2025 Kia EV3 review: International first drive

It's not only my kid who is learning to count to 10. On its constant march of adding new electric models to its global portfolio of electric cars, we now have Kia counting its way from one to 10.

Kia hasn't been counting in order, though. It started at EV6, then jumped up to EV9, the EV5 has been delayed, and there is talk of a EV4 previewed in concept form already.

But now, we have the opportunity to test out the EV3. It's a small SUV, and will be the smallest and most affordable electric vehicle in Kia Australia's line-up. It's slightly smaller than a Kia Cerato hatch, and is similar overall to the Stonic stablemate. But, it packs a punch inside, and wants to lead the pack for electric driving range. Let's have a closer look.

Pricing for the Kia EV3 is yet to be revealed for the Australian market, along with final specifications and details. We are hoping that the entry-level model lands somewhere under $50,000 plus on-road costs, comfortably undercutting the $66,590 Niro EV, which is currently Kia's cheapest electric vehicle.

We're expecting a range of trim levels for the Australian market, along with long-range batteries, front-wheel drive and all-wheel-drive powertrains, as well as a more powerful GT range-topper.

Pricing will be crucial in the EV3's eventual appeal and consideration in Australia, among a differing set of similar offerings. At one end, you have a cost-effective and compelling offering from China in the form of the recently reworked BYD Atto 3, which is priced from $44,499 plus on-road costs.

Higher up the spending ladder, you have something like the Volvo EX30 that starts at $59,990 plus on-roads. In between, there's plenty of choice as well. The Hyundai Kona Electric (from $54,000), Renault Megane E-Tech (from $54,990), Smart #3 (from $57,900) all fill the compact SUV space in between.

Don't forget the choice of non-electric and hybrid small SUVs in Australia, of which there is no shortage: Mazda CX-30, Volkswagen T-Roc, Hyundai Kona and Kia Seltos just to name a few. And depending on where the price of the EV3 finally lands, you might be able to look at larger, lower spec-level mid-sized SUV.

In terms of overall dimensions, 4300mm long is a shade shorter than a Kia Seltos (by 85mm). It's going to be regarded as a small SUV technically speaking, but the use of a dedicated electric platform does allow Kia to go for a relatively long wheelbase and maximise the amount of interior space.

Don't expect as much room in here as you get in a medium-sized SUV, to be clear. But, the EV3 feels spacious and useful for the small SUV segment.

On the inside, the Kia EV3 can be quickly summed up as a shrunk-down EV9, and I'm all for it.

Kia has used a range of environmentally minded materials inside the EV3, which gives a different look and feel. Plastics are more matte, less shiny, and feel strangely smooth to the touch.

The quality of the interior, in terms of fit and finish, feels top-notch. It's solid-feeling, and there is nice attention to detail in the nooks and crannies. Its seats look and feel good, and ergonomically pleasing for the driver.

And like the EV9, the balance of a pleasing and simplified design, along with ease of use, is done well. The thumb-flicking dial for volume works well, and faux buttons (with haptic feedback) cover off the essentials elegantly.

Like we have experienced with the EV9, some of these materials can mark and bear witness to impacts easily, with faint scratch marks noticeable around the cupholder area from a fingernail.

Our test vehicles had the interesting addition of a sliding table in the centre console area, which is reminiscent of a marble countertop in looks and a chopping board in feel. It's a nice point of difference, but I question the actual practicality of it. The flat surface is only really useful for when the vehicle is stationary, because things will quickly slide off the smooth and flat surface.

Plus, having this table arrangement means you miss out on the usual storage bin in the central area. There's no open area under the slide-out table.

Instead, storage is handled by the big open space lower down on the floor. There is a deep bin here for your bulkier stuff, along with a big wireless charging pad and two deployable cupholders.

It's perhaps a small gripe, but those who like to hide their mess in covered or lidded compartments only have the glovebox of the EV3 in their quest to appear neat and tidy.

The second row of the EV3 is good in terms of space, with positive results coming from me sitting behind my own driving position.

I'm a little under six foot tall (183cm), and do sit relatively close to the steering wheel. But I had some spare leg room and head room, along with a bit of room below the seat for my toes. The seats are comfortable enough, but adults will notice their legs rise off the cushion a little.

Air vents and power outlets are available in the second row, along with a fold-down central armrest with cupholders.

The boot, which measures in at a claimed 460 litres, is a solid number for an electric car. Our test vehicles were all front-wheel drive, so boot space isn't competing with an electric motor at the rear for space.

The floor of the boot can be adjusted into a high and low position, and our test vehicles looked like there might be space for a full-sized spare with the floor in the higher position.

One thing this EV3 picks up from the EV9 that hasn't been shrunk down is the infotainment display. It's the latest 'ccNC' set-up, which comprises of two 12.5-inch displays for infotainment and driver's display duties.

It's worth noting here that we have the same hardware and software as the EV9, which lists 12.3 inches of size. Somebody's tape measure at Kia might be having a bad day here, but we are imagining somebody in marketing decided to round up the numbers for this EV3 to 12.5.

Regardless, it's a good system with plenty of features, technology and processing speed for smoother operation. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – along with native navigation and digital radio – will no doubt be accounted for in Australian-delivered models, but exact specifications are yet to be locked in.

There's also a 5.0-inch control panel between the two displays, which you can use for climate controls. The steering wheel obscures your vision of this display, but it still helps. Plus, it means with the lack of buttons on the modern and simplified dashboard, climate controls aren't buried within the infotainment system somewhere.

Being our fist drive of the Kia EV3 overseas – before the vehicle arrives on Australian shores – local crash testing is yet to be undertaken and finalised. Kia will likely undertake the testing process – either by ANCAP in Australia or the aligned Euro NCAP process – and will certainly be hopeful of a complimentary score. However, let's not count our eggs before they hatch.

We also don't know exactly what kind of safety technology will be available in the EV3 when it arrives in Australia, and whether the full range of safety equipment will be standard across the range. We are hopeful that this is the case, and Kia does have a good track record in this regard. But once again, let's hang on for now.

We don't currently have any clarity on the kind of servicing costs for the EV3. For reference's sake, a rear-wheel-drive Kia EV6 Air costs only $2045 over seven years, which averages out to only $292 per year. We would hope that the smaller EV3 might even be fractionally cheaper than that.

But of course, the major cost of ownership of an electric car (beyond the purchase price and insurance) will boil down to how you charge your batteries. If you plan on mostly using public chargers (and paying for the privilege), running costs could be similar to a similar efficient petrol-powered vehicle.

Charge at home, however, using as much off-peak electricity as possible, and you'll find it to be much cheaper than internal combustion.

And being a new model that is yet to be formally released into the Australian market, there is not yet any scope to provide a formal insurance quote.

Once again, the specifics of driving range and efficiency of the EV3 for the Australian market are yet to be announced. However, some specific details can be garnered from internationally sourced EV3 data. In its least expensive form, using a 58.3kWh battery and with single electric motor at the front, Kia claims 436km of driving range on the WLTP testing cycle.

The next step up the range sticks with front-wheel drive but raises battery capacity to 81.4kWh and gives a longer range of 605km on the WLTP cycle.

We're predicting the Kia EV3 will mirror the large EV9 by going two-wheel drive with the smaller battery in the base specification, and then going up to a larger battery and all-wheel drive for higher trim levels from there. Unfortunately, Kia has not yet published any driving range estimations or claims for all-wheel-drive models.

Our first drive in the Kia EV3 over in South Korea did indicate a lot of important facets of what to expect for Australian-delivered models. However, there are some things we don't know yet. We know there will be more powerful all-wheel-drive models for the Australian market – along with a range-topping GT model, but our test drive was limited to a front-wheel-drive variant with one 150kW/283Nm electric motor.

Our test vehicles had the long-range 81.4kWh battery fitted, which has a claimed driving range of 605km. We are expecting the EV3 range in Australia to begin with the same 150kW/283Nm motor, but with the smaller and lighter 58.3kWh battery pack.

What we weren't able to drive yet – and what we don't have full clarity on outputs for – were the optional all-wheel-drive powertrains with two electric motors. Numbers are yet to be locked in, but we are estimating the top-spec EV3 GT to have around 225kW and 470Nm.

The driving impressions of the EV3 must also be cognisant of the fact that – like all other Kias – the EV3 will get its own localised suspension and steering tune for Australian tastes and conditions.

But in its local Korean form (and on Korean roads, of course), the EV3 impressed. Like other electric offerings from the Korean car maker, the driving experience is smooth, refined and serene.

There was a bit of noticeable bobbling on rougher surfaces at low speeds around town, and you can never really escape the feeling of weight here. The EV3 feels stable and responsive, but not nimble in terms of directional changes. It's heavy at the end of the day, just like every other EV with a decent driving range.

Take-up from the single electric motor is responsive enough, and drivers can roll through a selection of drive modes available to tailor the throttle response and steering weight. There's also a selectable driving mode to choose, if you want to tailor things a little more to your own tastes.

Outright performance is decent enough, with a claimed 7.7-second 0–100km/h dash time listed for the big-battery variant. And from the seat of the pants, it feels plenty good enough (without being scintillating). This is good, but I'll be excited to drive another with additional oomph.

Regenerative braking can be managed via the new-generation 'i-Pedal 3.0' system, where you employ the paddle shifters to run all the way from no braking (allowing you to coast along smoothly like an internal combustion car), to a more forced one-pedal mode with more aggressive braking. There's also an auto mode, which will read the road ahead and traffic conditions, and will tailor the braking force as needed.

The major strength for me here would be the levels of refinement, with the EV3 being quiet and composed during our test drive. We are looking forward to seeing what a little bit of localised augmentation can do when it lands in Australia.

In this first taste, the Kia EV3 has some good things going for it. The quality and presentation of the interior are strong points, along with the refinement and composure of the driving experience.

Naturally, the eventual price will be a critically important factor to get right for the Australian market. There's a growing list of competitors in this area, including a growing bevy of Chinese-grown offerings that compete hard on price.

If this EV3 can come close to some of those offerings, while giving a more interesting and premium experience inside, then the EV3 could be a real winner for many Australian buyers.

If you're liking what you see, your next best step would be to contact your local dealership and register your interest in a test drive when local stock arrives in the country.

At the moment, Kia Australia is hoping to see cars in the country around March or April 2025. And by that time, we will inevitably know more about pricing and specification of the EV3.

In the meantime, you can also find Kias and other EVs for sale at Drive Marketplace.

If you want to stay updated with everything that's happened to this car since our review, you'll find all the latest news here.