New Kia EV3 Coming Soon: Specs, Price and Release Info

This is the Kia EV3, one of three new electric concept SUVs unveiled by the company, the others being the Kia EV4 and…you’ve guessed it, the EV5. They join the EV9 concept shown earlier this year, too. All the concepts share a similar look, giving us a clear indication of where Kia design is going. Kia says that the EV3, EV4 and EV5 represent “a step change in interior design”. Time will tell on that – concept cars almost always have dazzling interiors, very little of which actually makes it to the production car. More relevant are the sustainability techniques showcased by all cars, many of which Kia promises will make final versions. Read on to find out more.

Squint a bit and you’ll get an accurate outline of what the production EV3 will look like, but there are plenty of details here that just won’t make the final cut. As usual with a concept, it's in those details that most of the interest lies, but there should still be plenty left to make the production EV3 a striking car. The intricate alloy wheels will go in the bin – too expensive to manufacture – but the ‘split’ rear pillars that makes the roof look like it’s floating will stay. As will the thin front and rear LED light strips, and the steep angle of the windscreen. That makes it look “sporty”, see, so the kids will like it.

Interior and technology

The interior is where most of the magic happens, starting with the mushrooms. Yep. “Mycelium, which comes from mushroom roots, combines excellent strength with an extremely soft surface,” explains Kia. It’s used for the surface of the centre console between the front seats, and Kia is aiming to use other kinds of organic material to create textiles and leather substitutes. In typical concept car style, the EV3 has a minimalist interior with absolutely every function moved into a massive panoramic display. This too will be watered down (not literally – what if the centre console starts to grow?), but hopefully the EV3’s upwards folding rear bench will remain. It's the same sort of thing the Honda Jazz does, allowing bigger objects to be loaded through the rear doors – a telly or a bike, say. You’ll notice that the pillars between the side windows are remarkably thin too, making for a very airy, sunshiney interior ambience.

Because this is a concept car, Kia hasn’t released any details of the powertrains, but we can have a good guess based on what’s already out there. It’ll almost certainly be built on the Hyundai-Kia electric car platform, called E-GMP and on which the Kia EV6 is built. And the Hyundai Ioniq 5. That means the EV3 will probably come with two battery options: 58kWh and 77kWh, the latter possibly good for more than 300 miles in real life, given this will be relatively light. It’ll charge at speeds up to 150kW (very quickly, that is) and have vehicle-to-load technology, meaning a three-pin socket to plug your laptop or hair straighteners into.

Kia will price the EV3 competitively to compete in a market that’s getting extremely competitive – the small(ish) electric SUV market, that is. More on that below. It’s early days, but we’re guessing a £30,000 starting point is about right.

The Kia EV4, EV5 and EV9 will all become production cars before the end of 2024. The EV5 is a larger, more family-friendly SUV – about the size of a Kia Sportage – while the EV9 is a huge luxury car, on par with the upcoming Volvo EX90.

The Volvo EX30, Zeekr X, Smart #1 and MG4 should be quite square-on rivals to the EV3, when it turns up. There’s the Jeep Avenger and Fiat 600e too – like we said, plenty of choice already in this ever-growing segment. But Kia will do what it always does: promise more kit and quality than rivals but for similar money. Should be job done.