2025 Kia EV3 review

With a sticker price starting below $50k, the Kia EV3 has a lot to offer small SUV buyers looking to make the switch to electric.

White Kia EV3 driving in front of the beach

Kia Australia has officially launched the EV3 compact electric SUV, its fifth fully electric vehicle on the market and the fourth built on the Hyundai Motor Group’s e-GMP modular platform. We took it for a fling around the Gold Coast hinterland and found confident handling combined with a polished finish and sturdy eco-friendly materials, plus V2L and seamless connectivity – qualities that make it a convincing choice for those in the market for a compact SUV, electric or otherwise.

How much does the Kia EV3 cost?

The Kia EV3 arrives in three trims. The line-up kicks off with the EV3 Air Standard Range at $47,600, which has a 58.3kWh battery and a solid 436km WLTP range. Stepping up to the Air Long Range ($53,315) gets you a beefier 81.4kWh battery and a very handy range of 604km WLTP (subject to driving conditions, of course).

Next is the Earth Long Range at $58,600, also with an 81.4kWh battery but slightly reduced WLTP range at 563km due to its larger 19-inch alloys.

Finally, the top-tier GT-Line Long Range comes in at $63,950, maintaining the same battery and range as the Earth trim but adding flashier 19-inch GT-Line alloys. All versions come with the same single-motor front-wheel drive setup, delivering 150kW and 283Nm.

Plug into an 11kW AC charger, and Kia says you'll go from 10 to 100 per cent in around five hours and 20 minutes (Standard Range) or seven hours and 15 minutes (Long Range). DC fast charging (10 to 80 per cent) takes about 55 minutes at 50kW or a swift 29-31 minutes at a 350kW ultra-rapid charger.

What is the Kia EV3 like inside?

Kia's latest design language carries over to the EV3, with softened angles and a decidedly fingerprint-resistant matte finish. A trio of wide screens dominates the dash, covering entertainment and other vehicle settings on the left, climate control in the centre, and driving information behind the steering wheel. This, plus a good mix of physical buttons, means everything is more or less at your fingertips, although climate controls feel awkwardly out of sight when you're at the wheel.

Practical touches include clever pop-out cuffs that fit even an oversized Frank Green bottle, though door pockets struggle with bigger bottles. Thankfully, there's ample bag storage under the front console, although the pocket in the top of the console is just big enough for a wallet and a few bibs and bobs.

Front seats are firm yet comfy, and easy-to-reach buttons for heated and ventilated seats on both driver and passenger doors are welcome. Foot space up front feels tight due to a bulky glovebox, and rear leg room doesn't exactly feel generous. But according to Kia’s measurements (we didn’t bring the measuring tape), the EV3 slots neatly between Volvo’s EX30 and BYD’s Atto 3, beating the latter by 19cm in the back row. It has a whisker more head room than both, too.

The EV3 scores points for its eco-cred: carpets crafted from recycled PET, upholstery featuring bio-PU fabrics, recycled plastics throughout, and paints that are BTX-free. Boot space also impresses with 460 litres, swelling to 1251 litres with seats folded—outstripping both competitors by a fair margin. There's also a handy 25-litre frunk, although with a 10kg weight limit, it's best to leave the gold ingots at home.

Trim differences are noticeable. The Air trim feels distinctively entry-level—fabric upholstery, manual seat adjustments, no powered tailgate, and just a single driving mode. Step up to Earth for bio-PU leather seats, heated and ventilated comforts, and the convenience of a powered tailgate. The premium GT-Line offers luxe touches like a sunroof, fabric dash finish, gloss black exterior accents (watch out for fingerprints), and a slick slide-out centre console than can hold your lunch or laptop. The GT-Line also adds Harmon Kardan audio for a much richer sound.

Handily, standard across all trims is vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability, inside and out, which is perfect for powering gadgets or gear on the go. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included, and easy to pair.

Kia hopes the EV3 will appeal to empty nesters or young families, and it does have a good combination of new tech and easy-driving comfort, plus a broad suite of safety features.

— Bridie Schmidt

Kia EV3 Earth in blue

The Kia EV3 GT-line in Matcha Green

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How safe is the Kia EV3?

The EV3 comes fully loaded with reinforced structures, crumple zones, and seven airbags—including a front-centre side airbag.

Active safety features are standard across all trims and include driver attention warnings, multi-collision braking, autonomous emergency braking (AEB—which notably helps avoid collisions when pulling up to lights by vibrating the steering wheel and flashing visuals), and lane-keeping support with soft audible alerts and gentle vibrations.

Be prepared though—there are plenty of alerts and sounds to familiarise yourself with. Driver monitoring can be inconsistent, sounding alerts even if you're looking at the road with sunnies on. Turning alerts off takes a few steps, and in our testing, speed limit alerts reverted back to default settings.

Kia is still awaiting an ANCAP rating, pending Euro NCAP results expected by Q2. Kia says compliance meets incoming August 2026 standards and includes pedestrian detection for AEB.

What is the Kia EV3 like to drive?

On the road, the EV3 feels reassuringly stable and confident for a vehicle of this size. Thanks to local tuning from Kia's dynamics guru Graham Gamble, the EV3 gets unique springs, shocks, and steering calibration. It handles corners with confidence and balance, though its smaller footprint doesn’t offer the planted feel you'd find in a wider vehicle.

Regenerative braking could be punchier, too; even at its highest level, the car eases to a halt rather too gently. Kia says it adapts to driving habits over time—longer stints behind the wheel are needed to test this out properly.

A quirky tip: if you turn off the car without getting out, it might revert to 'accessory-only' mode when you try to turn it back on, leaving you stranded without drive or reverse—definitely don’t play “what does this button do” stopped at the lights on a main road (and don’t ask me how I know this). To avoid this, make sure to put the car in park and turn it off before exiting.

The in-built navigation is decent overall, although it struggled with recent roadworks, attempting to take us back to the highway when heading back to the airport. On our 200km test drive, through windy country roads and hills in the Gold Coast hinterland and urban loops around Currumbin, the vehicle consumed between 14.3kWh in town to 18.3kWh on hilly sections, averaging 15.9kWh overall.

Open Road’s take on the Kia EV3

Kia hopes the EV3 will appeal to empty nesters or young families, and it does have a good combination of new tech and easy-driving comfort, plus a broad suite of safety features.

If you're after premium comforts like electric seats and decent audio, however, you'll need to look beyond the entry-level variant. There are lingering questions about fabric durability and the practicality of gloss finishes long-term.

Handling is composed, and though the EV3's narrower stance doesn't deliver the outright confidence of wider rivals on bumpy Aussie roads, it happily lives up to expectations for its class. Kia’s prepaid servicing ($674 for three years, up to $1897 for seven) simplifies maintenance, with promises of support for regional drivers. Just keep an eye on EV stamp duty thresholds if you're upgrading.