Kia has revealed full details of the EV3, a compact SUV and its latest full electric model.
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The model “sets new standards never before seen in the compact EV SUV sector”, the automaker claimed.
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“By significantly exceeding customers’ expectations, the EV3 will broaden the appeal and elevate the perception of EV SUVs.”
Kia claimed a WLTP driving range of “up to” 600km (370 miles) and said, with fast charging capability, “the EV3 addresses common concerns about electric vehicles”.
“It will reassure those who may have been hesitant to make the switch to electric mobility and will lead the mass adoption of EVs,” said Kia president and CEO Ho Sung Song.
The five-passenger centre console incorporates a sliding table and storage area with a lower area which can store drinks, snacks, and small backpacks while personal electronic items such as laptops and tablets can be placed on the table when the vehicle is stationary.
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There’s also adjustable ambient lighting and seats with fold-back relaxation mode. Storage includes a 25 litre frunk and a 460 litre rear boot so Kia claimed the largest luggage space in the class. An adjustable two tier luggage board provides 140mm of load height flexibility.
The cockpit has a 30 inch widescreen display with 12.3 inch instrument cluster, five inch air conditioning panel and 12.3-inch AVN information incorporating touch operation climate controls. The screen extends to the centre of the dashboard, providing front seat passenger access to entertainment and navigation.
Drive mode, cruise control, entertainment, and navigation, can be accessed by redundant steering wheel buttons while a second row of buttons below the central screen operates functions like mapping, media, and vehicle system configuration.
Like all new Kias, the EV3 uses various sustainable materials such as recycled fabric for dashboard and door trim while recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is use for the seats, headliner, door armrests, garnish, floor mats, and luggage board.
Drivetrain
The EV3 is 4,300mm long, 1,850mm wide, 1,560mm high on a 2,680mm wheelbase and is has a front wheel drive powertrain based on the Hyundai Motor Group Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) with fourth generation battery technology. Standard models come only with a 58.3kWh battery while the Long Range variant has 81.4kWh.
Both versions have a 150kW/283Nm electric motor, claimed 0-100km/h (62mph) acceleration time of 7.5 seconds and 170km/h (106mph).
“The EV3… provides one of the best living and luggage sizes in its class, while our flexible E-GMP architecture delivers a best-in-class AER driving range, said Spencer Cho, Kia’s head of global business planning.
Driving assistance systems (ADAS) include eDTVC Electric Dynamic Torque Vectoring Control, Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Highway Driving Assist, and Reverse Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist.
Remote Smart Parking Assist and a 12 inch Head-up Display (HUD) are available.
The EV3 is also the first model with Kia’s new i-Pedal 3.0 regenerative braking which allows the driver to adjust the level of regenerative braking according to preference, enabling one pedal driving.
Kia also claimed to be the first manufacturer to bring Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) charging to the compact EV SUV segment, enabling owners to power external devices such as laptops, small fridges, coffee machines or hairdryers.
Through its new Premium Streaming service, delivered via LG’s Automotive Content Platform (ACP) powered by webOS, Kia offers arcade games enhanced by a Harman Kardon audio system.
The new EV3 is the first Kia EV model with AI Assistant technology, recently introcued for the K4 compact sedan, which offers new and innovative ways to interact with and control the vehicle’s features directly and intuitively.
The integration of generative AI also improves the voice assistant which can comprehends complex contexts through natural language understanding and converse naturally with users, assist travel planning and explain entertainment and information search systems.
Initial production is in South Korea followed by domestic market launch in July, with the launch in EV friendly Europe the second half of this year.
Kia plans to expand EV3 sales into other regions later.
