2025 Kia EV3 First Drive: An Affordable Electric Breakthrough

Kia EV3 First Drive top

The Kia EV3 truly is the well-priced 300-mile EV we've all been waiting for. Get ready to see these everywhere, and for good reason.

For the longest time, your electric vehicle options generally fell into two categories: luxury spaceship or low-range runabout. That started to change with the advent of cars like the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y (after their price cuts, anyway) and now the Chevrolet Equinox EV and a few others. But there still aren’t nearly enough options for people who don’t want a “pick two” choice of decent range, reasonable size and affordability.

So if the next great breakthrough moment for wider EV adoption is a car that gives you all three, then the 2025 Kia EV3 just exploded through the wall like the Kool-Aid man.

I still have a few big questions about the EV3. But after driving it in its native South Korea for two days, I’m convinced it will end up being a lot of people’s first electric car, and with fewer compromises than they’ve ever had to make.

(Full Disclosure: Kia covered my travel to and lodging in Seoul for the first international media test of the EV3.)

What Is It?

Kia’s EV3 compact crossover represents the latest evolution of Hyundai Motor Group’s award-winning E-GMP electric platform and arguably its most important one yet. While the larger Kia EV9, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 certainly deserve their flowers, the EV3 brings their strengths to an even wider audience. And it’s not just some stripped-out, cost-cut version of those cars. It debuts a lot of new features that those cars don’t even have yet.

The EV3 brings a revamped and more customizable version of the i-Pedal regenerative braking system that now integrates automated driving assistance tech too. It re-thinks how a car’s air conditioning and heating system can work for greater efficiency. It still can power your gadgets with vehicle-to-load (V2L) tech, all while feeling shockingly premium inside and out for its size and price. And it packs an AI-powered voice assistant as well, though it’s unclear if that will make the U.S.-market car.

Getting to that affordable price tag—one of those big questions I mentioned earlier, but probably in the low $30,000 range—meant some compromises. Those include going without the EV6 and EV9's impressive fast-charging. It’s also front-wheel-drive with an all-wheel-drive version still TBD, which may not be everyone’s jam.

But what you do get with the EV3 feels as world-class as the EV9 does, only in a smaller package that won’t break the bank.

What Are The Specs?

Size-wise, the EV3 comes in pretty close to the dearly departed Chevrolet Bolt EUV, except it’s wider and shorter. It’s smaller overall than the Kia Niro EV and Hyundai Kona Electric but boasts better overall technology the possibility for more range on the bigger battery. (Interestingly, Kia hasn’t discontinued the Niro EV, probably because people still keep buying it.)

Kia says it’s aimed at the Volkswagen ID.3, Volvo EX30 and BYD Atto 3—none of which are available in the U.S. right now. The Kia will be. That puts it at the forefront of a new crop of affordable smaller EVs coming soon, including the reborn Bolt EUV and whatever Ford and Tesla may be cooking up.

The EV3 offers two choices of battery packs: a 58.3 kWh pack and a new 81.4 kWh pack, with Kia saying the latter will be the largest in its class. That one’s certainly an upgrade from the Bolt’s old 65 kWh battery, for context. It’s also why this car is projected to do so well on range: up to 270 miles (430 km) on the smaller battery and up to 375 miles (605 km) on the bigger battery, according to Kia officials in Seoul. Depending on trim and option, you get 17-inch or 19-inch wheels. Going with the bigger ones will impact your overall range.

Also, those range figures are on the more generous WLTP testing cycle used by Europe and Korea. Its EPA-rated range for the U.S. market is another one of those big questions.

But since Kia has said it’s targeting around 300 miles of range for the U.S., and knowing that the bigger EV6 and Ioniq 5 are effectively 300-mile cars with their now-outgoing 77.4 kWh batteries, I’m extremely confident the long-range EV3 will nail that figure. Odds are, it will do even better. And it should handily outclass the 64.8-kWh Niro EV’s EPA-estimated 253 miles per charge.

The EV3 does keep the Niro EV’s 400-volt electrical architecture to keep costs down. That means charging speeds won’t be as lightning-fast as its 800-volt big brothers. Kia says the EV3’s smaller battery can handle up to 101 kW fast-charging speeds. That allows it to go from 10% to 80% in 31 minutes with the smaller battery, while the larger battery takes up to 128 kW to do the same in 29 minutes.

Compared to the EV6’s ability to get there in around 18 minutes (on a faster 350 kW charger, anyway) it’s not amazing. But it’s faster than a Ford Mustang Mach-E, for example. And it’s a whole 15 minutes faster than the Niro EV or Kona Electric, so it is a serious improvement over the Hyundai Group’s current entry-level EVs. And if the EV3 is the best successor yet to the Chevy Bolt or the Nissan Leaf, it absolutely trounces those cars at fast charging.

For now, or at least in Korea where the car is already on sale, it comes in three trim levels: the base Air, the mid-grade Earth and the top GT-Line. Each trim can be had with the smaller battery or the bigger one. The motor for both batteries puts down 201 horsepower, giving the EV3 a zero to 60 mph of 7.5 seconds for the base battery and 7.7 seconds for the long-range one.

All EV3s are FWD for now. AWD variants are coming but Kia won’t say when. A more powerful GT variant with AWD only is coming too “for customers who want performance,” Kia officials said. That EV3 should hit zero to 60 mph in under six seconds, making it an electric hot hatch worth getting excited about. The other AWD variants should do zero to 60 mph in under seven seconds.

Yet speed isn’t the order of the day here. Practicality and livability are. And the EV3 seems great in that regard with 16.2 cubic feet of cargo space in the trunk, or 44 cubic feet when the rear seats are folded down all the way. Those numbers trump the Volvo EX30, but both cars offer less space than internal-combustion subcompact SUVs like the Honda HR-V and Chevy Trax.

I haven’t driven the EX30 yet (I wanted to buy one, but Joe Biden’s tariffs had other plans) but several experienced automotive writers who also came to Seoul said they liked the Kia a lot better. Do with that information as you will.

How Does It Drive?

Seoul is a terrible place to test a new car. There are no backroad “how it handles at the limit” heroics to be found there; it’s just urban sprawl, traffic that makes Los Angeles feel like the unrestricted Autobahn and a Skynet-like web of automated enforcement systems. If there’s a way to have fun in a car, it is assuredly illegal in South Korea. Let me put it this way: I’m awfully glad contributor Tim Stevens tested the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N here last year instead of me, because I do not possess the level of restraint required to avoid an international incident with such an important geopolitical ally.

But Seoul was the perfect habitat for the Kia EV3. It might have range to go long distances, but it’s a city car through and through. It shined at navigating cramped garages, tight parking spaces and narrow gaps for highway passing. I frequently engaged the parking camera system, which feels more hi-res than my EV6.

Navigating tight cities in the EV3 is helped by how short the front and rear overhangs are, noticeably more so than the Niro EV. This illustrates the difference between a purpose-built EV and one adapted from a gas-powered car. When you don’t have to account for an engine, you open up all sorts of packaging advantages.

When I could find a break from traffic—however temporary—the EV3 proved to be more than some dull subcompact. All that instant EV torque is enough to spin the front tires if you go hard enough, but generally, it’s reasonably quick and tossable with ample passing power. Having said that, I find the old Chevy Bolt to be more fun to drive. Even in Sport Mode the EV3 is a commuter first and an electric athlete second. The ride is never exactly plush but it handled the streets of Seoul without leaving much of an impression.

I’ll cover the revised i-Pedal system in a separate story, but suffice it to say it offers a ton of flexibility in how to move with regenerative braking and full one-pedal driving. It’s now the most customizable EV on that front that I’ve ever experienced. It will offer something for every driver, plus it makes sure to keep those settings in reverse too to avoid any sudden parking surprises. Overall, it’s a much more interesting car to drive than the Niro EV or Kona Electric—neither of which encourages much gushing about driving dynamics.

What’s Good?

The styling is delightful. It’s basically a shrunk-down EV9—seeing the two side-by-side in traffic evokes a “Don't talk to me or my son ever again” vibe—and Kia was smart enough to offer a few fun colors like Aventurine Green and Frost Blue.

Where it really shines is on the inside. For all this talk of affordability, the EV3 never feels cheap at all. Even the hard plastics, of which there are many, feel pretty high-grade. So does the combined 30-inch widescreen display, the software suite lifted from the latest EV9, the camera setup and the tech features. The HUD is truly one of the best I’ve ever tested at any price. I’m not sure I’ve ever driven a “small” and “cheap” car that looks and feels this good.

The cabin is spacious as well, never feeling cramped, even when I hauled around two or three other large adult American autowriters. I wouldn’t want to be much more than six feet tall in the EV3, but it’s still got ample headroom for most.

Kia also gets points for using physical buttons here and there, and for ditching the infotainment/climate switchable controller that’s used on the Niro and EV6. I won’t be sad if that feature quietly dies eventually.

What’s Bad?

I didn’t find the sliding console table near the armrest to be very useful, nor a good use of space. I’m also not convinced it’ll come to U.S. market cars, either for some safety reason or because Kia would rather give us more slots for some Big Gulps. Maybe it’s useful as a workspace for charging stops.

And as good as the interior is, you do feel the cost-cutting in some areas. The little volume roller thing on the dash is hardly as useful or user-friendly as as a proper knob. And I wish some minor changes could be made for the U.S.-market version, namely the narrow seats and the footwell, which felt a bit cramped for my American size 11 sneakers.

I’m also still generally not a fan of front-drive EVs, just because delivering 100% torque at 0 RPM is a lot to ask of the wheels that also steer the car. Launching it with AWD would’ve been the smartest move, and indeed, that’s what most American buyers will want anyway (if your emails to me were any indication.)

How Is It As An EV?

In every way, the EV3 proves itself to be more than just a different kind of Niro EV. The range is better and the tech is better. I didn’t get a chance to fast-charge it myself—time in traffic doesn’t equal range burned, and I never got my car below 55% on this test. But the fact that Kia even offered to let us try inspired a lot of confidence. Usually, when we ask the automakers to let us do that, they start to get nervous.

Again, charging speeds of 101 kW or 129 kW aren’t outstanding. But the quoted ~30 minute 10% to 80% time is still pretty on par with the industry average, even for cars that claim to do “better.” It also means you won’t have to waste time hunting for a 350 kW station to get the most out of an EV3. I think it’s fine enough overall. I haven't seen AC or Level 2 charging times yet but will update this story if I do.

Kia deserves credit for putting new stuff like i-Pedal 3.0 into an entry-level car, too. It’s a major evolution of how one-pedal driving works, and it really makes the EV3 feel a cut above many competitors.

In terms of efficiency, Kia claims the EV3 can deliver between 3.2 to 3.4 miles per kWh, about on par with my own EV6. I saw figures closer to 3.6 or even 3.8 in my own testing. So, yes, it’s quite efficient.

Early Verdict

Kia has been frustratingly cagey on details for American buyers, so I can only assume the answers to those key questions for now.

How much range will it really get over here? I think around 300 miles. Will it get a Tesla NACS plug in the U.S.? Probably. When will it actually go on sale here? Sadly, not for a while. It’s rumored to come as early as late 2025 or perhaps even early 2026.

Will a U.S.-spec version be built in North America? This is just me guessing, but I think it’s very likely. And if so, will it be built in America? Maybe. But I also wouldn’t rule out Mexico, where Kia builds other small cars. Would those cars qualify for U.S. EV tax credits? Provided the credits survive the November election, then yes, on some level. Hyundai Motor Group seems to be figuring out local battery production to get whatever tax credits it can get. I’m sad it won’t arrive sooner, but I get the sense that this “wait and see” moment with EV policy in America may be holding it up somehow.

But the EV3 is something to be excited about. It’s destined to be another win for the Hyundai Motor Group’s huge electric push. This company just does not miss lately.

And I left Korea with an idea of what to expect here. Outside of Seoul, I kept spotting these car carriers full of brightly colored EV3s. I saw them more and more in the city when I hung around for a few days after the test, too, as it’s been on sale in Korea for a few months already.

I expect you'll be seeing the same eventually where you live too. And that's the entire point.

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