Kia EV3 Starts Under $32,000, Offers Up to 321 Miles of Range

Kia brought journalists to Victoria, British Columbia, to test its new compact crossover, the 2027 Kia EV3, on winding logging roads. The automaker wants to show off a small EV that's genuinely efficient, enjoyable and affordable — a combination Jalopnik reports has become rare in the U.S. market right now.

There are about 80 electric cars on sale in the U.S. right now, and really only three around $30,000 new, Jalopnik reports. The Chevy Bolt starts at $28,995 including destination, but it's leaving after the 2027 model year. The Nissan Leaf S starts at $31,565. The EV3's MSRP of $31,385 puts it right in that company, making it nearly the only compact SUV option at that price point.

The EV3 rides on the 400-volt version of Hyundai Motor Group's E-GMP architecture. A DC fast charger can top it off from 10% to 80% in 29 to 31 minutes, depending on the model, Jalopnik reports.

Buyers can choose from five trims: Light, Wind, Land, GT-Line, and GT. The base Light trim is Short Range, with a 58.3-kWh battery providing 221 miles of range and a single front-axle motor making 201 horsepower and 209 pound-feet of torque.

The Wind trim starts at $36,485 for front-wheel drive and $40,185 for dual-motor all-wheel drive, Jalopnik says. This trim gets the 81.4-kWh battery as standard. Stick with FWD and you get 321 EPA-rated miles; adding AWD drops that to 280 miles, with output jumping to 261 hp and 284 lb-ft.

Next up is the Land trim. Jalopnik reports the first half of its drive was in a $39,985 single-motor Land in Frost Blue. A Nightfall package adds black exterior trim, 19-inch gloss black wheels, bridge-type roof rails and black emblems. It's optional on Wind and standard on Land.

The GT-Line gets the Long Range setup in AWD only, at $44,985. The top GT trim runs $47,385 with 288 hp, 345 lb-ft and 280 miles of range. It adds a heads-up display, ambient lighting, sport seats, simulated shifts, fake sounds, and launch control, with a 0-to-60 time of 5.4 seconds, according to Jalopnik.

Inside, the EV3's interior is remarkably quiet thanks to foam insulation around the 19-inch wheels and improved aerodynamics and sound dampening in the windshield and front side windows, Jalopnik reports. The dashboard is a fabric-textured plastic, not soft material as photos suggest. The steering wheel is extra padded, with prominent beefcake stitching. The 12.3-inch dual screens are bright and responsive, and real haptic buttons on the steering wheel don't feel cheap.

The EV3 provides slightly more elbow room for passengers than the Toyota bZ, Jalopnik says, with a class-leading 26.1 cubic feet of cargo space in back, doubling when the rear seats fold down. There's also a tiny 0.9-cubic-foot frunk.

Jalopnik's drive found no fault with the Land trim. It was quick and quiet, with responsive though numb steering and like-a-shot takeoffs at traffic lights. Sport mode gave even sharper steering feel, Jalopnik reports. The i-pedal regenerative braking is aggressive enough at level 3 to bring the car to a complete stop, and the regen also now works in reverse.

On the way back into town driving the GT-Line, the ride got a little rougher on mountain roads with dips, divots and gravel. Jalopnik's writer noted they may have rattled themselves a bit due to their own Detroit driving habits.

The EV3 looks like a mini version of the Kia EV9, at 64 inches tall and 169.3 inches long, almost exactly the same size as a Chevy Bolt. The flush door handles are mechanically useful even when the power goes out, and the masked rear door handle in the C-pillar is satisfying to open.

Kia earned a lot of admiration with the obtainable but still fun Kia Soul, Jalopnik notes, and the EV3 aims for a similar approach. You can get it in fun colors like Terracotta (a dark orange) or Matcha Green. Jalopnik calls it "baby's first EV" — attractive, engaging, and above all, approachable.

• 2027 Kia EV3
• affordable EV
• compact crossover
• electric vehicle
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• Kia EV3