, and the GT-Line costs $48,180 with FWD and $50,680 with AWD. The GT-Line Limited with FWD is priced at $52,180. All of the aforementioned prices are low enough to allow the buyer to benefit from the $5,000 EV rebate available through the federal Electric Vehicle Affordability Program (EVAP).

The remaining two configurations, GT-Line Limited with AWD at $54,680 and GT at $58,180, do not qualify for the rebate.

The front-drive models are the most efficient with ratings from Natural Resources Canada of 2.0 litres-equivalent per 100 kilometres combined (1.8 city or 1.9 for the base Light trim and 2.3 highway), compared to 2.3 Le/100 km combined (2.1 city, 2.5 highway) for the AWD models. Those numbers compare to 2.0 L/100 km combined for the Bolt and between 1.9 and 2.3 Le/100 km combined for the Leaf. FWD is the standard for both these competitors, and neither offers AWD.

We saw 17.3 kWh/100 km in the FWD Land over 150 kilometers and 17.8 kWh/100 km over 100 km in the GT-Line. Both are rather efficient results, especially given sometimes enthusiastic driving. The EV3 uses a 400-volt electrical architecture that doesn’t charge as quickly as the EV6’s 800-volt architecture. Still, it can charge from 10%-80% in 29 minutes with the base battery and 31 minutes with the big battery on a 350-kW DC fast charger at a maximum rate of 127 kW. It comes standard with a NACS charging port that works on select Tesla Superchargers. A standard 11.2-kW onboard charger allows it to charge in 5 hours and 10 minutes with the base battery and 7 hours with the bigger battery on a Level 2 home outlet. The GT-Line and GT trims also offer vehicle-to-load bidirectional charging, so the battery can charge e-bikes, laptops, and small appliances. Add a Wallbox home charger and it can send power back to the home during a blackout.

In all, the EV3 surpasses the Niro EV thanks to more range, more power, and more space due to its dedicated EV platform. It may not be the cheapest EV on the market but it’s close enough, and it’s well equipped and incredibly practical.