Overview

If you want one of the best electric cars, Kia has been a great place to start for quite some time now. With more than a decade of experience, its EV6 and EV9 have truly taken the fight to more premium players, with both models bagging Parkers awards along the way.

Kia is now looking to do the same in the family car market with the new EV3. It offers an impressive range thanks to great efficiency, attractive pricing for the entry-level models, and enough space for growing families. The EV3 isn’t Kia’s first compact electric car, but it’s the first produced around a dedicated EV platform.

The EV3 is the indirect replacement for the slow-selling, and oddly brilliant, Soul EV, and sits alongside the Kia Niro EV. You might be wondering why Kia offers two cars which are similar in terms of dimensions and space, but they’re aimed at very different drivers. The Niro EV lacks the cutting-edge tech and design of the EV3, but it’s been a massive hit with taxi and minicab firms, and will likely continue to operate and sell well in this area.

But let’s get back to the EV3, which is very much a shrunken and more affordable version of the flagship Kia EV9 – winner of the Parkers Best Seven-Seater award in 2025. It carries over the cool, futuristic design of that car into a much smaller package, while also getting a similarly airy and minimalist interior that’s very on-trend.

So what does the EV3 go up against? Well, it sits in the increasingly crowded compact crossover segment, with key rivals including the Volvo EX30, Hyundai Kona EV and Smart #1. The Skoda Elroq also sits in direct competition, while you could also consider hatchbacks, such as the Renault Megane E-Tech, Volkswagen ID.3 and Cupra Born.

If you compare specs and prices with the opposition, the EV3 looks good on paper. Standard equipment is comprehensive, with all versions including a pair of 12.3-inch screens, heated front seats and blind spot monitoring to name just a few highlights.

Mid-spec GT-Line models bring 19-inch alloys (up from 17s) a more premium-feeling interior and a wireless smartphone charger, while the flagship GT-Line S boasts a sunroof, Harman Kardon sound system, head-up display and 360-degree camera system. 

We’ve already driven the EV3 in Seoul and Europe, and now this is our first chance of trying all versions in the UK – you can read more about how we test cars elsewhere. Given how impressed we’ve been with Kia’s other electric models, can the new EV3 prove just as well-rounded? Read on to find out.