• Choice of two battery sizes with same electric motor on both
• Ride and handling well-judged for a family car
• Plentiful performance with sportier versions in the pipeline

What power options are available?

Kia is offering two battery options on the EV3, though each comes with the same size electric motor producing 204hp and 283Nm of torque (pulling power). The EV3 is the first Kia built on its dedicated electric car platform to do be front-wheel-drive, too, with the EV6 being rear- or all-wheel-drive, depending on version.

With the extra weight of the larger battery, there’s a slight performance penalty, with 0-62mph taking 7.7 seconds with the big battery compared to 7.4 for the smaller unit. We’re yet to drive the entry-level EV3, however, so can’t compare real-world performance.

It’s not as quick as the sprightly Volvo EX30, but you know what? That’s okay because this is a family car, not a hot-hatch, and its combination of performance and dynamics is perfectly judged for its target audience. So if tyre-smoking fun is your bag, then you’ll have to wait for the twin-motor all-wheel drive GT version that’s in the pipeline.

What’s it like to drive?

The Kia doesn’t rewrite the ride and handling rulebook, but then it doesn’t put a foot wrong either. 

It rides well, comfortably cushioning occupants from intrusions even when tackling rougher roads, though we’ll reserve full judgement until we get it on UK soil. But on our Portuguese test route, which wasn’t the smoothest, the ride quality was impressive. Plump for the entry-level Air if you’re after the softest ride, with this car’s smaller 17-inch alloy wheels dealing with bumps in a less sharp fashion than the GT-Line’s 19-inch rims. That said, even on the big wheels the EV3 is still a highly comfortable car.

The steering, as you’d expect, is light, direct and quick enough to make short work of gap-chasing and tight carparks. The brakes are also onside, too. There’s immediate bite from the left pedal, and that confidence-inspiring response grows when you lean harder on them, slowing up the 1,885kg crossover with ease.

For the most part it rewards with flat cornering attitude and tight body control. But its high levels of refinement and sophistication mean you’re more likely to want to drive in a more relaxed way. This is a car that tolerates, rather than enjoys, any kind of exuberant driving antics – selecting Sport simply reduces steering assistance and sharpens the throttle response.