Kia EV2 and EV3 confirmed in two-strong small EV SUV attack

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Kia has confirmed that it will launch two new small electric SUVs in the next two years in the form of the four metre-long EV2 and the size-up EV3—and both could come to Australia.

While the South Korean brand whipped the covers off a nearly compete concept version of the EV3 in Seoul this week, the EV2 has remained hidden from prying eyes.

Production dates have been confirmed as 2024 for the larger EV3 and 2025 for the smaller EV2.

The pair of compact Kia crossovers aim to strike at the heart of the burgeoning small EV segment, targetting rivals like the BYD Dolphin and Atto 3 as well as MG’s ZS EV and MG4 models.

Australian Kia execs have not yet confirmed whether they will bid to bring one or both models to our shores, but Chasing Cars believes that the EV3 is especially likely to come to Australia.

Kia will rapidly expand its EV lineup between now and 2027 as it works towards a goal of achieving one million annual electric car sales in just three years from now.

The brand currently sells the Niro electric small SUV in Australia, along with the higher-end EV6 model—and it will soon launch the three-row EV9 that is widely tipped to cost more than $100,000 on the road in long range format.

But while the two latter efforts have concentrated on premium EV territory, Kia will now pivot to releasing models that are high on the design quotient but are not intended to be luxury cars.

The EV3 riffs on the design of its larger sibling, the EV5, which will be built in China and released in Australia in mid-2024.

Meanwhile, an even more radical EV4 sedan will also begin production in 2025.

Similarities between the EV3 and EV5 run more than skin deep, as the pair share a more affordable 400-volt iteration of Kia’s sophisticated e-GMP electric car platform.

While the EV2 has not yet been revealed, the Concept EV3 appears to be around 80 percent of a production vehicle outside. Inside, the concept cabin is being used to test the use of innovative sustainable materials including mycelium.

It’s still too early to say what size the batteries available with the EV2 and EV3 models will be, but expect Kia to target driving ranges of 350 to 500km for the pair.

If the models are locked in for Australia, it should be expected that the EV2 would target a circa-$40,000 entry point while the EV3 would kick off from $45,000 to $50,000.

Senior Kia executives did confirm that the EV2 will be built in the brand’s Slovakia factory to serve the European market. It could also be built in South Korea or China.

The Slovakian factory will also built one model out of the EV3, EV4 and EV5 triumvirate that Kia revealed in various stages of completion at its inaugural ‘EV Day’ event this week.