Kia EV3 2025 review

Apologies for repetition, but the EV3 is Kia’s fourth ‘EV’-branded EV behind EV6, EV9 and EV5. And as the most petite model of the quartet, the small SUV lands into a crucial slot in the Kia’s line-up as its most affordable electric, with a $47,600 kick-off in base Air guise.

That Tiger Face, those Star Map lights, those four-spoke-esque wheels — it’s Kia polarising ‘flamboyant futurama’ design language in its most concentrated form, just launched locally in four grades that scales up to the (currently) ultimate GT-Line, wanting for a formidable $68,480 ask, driveaway.

Pictured: EV3 GT-Line

So EV3 casts a broad blank over dangerous territory where it encounters virtually every fledgling Chinese-branded or -built mainstream electric, some larger in size and financier in fit-out.

Plus Tesla’s Model Y and, equally crucially, Kia’s own larger mid-size EV5 its importer forecast will be the brand’s ultimate bread-winner in Australia.

What makes EV3 the exception in this exploding — and often confusing — mainstream EV segment? Firstly, it’s built in Korea. And secondly, its chassis tuning was developed by Australia for Australia. The pitch is: what EV3 lacks in size and, in some areas in some grades, glitz compared with similar-priced alternatives, it makes up for with genuine quality.

Pictured: EV3 Air 

The strides are considerable in the grade walk from Air Standard Range ($47,600) to Air Long Range ($53,315), to mid-spec Earth ($58,600) through to GT-Line ($63,950).

But the crux is that all four variants share the same high-voltage fundamentals: E-GMP platform with a single 150kW and 283Nm front-moiunted motor, with 400-volt architecture and handy 350kW peak DC fast charging.

The entry Air gets a 58.3kWh lithium-ion battery, all higher grades fit heftier 81.4kWh units.

Pictured: EV3 Earth

We drove all four versions at EV3’s local launch, from crawling peak hour in Queensland’s Gold Coast to recently cyclone-ravaged backroads of the Northern New South Wales hinterlands, focusing mainly on the ends of the range: the entry Air and flagship GT-Line.

Unsurprisingly, the bookends of the range have quite different exterior impact, the 17s-shod Air styling clearly purposely downplayed in the presence of the flashier, 19s-shod, sport-styled GT-Line.

This clear hierarchy continues inside, the flagship conspicuously flaunting excess where possible in demonstrating what amounts to $20K of extra outlay ($48,990 plays $68,490 driveaway).

The GT-Line’s two-toned theme, 10-way Air-Cell-lumbar adjustable front Relaxation pews, Bio PU faux leather trim, fancy three-spoke wheel, extendable Table Top console and detail flourishes conspire the feel-good vibes.

Tech splashes such as Harman Kardon Premium sound and a head-up display help build the flagship’s quasi-premium case.

In comparison, the Air (again) seems purposefully dressed down, a drab mid-grey theme of cloth and plain plastic materials — largely recycled, we’re told — and good old-fashioned mechanical adjustment of the uncomfortably flat-backed front buckets. Bar the chunky two-spoke wheel, the Air is a plain, simple and utilitarian space.

Speaking of space, the EV3 is well packaged if not particularly roomy or (pun not intended) airy, especially in row two where the underfloor battery presents stadium-style seating to allow enough adult-oriented legroom at the sacrifice of headroom.

Four-up it’s a slight squeeze, if not a particularly uncomfortable one for shorter trips. There’s 460 litres of bootspace (and 25L of frunk) and, curiously, a spare wheel-sized hole under the boot floor…where the tyre inflator kit lives.

The vast majority of in-cabin tech, including the dual 12.3-inch display with 5.0-inch climate divider screen, and inductive phone charging, are common across the range.

Further, every variant fits an identical and rather lengthy active safety and driver assistance suite. Outside of garnish and windowdressing, not much separates Air from the GT-Line in terms of the features and spec that ought matter the most.

In essence, then, the measure of the EV3 model’s critical worth is really in its more affordable offerings: the base Air and the Air Long Range.

And particularly given that the former is, with its 7.5sec 0-100km/h claim, the quickest in line-up, and that the latter’s 604km of peak range as advertised, offers the longest range on a single charge.

The Air Long Range is our first on-road candidate, one with a cheerfully displaying optimistic 700km of available range in the driver’s screen above a more realistic real-time calculated range (585km) with 98-percent battery. Get moving, into terminal Gold Coast traffic, and both begin gradually pulling estimations lower.

First impressions are of a very resolved drive. The ride on the 17s, be it small bumps or sharp speed humps, is wonderfully compliant, with quiet underpinnings accompanying a solid, polished character.

There’s a natural and measured manner to the EV3 character that immediately separates it from the slew of Chinese-sourced alternative recent releases that feel patently unfinished and poorly calibrated.

By stark contrast, the Kia is pleasant, intuitive and almost completely fuss-free bar the odd tendency of the driver monitor system to chime in for your attention.

So far so very good. Another highlight is the new ‘iPedal 3.0’ regenerative braking system. Using the steering wheel paddles, the driver can effectively tune one-pedal driving through three progressive stages (rather than simply offering three-regen stages).

It even offers a ‘one-pedal’ effect, for the first time in a Kia EV, in reverse.

Consumption around town is fine enough: high-13kWh/100km. Eventually, across two days of very mixed driving, we’d see lows as low as single figures, highs as high as almost 20kWh driving with gusto across country backroads. The average seems around the 14kWh mark…but will need further investigation at a later opportunity.

Ditto recharging. The 400-volt architecture limits 10-80 percent charging times to a respectable if unremarkable 31 minutes for the big 81.4kWh battery, when plugged into a 350kW DC charger. The smaller base variant’s 58.3kWh unit takes two minutes less.

It’s a good powertrain calibration. In Eco or Comfort modes, the throttle is nicely even and progressive, not terribly fiery but very co-operative to right foot input.

Sport mode amps response without falling in awful Tesla-like peakiness, where you discover more vigour than the outputs suggest and energy enough to get the fronts scrabbling against the traction control smarts.

For real-world around-town squirt, the EV3 offers plenty.

But show EV3 (in Air Standard trim this time) some legs and corners and, right here, the Kia starts to shine very brightly indeed. Kia Australia famously has an in-house ride and handling R&D team and some models on local release, at least, benefit from bespoke calibrations.

The small electric is one of them and its ride, handling and steering tunings — and their combined effect — are some of the finest work. Unique springs, anti-roll bars and dampers, as well a specific steering map, are specific to Australian EV3s.

Much like the powertrain, the steering is even, measured, nicely weighted and as clear as a bell. It brings a wonderful fluidity to the EV3’s character at all speeds.

But head out of town and find some corners, and its fluid nature marries with a keen and wonderfully neutral dynamic character that’s almost deceptively athletic. The more you push on, the more depth of agility it seems to draw upon.

What it lacks in sheer grip from its modest 215mm-wide Kumhos, it compensates for poise, balance and adjustability. That’s despite even the lightest EV3 Air’s small 4.2-metre form plying a porky 1845kg to the road surface.

The move to the flagship GT-Line swaps to 215mm Hankook ion Evo rubber and an added 85kg — almost all of it extra battery capacity — of kerb weight.

The fancier, pricer Earth and GT-Line are both four-tenths slower (7.9sec) to 100km/h than the base Air. The lower-profile 19s add a perceptible if marginal edge to the dynamic character and if it’s firmer in ride comfort it’s only by shades.

This is a fun and enjoyable car to punt. But at nearly $70K on road and festooned with sporty promise, the GT-Line really should be.

That Kia hasn’t managed to milk more output or more pace from the flagship is disappointing — again, the $20K more affordable base Air is four tenths quicker in a straight line and lighter on its tyres in the corners. And no less fun.

Instead, it’s the base Air that really punches above its weight as the quality and depth of the driving is outstanding for its price point and a magnitude better than other affordable EV competitors. It’s the hands down highlight of the package.

Downsides? You still need to dig through settings and submenus after every restart to arrest the unforgiving overspeed warning and lane departure warning/lane keeping smarts.

But the calibrations of Kia’s (and the technically related Hyundai’s) systems seem to be getting better and more real-world co-operative with every passing model update. Finally.

The Kia EV3 is covered by a seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, with seven years and 150,000km of coverage for the high-voltage systems. Servicing is thrifty, too, at just $1285 for the first five years.

In many ways, the EV3 atones for what we critiqued as a “disappointing” EV5 that “lacks dynamic engagement” and “fails to engender the highs that have consistently elevated the EV6”, despite the Chinese-sourced big brother’s localised suspension and steering tuning treatment.

If our first impressions of the EV3 are genuine, the smaller SUV sibling is a return to fine form in the driving experience.

Where the Korean-made EV3 makes the least amount of sense is in the circa-$70K driveaway GT-Line. It’s very pricey and, driving quality and nuances apart, most buyers will logically be drawn to the China-sourced and larger/roomier EV5, where the high-spec Earth — with all-wheel drive — is almost identically priced.

We end our launch program in the mid-spec Earth version of the EV3 — big wheels, big-battery, nicer-than-Air seating, pleasant all-round vibe and presentation. It’s probably the Goldilox specification, if with a price tag that, at just under $63K driveaway, is still a bit rich.

Where EV3 impresses the most is at its ground floor. The basic Air brings a whole lot of quality and lots of kit where you’ll want and need it, and for a tenner under $49K driveaway, it’s a bargain.

And its 436km of claimed range will be ample for most urbanites, many for whom will prefer the pocket the $7500 commanded for the Air Long Range for the only benefit of an added 168 kilometres of (on-paper) range per charge.