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By Jonathan Crouch

Kia gets even more focused on small EVs with this car, the EV3. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 61

The EV3 is the first in a new generation of small electric Kias. If you think that the futuristic looks suggest a step forward from the technology the brand was previously offering with the Niro EV in this segment, you won't be disappointed. Compact EVs have moved on significantly. And if you doubt that, then you need to try this car.

Backgroundword count: 179

Kia is already very serious about electric cars. It's about to get more serious still. The E-GMP electrified platform it developed for its two most advanced bigger EVs, the EV6 and the EV9, has now been used for the kind of small electric models that will really drive the Korean company's sales forward. It's been re-engineered for three more compact electric cars - and this is the first of them, the EV3. As you may be aware, Kia already has a compact EV hatch (the Niro EV) competing in this space against volume electric small models like the Volkswagen ID.3 and the Renault Megane E-Tech. But that Niro is very much an EV/combustion compromise: the Niro range does after all also have Hybrid and PHEV variants. The EV3, in contrast, has none of the design constraints of having to allow for combustion power and as a result, is a much more serious kind of electric vehicle, with more range and greater cabin space. Aimed at people also much more serious about the EV switch. Let's take a closer look.

Driving Experienceword count: 505

The electric motor in use here will be the same regardless of the flavour of EV3 you happen to choose - producing 201bhp with 283Nm of torque. But customers do get a choice of batteries for it to be linked to. The Standard Range version gets a 58.3kWh unit giving a range of 270 miles. The vast majority of UK EV3 customers though are going to want the Long Range version we tried, which has a bigger 81.4kWh battery that will take you up to 375 miles between charges in base 'Air'-spec form (or 367 miles with plusher 'GT-Line' trim). Either way, that's substantially further than most rivals can go - and way further than the smaller 64.8kWh battery of Kia's other model in this segment, the Niro EV, can manage (that car is limited to just 285 miles). Few EV3 models will be sold with a heat pump though, so you might struggle to replicate its headline figures in the depths of winter. You won't be expecting a car of this kind to be engaging to drive - or at least you shouldn't be anyway. We were impressed by the relative sharpness of its similarly-platformed mid-sized EV6 showroom stablemate but this EV3 is a rather different confection - and not only because its drive comes from a different end. A near 1.9-tonne kerb weight is a lot for a car of this diminutive size (around 120kg heavier than a Niro EV), which doubtless contributes to the car's disinclination to corner with much enthusiasm. But the syrupy steering feel won't encourage you to do that anyway. But the EV3 compensates with more important attributes. Body roll's well controlled (helped by all that low-down weight), while cornering grip is tenacious and ride quality's excellent, even with bigger rims than the 17-inch ones we're trying here. We're also impressed by the levels of refinement - not all EVs are as silent as they should be, but you should find this one to be satisfyingly quiet. Or at least you'll find it is until you start to be irritated by the constant binging and bonging of its drive assist systems (the speed limit element of which is fiddly to completely disable). Once you figure out how to live with all these features though, you'll find this a relaxing journeying companion, whether the need is to commute or to cruise. Ultimate performance doesn't much matter in a car like this - a linear level of driveability is more important; or to put it another way, you don't want to be hurled back in your seat by the torque of the electric motor every time you brush your foot against the throttle; in an EV3, you won't be. For day-to-day driving, you don't really need anything other than the most frugal of the various provided drive modes (Eco), but if you do select the most urgent (Sport), the 62mph sprint takes between 7.4s and 7.7s, depending on variant (the heavier, bigger-battery version is slightly slower), while top speed is 106mph.

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