• 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 – 58 and 81kWh – 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 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’ve tried both versions and there’s very little difference felt out on the road – so don’t worry about the larger battery being a drain on 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?

• Comfortable ride, even on rough roads
• Safe, responsive handling
• One of the best EVs to drive for the money

The Kia doesn’t rewrite the ride and handling rulebook, but it is extremely accomplished for a small electric family car. Our overriding first impression is of how comfortable it is, with a cushioned ride and excellent damping rounding off the worst of the ruts and potholes encountered on a typical UK B-road.

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 very comfortable car.

In corners, it puts in a good show with good body control, and enough resistance to roll to not only feel safe but also to allow the driver to have some fun. There are more exciting EVs to punt down a back road, such as the Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce but that car is nowhere near as comfortable.

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 impressive with excellent response from the pedal, and that confidence-inspiring response grows when you lean harder on them, slowing up this 1,885kg family car 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.