Kia’s newest EV mannequin, the EV3 is it’s greatest electrical automobile but. It takes a lot of what we discovered spectacular with the EV9 and the EV6 and packaged all of it up in a family-friendly hatchback that begins at a mightily spectacular £32,995.

For that cash you get a properly outfitted Air mannequin that can go 270 miles on its 58kWh battery. For £35,995 you may get the larger battery (81kWh) Air mannequin that can go a vastly spectacular 375 miles. You possibly can’t go additional for much less cash.

Air trim provides you just about all you want, though you’ll be able to step as much as GT-Line and GT-Line S fashions should you actually wish to up the tech and add a bit extra fashion.

The Kia EV3 is a classy, modern-looking automobile with loads of house inside for a household and a decent-sized boot, too. Nevertheless it’s the way in which it drives that’s vastly spectacular – it’s comfy over the worst roads, quiet and there’s good visibility.

Relating to inexpensive, electrical household motoring, you’ll be able to’t do higher.

How we examined

From in depth testing in each South Korea and the US, replicating all types of driving on all types of roads just like these within the UK, we all know how good the automobile is – and it’s excellent.

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Unbiased score: 10/10

Battery, vary, charging, efficiency and drive 

The entry-level Kia EV3 claims a most vary of 270 miles, and Kias are usually fairly correct on vary predictions with first rate effectivity, too.

The larger sellers are prone to be the fashions with the larger 81kWh battery, which claims a most vary of 375 miles for the £35,995 Air mannequin, dropping ever-so-slightly down as you progress up the vary to vehicles with extra package and larger wheels and tyres. The highest-spec GT-Line S with a warmth pump is available in at £43,895 and nonetheless claims a 361-mile most.

Primarily based on vary per pound, Kia says that the EV3 is Britain’s greatest worth new automobile, and we wouldn’t argue – you’ll be able to’t go additional for much less cash.

Charging isn’t fairly as quick as on another Kia fashions, however the most charging velocity continues to be an inexpensive 128kW for the larger battery, 102kW for the smaller one. That equates to a ten to 80 per cent cost in 31 minutes.

The way in which the EV3 drives is simply as spectacular. Efficiency is powerful with each fashions overlaying the 0-62mph dash in 7.5 seconds, whereas the trip is likely one of the extra comfy you’ll discover in a battery-powered automobile; it’s cozy, with out feeling too floaty. The steering is correct and predictable, the view out is sweet making parking very easy, though even the Air mannequin comes with parking sensors and a rear parking digital camera.

Inside, practicality and boot house 

The brand new EV3 is an excellent household hatchback that simply occurs to be electrical. There’s loads of house within the entrance with a lot of helpful storage areas – you actually get the sensation the Kia design crew is aware of what’s vital for a travelling household with cubbies and USB charging factors aplenty.

Within the rear seats, there’s sufficient house for a six-foot tall passenger to sit down behind a equally sized driver, whereas the doorways all open broad for straightforward entry. Headroom isn’t an issue within the entrance or again, both, whereas the view out is superb wherever you’re sitting.

The inside seems to be as trendy as the surface, whereas high quality can be spectacular, particularly for the cash.

The boot is huge, too – definitely sufficiently big for a household to squeeze per week’s price of baggage in there, though you may need to take the parcel shelf out. For the document, it’s bought 460-litres of house, whereas there’s a helpful further 25-litres of house within the frunk underneath the bonnet.

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Expertise, stereo and infotainment 

All vehicles get Kia’s acquainted twin-screen set-up with two 12.3-inch screens; one for the motive force show and one for the infotainment. As with the EV9, there’s additionally a further 5.3-inch display screen that takes care of the local weather management so that you don’t should delve into the infotainment display screen’s menus as you do on some rivals’ programs.

The infotainment is straightforward to make use of and intuitive with vivid, clear shows, whereas there’s additionally Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to attach wirelessly. And relating to luxurious package, even the entry-level Air fashions get niceties reminiscent of heated entrance seats and steering wheel. Top quality fashions get actual premium options reminiscent of a head-up show, Kia’s Premium Rest Seats with footrests, electrical seats which might be heated in each rows and ventilated within the entrance.

GT-Line S fashions getting a premium Harman Kardon audio system that wasn’t particularly nice to take heed to once we related to it, however cheap sufficient.

The standard security and driver help programs are all current and proper, too, with even a very powerful ones – together with adaptive cruise management – on the entry-level Air fashions.

Costs and working prices 

We’d extremely advocate the entry-level Air fashions specifically, with the 58kWh battery mannequin beginning at a powerful £32,995 and the 375-mile 81kWh model costing £35,995. Given the standard and house on provide, that’s significantly spectacular.

As is the effectivity, with Kia claiming 4.2 miles per kWh of battery energy used that means, on a sensible vitality tariff like E.ON Subsequent Drive, you would be paying as little as £1.60 for each 100 miles you cowl.

On prime of all that, there’s Kia’s seven-year guarantee to offer you confidence that any issues that do come up will likely be mounted freed from cost.

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Kia EV6 rivals

FAQs

How lengthy does it take to cost? 

On an appropriate quick charger, the EV3 can cost at 128kW for the larger battery, 102kW for the smaller one. That equates to a ten to 80 per cent cost in 31 minutes

How a lot does it value – is it price it? 

Beginning at £32,995 the EV3 is nice worth, though we’d pay a bit extra and go for the longer vary £35,995 Air mannequin that claims a 375-mile most vary. The highest-spec GT-Line S continues to be good worth for the package you get at £42,995.

Does Kia change batteries totally free? 

As with all EVs, the EV3 battery is roofed for eight years and 100,000 miles, whereas Kia nonetheless has its spectacular seven-year guarantee for the remainder of the automobile.

The decision: Kia EV3

Kia has a superb vary of EVs and the EV3 is the most effective of the lot. It’s a fantastic small household automobile that ticks all of the packing containers, and that’s earlier than you see the value and the lengthy vary. It’s unbelievable.