2025 Kia EV3 Review

Recently we attended the global launch of the Kia EV3 in Seoul, South Korea, and had the opportunity to drive the Korean brand’s first compact electric SUV through the streets and highways of its beautiful country of origin. 

With a range of technological innovations like iPedal 3.0 promising even more efficient highway driving, first-in-segment vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability and an astounding 605 km of range on the WLTP, Kia’s latest EV offers a pretty promising package - but how is it, really? 

Watch my initial launch impressions below or read on for a comprehensive look at the all-new 2025 Kia EV3.

How much does the 2025 Kia EV3 cost?

As of writing this, we don’t have confirmed pricing for the Australian market, though Kia have previously stated that they are aiming for a global pricing in the range of $35,000 - $50,000 USD ($52,500 - $75,000 AUD). The EV3 is expected to launch in Australia some time between March and April, 2025.

Currently, we only have details on the 2WD Base and GT-Line versions, though Kia have confirmed that there will be an AWD powertrain available, with two electric motors, and a GT model will also follow, bringing a high performance variant to the lineup.

2025 Kia EV3 Pricing:

• Base - TBD
• GT-Line - TBD
• GT - TBD (Later release)

What’s the exterior like of the 2025 Kia EV3?

At first glance - perhaps at a distance - you’d be forgiven for mistaking the Kia EV3 for an EV9, albeit quite a bit smaller and with some subtle styling differences. Kia benchmarked the dimensions off the Volvo EX-30 with a very similar width and height, however the EV3 is 67mm longer with a 30mm longer wheelbase, meaning a more spacious interior. In terms of total dimensions, the EV3 falls pretty much in between a Volkswagen ID. 3 and a BYD Atto 3.

To say that it has very different styling to those cars is a bit of an understatement. Up front you have EV9-inspired daytime running lights, with matrix LED headlights. There is also quite an angular hood line, which Kia says gives the car ‘the illusion of being bigger than it is'. The GT-Line is differentiated at the front with triangular wing-shaped lower bumpers and side skirts both highlighted with body colour, while the base model gets less aggressive inserts with silver trim.

There will be 9 colours available upon release - 8 glossy and 1 matte - and 4 of which are new:

• Clear White
• Snow White Pearl
• Ivory Silver
• Aurora Black Pearl
• Shale Grey *NEW*
• Frost Blue *NEW*
• Aventurine Green *NEW*
• Terracotta Red *NEW*
• Ivory Silver (Matte)

Standard wheels for the base model are 17-inch alloys, with the option to upgrade to 19-inch wheels with a diamond-cut pattern. The GT-Line gets 19-inch black alloys as standard with a sporty design, and the GT spec is expected to launch with 20-inch alloys. The range also gets roof rails, rear privacy glass, and front and rear flush door handles.

The rear of the EV3 embodies the new Kia design language of 'opposites united', because unlike the front and side, there isn’t much going on at the back. 

The GT-Line gets angled lower rear bumpers to match the front with body-coloured inserts, but apart from that you will find just an EV3 badge on the lower left, and a GT-Line badge on the lower right. The theme of ‘Baby EV9’ also continues with the tail lights, which give the EV3 a modern light signature at both ends.

What’s the interior like of the 2025 Kia EV3?

Kia has recently been killing it lately with their interior design and the EV3 is absolutely no exception. The first thing that jumps out at you is the enormous 30-inch display - straight out of the EV9 - that consists of a 12.5-inch driver display, a 5-inch always-on climate control display, and a 12.5-inch infotainment display. 

Put simply, the technology within the EV3 is befitting a very premium price tag, and Hyundai/Kia continue to set a high standard in the EV SUV segment. You can use wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which works flawlessly and there is a fast wireless charger in the centre console.

Connectivity is good with a couple of USB-C ports, your wireless charging pad, and a 12V socket. 

Over-the-air (OTA) updates will also be available, and the Korean spec we drove came with a bunch of cool connected services including Toll payment that unfortunately won’t be making its way to Australia. There is in-built satellite navigation with augmented reality on the infotainment display, and the driver heads-up-display is sharp and bright, displaying enough information to be useful.

Staying with the driver, the steering wheel design slightly varies between the base model and GT-Line, but both receive a premium-feeling two-tone leatherette that matches the rest of the interior. Just like the EV9, your start/stop button resides on your gear selector stalk that is attached to the steering column, which is a clever way to save space.

As far as seating and comfort, you will find soft fabrics adorning the crash pads, door trims and seats, and seats are power adjustable with a ‘relaxation mode’ which is quite… relaxing. Especially with how soft the headrests are! You will also find three-stage heating and ventilation in the seats, as well as a two-stage heated steering wheel.

The keen-eyed may notice a little ‘QR code’ on the passenger side of the dash, this will take you to a link that explains the sustainability and ethical sourcing of each of the materials used throughout the cabin. I can say however, that it feels like they managed to prioritise premium feel over ‘sustainable feel’, which is a trap some other manufacturers fall into. 

There are a couple of different interior trims available on the base model of the EV3 - Air and Earth trim, the Earth we drove had grey with some interesting orange highlights throughout the cabin, particularly in the centre console storage, whereas the Air gets blue highlights. It also combines with the adjustable ambient lighting and sunroof to create a modern, bright interior.

In terms of storage, there is a ton throughout the interior of the EV3. Firstly, the centre console is completely open, making the most of the available space from the lack of gearbox - and it is covered in grippy rubber material to prevent belongings from rattling around and moving. 

The door bins and glovebox are adequately sized, and you get a couple of cup holders in the front too. One nice ergonomic inclusion is the slide-out ‘desk’ that is integrated with the centre console and actually extends 120mm, which combined with the centre armrest raised gives a large workspace for laptops - which can even be charged using the V2L functionality!

What about back seats?

The EV3 is quite a compact SUV from the exterior, so it is impressive how much space they have managed to fit into the rear seats. Firstly, legroom and headroom is great, with toe room still being quite good for an EV with the battery beneath the floor.

Amenities are also quite good, you get air vents, two USB-C charger ports, a fold down armrest with two cup holders, and your Vehicle-to-Load port under the seats. The seats themselves are comfortable and decently supportive, and you get some mat pockets and a large storage section.

The quality of materials does take a slight dip compared to the front seats, though you still get some ambient lighting, and a nifty feature is the seat controls on the sides of the front seats, allowing you to push them forward while sitting in the back in order to stretch out your legs.

What’s boot space like in the Kia EV3?

The Kia EV3 will come with 460L of boot capacity, as well as some under-floor storage and a tyre goo-kit. There is also the inclusion of a frunk, which makes it one of the best-in-segments for boot space.

What’s under the bonnet of the 2025 Kia EV3?

The Kia EV3 will launch with two battery options - 58.3kWh or 81.4kWh, which have a claimed range of 436 km and 605 km, respectively, on the WLTP cycle. Both batteries available use the Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) chemistry which has pros/cons, if you would like to read more on the differences between LFP and NMC batteries, click here.

Kia has also mentioned that they use water-cooling in their batteries, which helps with thermal management while charging and improves charging speeds, and the batteries have undergone extreme temperature testing to ensure robustness

The battery in our test car powers a single electric motor on the front axle that sends 150kW/283Nm to the front wheels. Kia have confirmed that they are working on an AWD powertrain, available as an option, with a high-performance version to come later for the GT.

In terms of charging, the EV3 has maximum 350kW fast-charging speed, though DC fast chargers will max out at about 130kW.

How does the Kia EV3 Drive?

Driving in Seoul, South Korea is an interesting experience, but the EV3 definitely helped make it more comfortable. Firstly there are many lanes, so knowing which one to be in to take the correct exit is essential, which is where the augmented reality navigation helps.

Furthermore, Kia has updated the one pedal driving system to i-Pedal version 3.0 -  to enhance the range and amount of recuperation gained from regenerative braking. Single pedal driving is now available at all three levels of regenerative braking, which can be easily toggled on and off using the paddle shifters.

They have also integrated many of the semi-autonomous driving systems into the regenerative braking, allowing the EV3 to predict upcoming speed bumps and corners using its many sensors, and use the recuperation from the brakes to recharge the battery.

This makes for a smooth, efficient and effortless driving experience, especially in stop-start traffic like in Seoul, where the EV3 excels.

Having a comprehensive suite of safety features like highway travel assist, including lane change assist and automatic speed limit detection also makes driving on the freeway very easy, and importantly, Kia has made all of these systems very easy to disable if you don’t wish to use them.

I found the EV3 to have a very compliant ride, with minimal road and wind noise, even while driving on the 19-inch wheels of the base and GT-Line specs. The steering feel is direct, without being overly tight, and adjusting between Eco, Normal and Sport drive modes changes the steering and throttle response, sharpening everything up quite a bit in Sport mode. There is also a ‘Snow’ mode, which I would wager would be more useful in the All-Wheel Drive variant, and there is ‘My Mode’ which allows for different driving attributes to be adjusted.

While the EV3 I drove delivers 150kW to the front wheels, I didn’t feel like there were any situations where it was lacking in the power or torque department. We haven’t had the chance to drive it too dynamically yet - however I would say that with its competent ride, low centre of gravity and instant torque, the EV3 should be quite fun on the back roads. If you decide to go with the AWD - which should be slightly more powerful - or the full-fat GT spec, then that will elevate the dynamics to the next level.

While we didn’t have the chance to test this out for ourselves in Seoul - Kia claim that the Front-Wheel-Drive, short-range version of the EV3 should do the 0-100km/h sprint in just 7.5 seconds, while the GT version is hinted to be sub-6 seconds.

What do you get with the Kia EV3?

2025 Kia EV3 GT Line Standard Features:

• 19-inch machine alloy wheels
• Vehicle-to-load capability
• LED headlights and taillights
• Blacked-out mirror caps with 360-degree camera
• Pop-out door handles
• Power-operated tailgate
• 460-litre boot capacity
• Two-tone GT Line steering wheel
• Paddle shifters for regenerative braking
• 30-inch digital display (12.5-inch driver display, 5-inch climate control, 12.5-inch infotainment)
• Wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
• Electrically adjustable front seats with lumbar support
• Three-stage heated and ventilated front seats
• Two-stage heated steering wheel
• Premium interior materials with soft-touch surfaces
• Dual-zone climate control with 5-inch dedicated climate control screen
• Adaptive cruise control with highway driving assist
• Autonomous driving features with iPedal 3.0 regenerative braking system
• Nickel manganese cobalt battery with 81.4 kWh capacity (up to 605 km WLTP range)
• 130 kW DC fast charging (10-80% in around 31 minutes)
• Front-wheel drive with 150 kW electric motor
• Floating roof design with black roof rails
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Outboard heated rear seats
• Rear USB-C ports and air vents
• Selectable drive modes: Eco/normal/sport

Is the Kia EV3 safe?

The Kia EV3 offers a range of advanced safety features designed to enhance driver assistance and protection:

• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
• Adaptive cruise control with highway assist
• 360-degree camera system
• Front-facing camera
• Radar sensor for enhanced safety technology
• Lane change assist (similar to the system in the Kia EV9)
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Outboard heated rear seats with child seat anchors

These features aim to provide a safer driving experience by assisting with tasks such as parking, lane-keeping, and adapting to varying road conditions.

How much does it cost to run the Kia EV3?

The Kia EV3 will be covered under Kia’s 7 year unlimited KM warranty. Additionally, the battery is expected to be covered by a 7 year, 150,000 km warranty.

There are currently no details about capped price servicing plans, that information is expected to come later this year or early 2025.

Final thoughts on the Kia EV3

The Kia EV3 ticks a lot of boxes. It is practical, has class-leading efficiency, and a really premium interior even in the base spec. 

All that, plus the fact that it comes with several upgraded safety systems, and the standard Kia benefits like good warranties, I can say with some level of certainty that the Kia EV3 will be a big competitor in the Compact SUV EV segment, which is shaping up to be quite competitive in Australia! 

Only time will tell, once we receive the finalised pricing and specifications for Australia, whether the Kia EV3 will become the next EV hit down under.