How’s your monthly fuel spend going at the moment? If you own a diesel truck and I just made you cry a little, I apologize. You probably need that rig, though, and have to keep on trucking. For anyone else who’s been EV-curious, however, Kia just delivered an incredibly intriguing option.
The 2027 Kia EV3 checks a whole lot of boxes for a wide range of car buyers. It’s a compact crossover. The starting price is under $32,000 (and that includes destination). And you can have up to 321 miles of range, depending on the trim you choose.
There are no tricks to disclose, either. The trim you’re most likely to want runs about $35,000 and gives you that max mileage figure. This 2027 EV3 really is a battery-electric crossover with mass appeal.
Pros
Priced To Sell
Well Equipped
Solid Range
Cons
Rear Suspension Feels Unsettled Over Bumpy Roads
Can Still Be Better At Charging
Base Model Has The Smaller Battery
Simple, Inexpensive, But Not Cheap
Photo by: Jeff Glucker | Motor1
Kia’s EV3 represents a perfect entry point for anyone looking to switch from a gas or hybrid vehicle to a full-on, battery-electric daily driver. As our world has been stuck at a point where the average new vehicle transaction price lives above $50,000, any vehicle under that seems like a good deal. Especially when it’s not completely void of enticing standard features.
If you had to choose the base EV3 Light, you’d be giving up a fair bit of range and power. That one is front-wheel drive only, produces 201 horsepower, and delivers 221 miles of driving range. Even still, Kia fits it with a dual 12.3-inch panoramic display screen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, one-pedal driving, dual-zone climate control, and smart cruise control.
Photo by: Jeff Glucker | Motor1
Photo by: Jeff Glucker | Motor1
Photos by: Jeff Glucker | Motor1
Every other model in the lineup builds from there, offering more range, power, exterior trim upgrades, and interior amenities. You could choose to spend a bit more on the EV3 Wind to maximize your range, go mid-grade for the Land to get more power, or jump to the GT-Line or GT for the most power and style.
Regardless, you’ll never touch that $50,000 mark. The top-of-the-line Kia EV3 GT starts at $47,385. And the version you’ll actually want will most likely be under $40,000. Stepping up just one trim from the base to the Wind nets you a 321-mile driving range, 10-way power driver’s seat, heated front seats, a wireless phone charger, and acoustic front glass.
Well Damped, Just Mind Bigger Bumps
Photo by: Jeff Glucker | Motor1
Piloting the 2027 Kia EV3 around Canada’s stunning Vancouver Island, I find the power delivery perfectly acceptable. I start my day in an EV3 GT-Line. Here, a dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup comes standard and features 261 hp and 284 pound-feet of torque. Range dips to 280 miles, per the EPA, which I believe still sits in the realm of daily-driver acceptability for the average consumer.
Steering is predictably light. I’m not expecting sports-car heft here, so the tiller’s weight is proportional to the vehicle’s type. It’s effortless around town, and if you need a touch more, you can put the EV3 into Sport mode, which adds a dash of off-center weight.
Initially, I’m quite impressed with the way the suspension is damped. The ride is extremely comfortable, especially for a vehicle in this segment. There’s no suspension crashing, even as I hustle my way around the more open roads outside of Victoria. And the brakes are comfortable and consistent. If you want to let the car handle more of the braking, however, Kia equips the EV3 with the third generation of its i-Pedal system.
Initially, I’m quite impressed with the way the suspension is damped. The ride is extremely comfortable, especially for a vehicle in this segment.
This affords you a greater range of regen modes, including full one–pedal driving. Plus, you can now use the system when driving in reverse. I’m not sure who needs that, but when Kia announced it, there was a smattering of cheers in the room. So this one seems like a win for one-pedal reverse driving enthusiasts.
Eventually, however, the driving experience and the segment level catch up to each other.
There’s a stretch of road on the Western side of Vancouver Island, somewhere between Port Renfrew and Victoria, that’s filled with what I assume are frost heaves. If you take this stretch of road a bit over the posted speed limit, the frost heaves quickly unsettle the car’s rear end. Slow down, and everything’s fine, and everything was fine on all other bits of the road I encountered on this lovely spot of land off Canada’s western coast.
Acceptable Styling, Inside And Out
Photo by: Jeff Glucker | Motor1
Kia’s “Tiger Nose” design language works better than you might expect on what should be a boring vehicle. No one gets too excited about a compact crossover. But this one will stand out in the otherwise “sea of same” that is the segment. Short overhangs hint at a roomy interior, hidden door handles lend a premium touch, and the daytime running lamps tie the car into the rest of the family.
It looks like a scaled-down EV9, which should be a sweet spot for potential buyers.
Photo by: Jeff Glucker | Motor1
Things are equally appealing in the cabin. The large display atop the dash delivers nearly 30 inches of screen space and comprises a pair of 12.3-inch displays housed in a single unit. Dual-zone climate control comes standard, as does wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There are five USB ports, a smart key, and more than 56 cubic feet of cargo space when you fold down the second-row seats.
Step up to the GT and GT-Line models, and you gain an eight-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, Digital Key 2.0, and the onboard power generator for vehicle-to-load capability.
Power, Range, And Charging
Photo by: Jeff Glucker | Motor1
The base EV3 Light model is the value play that allows Kia to advertise a sub-$30,000 starting price. The vehicle is well-equipped, but its 221-mile range from the 58.3-kilowatt-hour battery pack and FWD-only setup won’t appeal to everyone. Plus, that $30k figure doesn’t include the $1,495 charge for destination and handling.
The Wind, Land, and GT-Line trims are offered with FWD or AWD, and both feature the more enticing 81.4-kWh pack. The FWD version of each delivers 321 miles of range, 201 hp, and 209 lb-ft from a single motor, while AWD models jump to 261 hp and 284 lb-ft, with range dipping to 280 miles.
Step up to the GT and power climbs to 288 hp and 345 lb-ft of torque. Curiously, range remains at an EPA-estimated 280 miles. But I imagine if you put your boot into it a bunch, that number will dip a bit.
Since the EV3 rides on Kia’s 400-volt e-GMP, charging is merely adequate. The smaller pack on the Light takes 29 minutes to go from 10-80 percent on a DC Fast charger, while the rest of the family takes 31 minutes to do the same deed.
All models arrive with a native NACS charge port.
2027 Kia EV3 Verdict: A Simple EV With Mass Appeal
Photo by: Jeff Glucker | Motor1
The 2027 Kia EV3 checks a lot of boxes, especially at a time when consumer appeal for electric vehicles is on the rise again. While some automakers chase the up-and-down trends in what buyers say they want, Kia (along with Hyundai and Genesis) continues on a course it set years ago: affordable, well-built vehicles with an expanding range of electric offerings.
The EV3 now represents the entry point to that path, and it’s a whole lot of car for not a whole lot of money. I suspect I’ll see plenty of these on the road in short order… sailing past gas pumps with ever-higher per-gallon prices.
Kia EV3 Competitors
Chevrolet Bolt
Mitsubishi Eclipse Sportback
Nissan Leaf
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| 2027 Kia EV3 | |
| Motor | Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (FWD) / Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor + Induction Motor (AWD) |
| Output | 201 HP / 209 LB-FT (FWD) / 261 HP / 284 LB-FT (AWD) / 288 HP / 345 LB-FT (GT) |
| Drive Type | Front-Wheel Drive / All-Wheel Drive |
| Speed 0-60 MPH | 7.1 Seconds (FWD) / 6.3 Seconds (AWD) / 5.4 Seconds (GT) |
| Maximum speed | 106 Miles Per Hour |
| Weight | 3,836 Pounds (FWD) / 4,332 Pounds (AWD) |
| EV Range | 221 Miles (Standard Range, FWD) / 321 Miles (Long Range, FWD) / 280 Miles (Long Range, AWD) |
| Seating Capacity | Five |
| Cargo Volume | 56.5 Cubic-Feet, Second-Row Folded Down |
| Base Price | $31,385 |
