Kia EV3 Review 2025: Price, specs & boot space

If you’re searching for a small-ish EV that stands out from its rivals, has a decent amount of standard tech, and offers a decent range, then the EV3 should certainly be at the top of your shopping list. 

If you don’t do interstellar mileage on Britain’s motorway network, then there’s a smaller battery, lower range option that costs a few thousand pounds less. If motorway munching is part of your daily commute, then the larger battery might be a better choice.  

Likewise, there’s enough room for a small family in the EV3 and there’s more rear passenger space than that found in a MINI Aceman or Jeep Avenger. 

It really depends on what you’ll be using it for and how much you wish to spend. The base Air model comes equipped with heaps of standard tech to get you started such as automatic LED headlights, heated door mirrors, rain-sensing wipers, heated front seats, air conditioning and a heated steering wheel.

The GT-Line and GT-Line S come with larger wheels, sportier bodywork, automatic flush door handles, two-tone faux leather, and customisable ambient lighting, the latter being one of the neater interior lighting packages offered by a manufacturer today. 

If you’re running a tight ship and don’t have too much cash to splash, then the bog standard EV3 should suffice and is still a nifty alternative to a base Volvo EX30. 

The EV3’s biggest rival is the Volvo EX30 which kicks off at £32,850, making it £145 cheaper than the equivalent entry-level EV3. 

There’s a little more to play with on the EX30’s configurator and Volvo has tried to cater for a large audience. For example, those who enjoy scaring their passengers with instant torque can opt for an all-wheel drive twin motor upgrade, something not yet available for the EV3. 

There’s also the Volkswagen ID.3, Cupra Born, Renault Megane, and the new Skoda Elroq. Both the ID.3 and Elroq are the cheapest on the list, closely followed by the Megane, then the EV3, and finally the Cupra Born. 

There’s a massive difference between the Air and GT-Line in the quality and finish department. Having climbed out of a GT-Line and into the Air’ we were a bit disappointed. It's a bit empty and lifeless in comparison, which is odd considering there’s not much price difference between the two trims. 

They look very similar, but the soft plastics found in the GT trims are swapped for harder plastics for the Air guise. It’s not exactly a deal breaker, but you’d kick yourself for not spending a bit more for that slightly nicer interior. 

Each EV3 also uses 28.5kg of recycled plastics, something that makes perfect sense in an EV. 

At first, you’d be fooled into thinking the EV3 has one large touchscreen that spans across the car’s dashboard, but this is three screens squeezed together and integrated into a 30-inch housing.

The touchscreen responds quickly to prods and showcases clean and crisp graphics. It’s also easy to get along with after navigating the menus and getting used to where some of the settings live. 

The smaller five-inch display that contains the climate controls can be a bit tricky to see from the driver’s seat, but you still have physical buttons to control the temperature. Like all new Kia products, the EV3 comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, although we had difficulty connecting a phone to the entry-level car’s system. 

There are lots of USB-C ports dotted throughout the cabin such as on the front seat backs, something that should keep younger rear occupants happy. Similarly, audiophiles will be pleased to see that the top-spec GT-Line S gets an eight-speaker Harman Kardon sound system. 

Popping the boot reveals a square loading area with plenty of access to squeeze in wider and taller items. There are 460 litres to play with, a number that smashes the Volvo EX30’s 318 litres and the Smart #1’s 323 litres. The Skoda Elroq has a slightly higher 470 litres. 

The Kia’s boot floor is also adjustable, which means if you want to get anywhere near that figure, you’ll need to drop this to its lowest position and this results in a large loading lip. It’s also worth noting there’s no ski hatch here, so folding the seats flat is a must for swallowing larger items. Luckily, the rear seats can be folded in a 60/40 split and the sections lie flat. Still, the Elroq does have a ski hatch.   

It’s a hit or a miss whether EVs have a frunk nowadays. Lifting the bonnet can either reveal a labyrinth of wires (which is the case for some of its rivals) or a handy frunk, the latter being the case here. The 25-litre frunk is just big enough to stow the EV3’s charging cable. 

If you plan on using the EV3 as a mobile office, the central armrest has a flat slab that extends outwards allowing you to either use it as a dining table or a place to sit your laptop. We wouldn’t recommend placing anything on it while on the move, however, as there are no grippy pads to keep things in place. 

Unlike most of its rivals, there aren’t stacks of choice when choosing batteries and motors. All EV3s get a 201PS motor with no dual motor option available yet, and there are only two battery options. 

Kia claims that a dual motor option will be along later, but buyers need to make do with the single motor for now. The Air, or Standard Range, gets a 58.3kWh battery which Kia claims is good for 270 miles of range. Opt for the larger 81.4kWh battery and this jumps to 375 miles. 

The long-range battery in the new Kia EV3 has a range of up to 372 miles in the entry-level Air model, and although that drops in higher-spec models, due to their extra equipment, the 347 miles they'll do on a single battery charge is still impressive.

The standard-range battery will manage up to 267 miles on a full charge, so even this more affordable version will be ample for many. 

Kia claims the EV3 will return 4.6 miles per kWh, a figure we couldn’t achieve during testing. The Air model returned upwards of 3.7 miles per kWh while the ‘GT-Line’ achieved 2.9 miles per kWh. It’s worth noting that this was on a bitter six-degree day.

At low speeds, the Kia EV3 feels quiet and composed with little motor hum. At motorway speeds, there’s slightly more wind noise than you would find in some of its alternatives. 

This is mostly nitpicking, however, as the cabin is well-insulated and does a fine job of creating a relaxing aura. 

The EV3 is yet to be put through EuroNCAP’s vigorous safety testing but looking at the larger EV9 reveals an 84% adult occupancy rating, an 88% child occupancy rating, and it scored 83% in safety assist. 

Like the EV9, we expect the EV3 will score somewhere around five stars and have similar occupancy scores. Every EV3 is loaded with safety tech and while the bongs can get annoying, Kia has added the option to silence irritating overspeed warning by holding down the steering wheel’s mute button. 

Other annoying notifications can be turned off within the touchscreen, something that must be done every time you drive the car. If you don’t turn these off, it’ll beep constantly and eventually lead to rage.

It’s too early to say how reliable the EV3 is, but Kia scored a 90% Honest John Satisfaction Index rating. Likewise, the Kia XCeed scored third in the most reliable car index with the Hyundai Tucson scoring second. Kia also scored seventh in the most reliable car brands field.

If this isn’t enough to persuade you, the EV3 also comes with Kia’s seven-year/100k-mile warranty. The EX30 is only offered with a three-year warranty/60k miles and the Cupra Born has a five-year warranty/90k miles. 

The insurance group level depends on what trim is selected. As to be expected, the ‘Air’ 58.3kWh is insurance group 32 while the larger 81.4kWh is group 34. 

Hop up to the ‘GT-Line’ and this increases to group 35 while the ‘GT-Line S’ is the most expensive at group 36. These are all higher numbers than those found with an ID.3 although the Volvo EX30 is even higher with its entry-level car starting at group 35. Buy the top-spec twin motor car and this increases to group 41. 

If your Kia EV3 is registered on or after 1 April 2025, you’ll pay the lowest rate which is £10. For the second tax payment onwards, this increases to the standard £190 rate. Cars registered before 31 March 2025 will instantly be subject to the standard rate. 

Thinking of buying a top-spec GT-Line S? It’s worth remembering that any electric car over £40,000 (incl. options) is subject to the expensive car supplement. You can read more about that in our latest car tax rates guide. 

Luckily, both Air and the GT-Line trims are below £40,000. It might be worth staying away from the options list though if you want to avoid any extra tax costs that is. 

As mentioned previously, the EV3 comes stacked with standard tech, but upgrading to the GT-Line gets you a wireless phone charger, electronically adjustable seats, welcome home lights and a digital key. 

The biggest additions come with the top-spec GT-Line S guise, which has a heat pump, front sunroof, heads-up display, a powered tailgate, 360-degree parking monitor and memory seats. The seats also have a ‘relaxation’ setting. Press a button down the side of either front seat and these will recline backwards independently. 

Hop onto the EV3 configurator and you’ll find five exterior colours. The only free option here is ‘Sunset Orange’, the rest carry a £625 price tag regardless of trim. Kia has added a few exterior trim options such as mudguards, cross bars, bumper protectors, groovier alloy wheels, lighting, and roof racks. You can also have racing stripes for an extra £100. Still, it would be nice to have the heat pump included as an optional extra on other trim levels.  

There aren’t many notable interior options, these are mostly just lighting and floor mats, but there’s a handy detachable tow bar option under the ‘travel’ section. This costs an additional £561. The GT-Line also gets vehicle-to-load (V2L) technology, so you can run any average electrical device from the EV3’s three-pin domestic socket, a handy option if you often go camping.