Kia EV3 review: a class-leading electric car?

Among many other things, you can commend Kia for choosing to rule against the 'Russian doll' policy when it comes to car design.

While many other mainstream brands have cars that look like smaller or larger versions of each other, Kia designs its cars so that each one looks more different than the last.

In the case of the new EV3, this is certainly no bad thing, because it has a look that is far more distinctive than that of the Volkswagen ID 3, MG 4 and even the Volvo EX30.

We will come back to its design, but for now let's focus on what the EV3 actually is, and what it represents.

It is literally a new all-electric crossover that is roughly the same size as a Volkswagen Golf and takes a little design inspiration from its larger sibling, the EV9.

In the UK and Europe, prices start from just over £30,000, which makes it around the same sort of money as the Volvo EX30 and MG 4, but a little cheaper than the Volkswagen ID 3.

But aside from price, how does the new EV3 stack up against the competition, and does it do enough to tempt customers away from either their current EVs or current combustion cars? Move Electric's sister title drove one in South Korea to find out.

Let's start with battery sizes, range and performance. As standard, you get a 58kWh battery that is good for 267 miles of range. However, there is the option of a larger 81kWh battery that delivers 372 miles of range for a few thousand pounds more than the standard car; this is the subject of today's review.

With a single permanent magnet synchronous motor mounted on the front axle, this version of the EV3 produces 201bhp and 209lb ft, which makes for a 0-62mph time of 7.7sec along with a top speed of 105mph.

A dual motor, high-performance GT version is expected to arrive in the coming years. This is expected to have a 194bhp motor at the front and a 101bhp motor at the rear.

Decent performance, then. And its efficiency is pretty convincing, too, at 4.2mpkWh. For reference, the Volvo EX30 manages 4.3mpkWh and the MG 4 manages 3.8mpkWh, making the new Kia pretty competitive.

Putting efficiency and performance to one side, then, let's take a look at trim levels. In total, there will be three for you to choose from: Air, GT-Line and GT-Line S. 

The smallest 58kWh battery is only available on the base Air trim, while the 81kWh battery can be had on every trim level. You can also specify an efficiency-improving heat pump for an extra £1000 or so.

The good news is that by choosing the entry-level car, you get all the equipment you possibly need. This includes two 12.3in screens - one for the infotainment, another for the instrumentation - as well as heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a reversing camera, automatic wipers and lights, and a pretty decent roster of active safety systems.

Underneath, the EV3 is based on a scaled-down version of the Hyundai Motor Group's E-GMP platform, as used by the larger Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5. The platform means that Kia can take advantage of economies of scale and offer the EV3 at such a competitive price.

Cost cuttings have had to be made, however. The EV3, for example, has a 400V charging architecture instead of an 800V one.

The cost savings have, in no way, made the EV3 a bad car to drive. Being an EV, it is quiet with nicely judged power delivery that doesn't throw you back into your seat when you're trying to overtake or catch a desired gap in traffic.

What's more, its compact dimensions (it's around the same size as a Volkswagen Golf) make it easy to manoeuvre in tight spots and nippy around town.

One complaint is that the large door pillars make blindspots larger than we would like them to be, however the standard-fit reversing camera means it isn't too difficult to see out of.

When you're behind the wheel and out on the open road, the EV3 absorbs bumps and imperfections very well. Autocar's editor said it felt "almost Citroen-like in how it bounces above bumps". It is worth mentioning, however, that a firmer suspension tune will be given to European cars.

What's more, you can take advantage of Kia's i-Pedal regenerative braking system, which will bring the car to a stop across four levels of region.

On the whole, it is much more progressive and easy to use than in previous Kias, making it a welcome development.

Another welcome development is the space you get inside. There's a good amount of leg room in the back and because there is no need for a prop shaft to send power to the rear wheels, the centre console is mounted quite low down, making the front cabin quite airy.

Which is a good thing, because it matches the rest of the EV3, which is simply a nice car to be around. It has a competitive price, generous standard equipment levels, decent levels of performance and takes up the same amount of space on the road as the Volkswagen Golf.

In many ways, then, you could consider this to be a strong contender for the class lead. We'll wait until we can spend more time in one until we give our definitive verdict, however.