Kia EV3 now available across Europe from £33,000

Kia’s compact electric SUV, the Kia EV3, has arrived in Europe with a range of up to 375 miles on a single charge and an interior design that the manufacturer claims optimises space, comfort and accessibility.

Furthermore, the 375-mile range of the EV3 goes up to 479 miles when the vehicle is used purely in city driving situations. This is supported by i-Pedal technology and a Regenerative Braking System.

Full one-pedal driving can be used in all regenerative braking modes, as well as in reverse. The system also remembers the previously selected level when the vehicle is turned off, and automatically applies it when the vehicle is turned on again.

Leveraging the technologies of the EV6 and EV9, both multi-award-winning vehicles, the EV3 is built on Kia’s dedicated EV architecture, the Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP). 400V fast charging technology enables the EV3 to go from 10-to-80% in 29 minutes for the 58.3 kWh battery version, and 31 minutes for the 81.4 kWh version. Up to 125 miles of range can be added in just 15 minutes.

Fully compatible with European charging infrastructure, the EV3 is supported by Kia Charge, the brand’s network that offers access to more than 800,000 charging points in 28 European countries.

Kia claims it is of the leading manufacturers to bring Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) charging to the compact EV SUV segment. This feature enables the car to power external devices and allows customers to maximise the EV3’s accessibility. Every EV3 is also capable of bi-directional charging, including Vehicle-to-Grid, Vehicle-to-Home, and Vehicle-to-Building, which will gradually be introduced across European markets.

The vehicle’s suite of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems include Highway Driving Assist 2, Smart Cruise Control 2, and collision prevention systems, while the manufacturer claims the EV3’s spacious interior provides a ‘living room’ feel, with an array of usability features designed to make every journey comfortable and convenient.

The clean, uncluttered dashboard has a triple-screen panoramic display. This combines a 12.3-inch touchscreen navigation screen and a 12.3-inch driver display screen, sandwiching a 5.3-inch segment display for climate control. A 12.3-inch head-up display puts all the necessary information within the driver’s eye line. 

Debuting on the EV3 is Kia In-Car Payment expanding the capability of the vehicle for in-car payments. The first partnership available is with Parkopedia, which will help drivers locate available parking and pay for it through the vehicle’s navigation screen. In-Car Payment’s convenience for drivers is part of Kia’s commitment to enhancing the driving experience and improving customer satisfaction across all touchpoints of a journey.

The EV3 offers over-the-air updates, video streaming capability features on demand via the Kia Connect Store and a Digital Key 2.0 that enables up to 7 customers to unlock and start the vehicle using a smartphone or smartwatch. It is also the first Kia vehicle that will feature Kia’s AI Assistant with ChatGPT that helps enhance the customer’s understanding, knowledge, and enjoyment of the vehicle.

The EV3 is now available in Europe, and is on sale in the UK. In the future Kia plans to introduce an all-wheel drive (AWD) variant, expanding the range of choice for customers beyond the current two-wheel drive (2WD) models.

Says Marc Hedrich, President & CEO of Kia Europe:

“The Kia EV3 is an amazingly versatile vehicle, built and designed to accommodate the diverse needs and distinctive lifestyles of customers across Europe,” 

“It also shows how a high-volume EV can be part of a broad ecosystem that includes in-car payments, over-the-air updates, bi-directional charging, digital upgrades and much more, to make driving more convenient than ever before.”