Kia EV3 Review - Affordable Electric SUV with Impressive electric Range! UK 4K

In this in-depth review, we take a closer look at the Kia EV3 - the latest compact electric SUV from the Korean automaker. Compared to the sportier EV6 and the larger EV9, the EV3 offers an affordable and practical electric SUV option for customers.
With an impressive electric range of over 370 miles, the EV3 provides ample driving distance on a single charge, making it a compelling choice for those seeking a small electric SUV. The review delves into the EV3's design, interior features, performance, and overall value proposition in the competitive electric vehicle market.
If you're in the market for a compact, affordable, and capable electric SUV, the Kia EV3 deserves your attention. This video will help you decide if the EV3 is the right fit for your lifestyle and transportation needs.
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Infraction- These Days

[@AutoSocialUK]

Guys - Boot space is 460 not 470 as I stated. Apologies for this!

[@hamshackleton]

Oh come on! MEASURE height, width, length with a tape measure!

[@johnhindson5316]

I really appreciate a review of the base level model. So refreshing not to hear the words " Prices start at £32k but the version I'm testing is the top spec car which will set you back £41k". In fact, your review suggests that the average family would be more than happy with the equipment they get in this Air spec car. I think Kia have got the styling right. I like it.

[@Achillias]

This car with black rims and the green paint is really a stunner.

[@anthonystevens8683]

Well done Tish for reviewing a model that is not the top spec loaded with every extra available. I also applaud you for openly pointing out any mistakes with previous walk arounds like the 'hidden' rear wiper that I also didn't twig but it's great to know that it exists. Nice one Kia. Let's not forget that 7 year warranty either. Many thanks for sharing.

[@Burwhale1]

Great review Tish. Looks like another great Kia.

[@DB25k]

Well done Tish you made this video with excellent narration and gave clear detailed explanation of the EV3. I do like the good well thought out camera work showing all the features of the car. Keep up these straight to point car reviews... brilliant.

[@AlanTov]

Nice modern fresh EV. Kia have a winner here. Thanks for the review.

[@41trilochan]

Hi Tess, I am your first viewer today. And first one to like too. I really like your reviews on all EVs. Thank you so much.

[@Wolfman57]

Its Tiss,not Tess !!!

[@41trilochan]

@@sabd9694 ok I got it. Thanks

[@johnlaine2654]

Her name is actually Natishe.. shortened to Trish.

[@johnlaine2654]

Spell correct .. meant TISH.😂

[@robtheplod]

The definition of 'affordable' certainly is very subjective.....

[@pablogodi1392]

36.000€ in Spain without heat pump, that's not ony not "affordable", is even not good price/quality

[@Gdank72]

UK Average new car is £28k So it's not that far beyond that. However it's defiantly not a sub £20k car, but even in the ICE world there are not a lot below that level. Considering this is inline with an ICE Niro pricing for similar internal space that's where they are coming from .... it's Affordable for it's internal size and space. Don't forget EV's generally have a lot more space internally for the same external space.

[@karmanline2005]

Always was

[@Brian-om2hh]

So what's your take on a basic new petrol Ford Focus at £28k? You might be surprised to learn that Britain's 3rd cheapest new car is an EV...

[@Andrew-q2c6d]

Absolute rip off cars,40k for a🫠kia😂

[@adedomini]

Good review! I really appreciate a review of the base level model! Thank you! All the important equipment is included! In addition: 17' wheels vs 19': the range has been tested as over 20% than the 19' ! And especially no table ! not useful, take away space, less storage, worst arm rest and I think can be dangerous in case of accidents ! I would go with his version only for the lack of the table !

[@stewartturner814]

Really like it great styling and love that colour 😊

[@mandyfrancis8255]

Great review really informative thank you. Just wondering what the UK road tax will be on in April??

[@chriswalker5157]

Great video showing the car, with non of the clever clogs comments you get from what car and others.

[@UltraJaff]

EV1 - TBD EV2 - Testing EV3 - Out Now EV4 - Saloon + Hatchback in testing (2 cars) EV5 - Out in select markets + Testing for Europe EV6 - Out Now EV7 - TBD EV8 - TBD EV9 - Out Now NIRO - Gen 2 Out Now And they’re working on an electric truck which is in testing Kia might actually get their EV range complete by 2027. 7 planned, 4 Testing and 5 available now. Not to mention the 3 (possibly 4 if we get a wagon version of the big saloon) still in the works.

[@UltraJaff]

AND THEYRE MAKING GT VERSIONS OF ALL THEIR BESPOKE EVS

[@Gdank72]

Waiting for a EV8 GT .........

[@Lyndalewinder]

@@Gdank72 LOL

[@mrakronyahoo]

Thank you for reviewing the base trim. Do you know if the cloth seats are stain resistant? Thats an important question for a family car ; )

[@mikes9816]

Not sure. You can use something like Scoth Guard to treat the seats yourself very easily and inexpensively.

[@thebigcheese6606]

I think the heat pump should included for the UK. At least should be in the range figures.

[@AutoSocialUK]

I agree a bit, although I think for most peoples milage needs its not totally necessary.

[@ralpharmsby8040]

We hardly use the heater on ours and then just at the start of a trip. Heated seats and steering wheel are great. According to the EV3 specs, equipping a hear pump reduces the range a bit.

[@jasonwalsh8299]

I've one booked as a company car for 2025 delivery. Hiding the wiper under the spoiler is smart and looks tidy. (Gives side eye to Ioniq 5, my current car 😅)

[@davidjohn05]

That is a gorgeous blue but is that blue available in the UK?

[@AutoSocialUK]

@@davidjohn05 yep it is - however the blue interior is standard for the Air. So it stays blue regardless of exterior colour.

[@RuthSmart]

Blue not available with the GT line trim

[@shuttayerface503]

love the car and will get one in 18 months time

[@Andrew-q2c6d]

It'll be worthless by then

[@fabutrash]

Thank you so much for covering the Air. One question, does it have ambient LED lighting?

[@jamiep61]

I enjoyed watching the video review, you always dress well 😊

[@jeffworthington9286]

Affordable it’s like a second mortgage for most ordinary people , since when as £33,000 been affordable.

[@stevehayward1854]

Some people can afford these prices and people like yourself have to wait until the 2nd hand price comes down to your level. Why are you so against people spending there money how they want to, are you jealous. 2nd hand EV's are now very affordable, I am selling a 2012 Nissan Leaf for £3k, if you cant afford that sort of price I feel sorry for you

[@cal_lywal]

This is at the lower end of 'list prices' for this size of car these days - that's just the reality of how much things cost. So it could be described as affordable in the context of its rivals. Are cars just generally too expensive? Yes. A tiny Toyota Aygo can cost in excess of £18,000 these days.

[@Brian-om2hh]

@@cal_lywal However, EV prices are steadily decreasing. Britain's 3rd cheapest new car is now an EV..

[@djhvideo]

Ignore WLTP. I assume 3 miles per kWh as a guide for consumption. More in summer and a bit less in winter

[@AutoSocialUK]

It was running at about 4 at 5 degrees which I would say is pretty good

[@ralpharmsby8040]

Our eNiro has averaged 4.5 mpkwh over 3 years and 22,000 miles. I would hope for similar for an EV3.

[@markplayford5836]

I own a Kia Soul and love or hate it, it certainly has style. You could argue so does this but I really hate it,seems to me the Kia lost it completely in the EV range. I won’t be buying one or any electric for that matter. As usual a great review Tish, really like the style and flow of your reviews.

[@jeffworthington9286]

There will come a time when such affordable cars become unaffordable and I don’t think we are far away from that.

[@patrickh7368]

Tish did you get opportunity to drive with those headlights on… both GT models have the LED mini-squares that air gets 3x lamps each side looks like reversing lights.. are they ok please..? Also you said these were LED is that right…?

[@ronaldmelia1172]

A bottom end Kia sportage is £29.5k So looking at this car at £32k and then remove around £4k- 6k fuel saving, and you have an affordable car at £26 - 28k. My last 6 months of motoring of 11,200 has cost £312 in electric home charging and £269 on plubic charging.

[@markkearsley5729]

length is actually 4300mm for the Air model and 4310mm for the GT line models.

[@stevehayward1854]

Wow that 10mm will make or break it for me, sarcasm at it's worst

[@markkearsley5729]

You obviously have not watched the video.

[@knelletv]

Thanks for the review ! This car is just too big & too expensive for me ! Looking forward the Kia EV2 (2025 ?)... or simply the cute Renault R5 which is already there 👍

[@batemanlife]

The Renault 5 is cute but it's not a practical family car. Look at the room in the back. It's a car for a single person or couple

[@GhostlyVT]

You should do a mercades a class review

[@tonyrobinson362]

Just what most folk can afford £31,000 to £41,000!!!!! Stop it can we get back to planet earth!

[@davidmarshall5596]

Exactly, spot on 👌car reviews these days are guided by the net zero agenda being pushed down our throats. Well not mine, I'm sticking with my ice car & that's that 😂🎉

[@Brian-om2hh]

Comments such as this make you wonder how Ford ever managed to sell the Focus, which starts at £28k.....

[@Andrew-q2c6d]

​@@Brian-om2hh Ford will sell far more Focus that this overpriced milkfloat

[@robsmall6466]

Point being the Focus wasn't always £28k 🤦‍♂️

[@TheSgtsMess]

when did £32k plus for the bottom of the range car become affordable

[@stevehayward1854]

Maybe not for you but some folk can, it will come down to your price range eventually

[@Gdank72]

It's affordable compared to most other cars with the same internal space and technology. However, I get where you are coming from, but just note the average new car price in the UK is £28k so it's not a million miles away.

[@stevehayward1854]

@@Gdank72 It also depends on wether it is a luxury brand or not. For instance a BMW M4 has a similar performance to a Tesla M3 performance and yet the BMW is £20k more. It's hard to compare like for like but in general the EV's are now similar price to ICE especially the cars in the £25k range, plus EV's are a lot cheaper to own than an ICE car, re: fuel, maintenance and servicing as EV do not require weekly, monthly or annual maintenance or servicing, brakes last for ever as you dont use them much, nor does EV's suffer from all that rotting exhausts etc, in over 8 years of driving EV's I have had only 1 issue and that was a 12v battery failure in my first EV, a Nissan Leaf. I have owned 2 Teslas for over 3 years and the only thing I replaced is wiper blades and a tyre that was damaged in a pot hole

[@Brian-om2hh]

@@Gdank72 Indeed, a new Ford Focus starts at £28k....

[@keithgeorge7338]

I’d like to see a test of the Air headlights, which are not LED. This would put me off. Also, how the none Heat Pump heater feels. Burning heater elements? Looks like the GT is the one to have. But still no heat pump! Hope for a pre reg in 2/3 years time with a big discount!😂😂😂

[@lw2978]

The Air headlights are indeed LED, just not the fancy 12 cube ones you get in GT Line and GT Line S.🙂

[@Felixmax507]

Since you aquired fuller figure cars are a bit tighter inside as it is not easy to change as chlothes or doesn't really matter. It is important same as height for testing purposes.

[@marshmellow989]

The head rests from the rear look so weird.

[@AndrewUsher-t1o]

Nice car nice color

[@henrikhook.]

Hi Tish. Could you also tell me the range in kilometers? 🤔 Thank you.

[@gap9992]

multiply by 8/5. it's not difficult !!

[@MiniEggs1999]

Not convinced by the front door handles. They look tricky to open with one hand

[@Brian-om2hh]

That said, it's surprising what you can do with one hand.

[@cameronmurray3039]

Very nice car and well priced tho I believe the Skoda Elroq is the best EV now on sale

[@lw2978]

It would be a tough call between the Elroq and EV3. I've ordered an EV3 as it's closest in size to the car it's replacing. Despite being the "small" brother of the Enyaq, the Elroq is still a giant-ass car in many people's books-I could just about fit it in my garage (if I folded the mirrors) but then I'd struggle to open the door to get out! The only thing that's disappointing in the EV3 (as many people have already mentioned) is the lack of a heat pump (unless you want to spend £44000+ and attract the luxury car tax for 5 years!) This of course a little thing however-I feel very fortunate to be able to afford such a luxury.

[@richardgilyead7640]

Is it true that the only way you can get a GT Line for under 40k (the luxury car tax limit) is if you go for a hideous orange colour? What are Kia thinking?

[@lw2978]

Yes that's right. But why would you want the horrible slidy table thing, when you can opt for the Air trim and have masses more storage? It's also a lot of gloss black plastic on the exterior that my obsessive detailing would find difficult to cope with. I think the "rough" matt plastic of the Air trim will be better for me just for this factor! I've ordered the same car that Trish reviewed in this video, an EV3 Air 81kW in Frost blue. 'Can't wait for delivery now!

[@juriskabanovs6369]

With such a price to call it affordable is a bold claim…

[@stevehayward1854]

Some people can afford it, so are you jealous of them ?

[@pablogodi1392]

@@stevehayward1854 Some people can afford a RR, so the Phantom VII is affordable

[@leedaq7767]

go and check out tesla home battery packs and you will be shocked

[@batemanlife]

It's relative to it's competitors. Everyone's personal financial circumstances are different

[@Brian-om2hh]

What would be your take on a new Ford Focus, which starts at £28K?

[@laurentiutrifan8173]

Hi, Tish 💙

[@laurentiutrifan8173]

I'm a fan of Korean cars ... because they are robust, cheap & reliable. 👍 But this car has such bad design that my eyes hurt. 😪 So, the chief of the designing team of Kia 👎 ... should be fired like tomorrow at 9,01 a.m. And he/she should be fired together with the manager who decided the whole approach for the doors handles. 👎 When I bought my Daewoo Cielo ... 20 years ago 😃 ... I chose it because it was produced at the Craiova plant but also because the design of the Opel Kadett was upgraded with the input of a famous Italian design house. 👍 So, the General Motors science of making good cars was boosted by the finesse of the Italian design artists. ❤ This way of thinking should be embraced again. 😉 Also, in my opinion, the management of the big car brands should introduce a better way of rewarding their designers. Like 100 dollars cut for every car sold ... in order to motivate them to give the very last of their creative "spank" ... 🙂

[@tomchan2680]

Heatpump should be standard for country like UK😢

[@SimonSedgwick]

Hyundai have finally realised that, wish Kia would come to that realisation too.

[@Brian-om2hh]

@@SimonSedgwick The reality is probably that Kia sell many more cars in markets where the climate is warmer, so it's less of an issue there. All mass market products cater for the majority, not relatively small players like the UK.

[@SimonSedgwick]

@Brian-om2hh that's true but I'm talking Europe as well as the UK. Or at the very least, make it an option across all versions of the EV3; your seat material shouldn't dictate this option.

[@johnmfjw]

Would this affect the aircon and de-misting the windows in the winter.

[@ralpharmsby8040]

Criticism drive experience but no mention of 3 modes - eco, normal and sport plus 'my drive' and snow. You might have mentioned that the handbrake button is not in the centre where you would expect it to be but a long way forward to the right of the steering wheel - why? I had to lean forward to reach it on a test drive. The EV3 is still a strong contender when we come to replace our great eNiro next year.

[@jeffworthington9286]

Some is the word , many people like me can afford them but prefer not to, it’s all about choice , and if I choose not to because I think they are to expensive for what they are that’s my prerogative. I can still give a opinion. I am not stopping people like you buying.

[@melodytalks3432]

Please Do Not mislead public as true range is vastly different to the claimed figures.!!! I test drove GT model twice moderately in town & motorway mixed in a moderate manner. Shocking discovery was that it gave only 3.2 kwh which equates to 245 miles range instead of 370 miles claimed !!! Wow, 130 mile short of the false inflated claim!! Acceleration is subdued too, noisy with 20" tyres and backseat accommodate only 2 adults.... Test drive it for at least 3 hours motorway and town to reveal poor 245 miles vs 370 miles range before part with your hard cash.

[@AlanTov]

Baloney.

[@leedaq7767]

is Kia willing to sell this car? where is this car available to purchase? FFS

[@Brian-om2hh]

I have seen UK posts of buyers who have both ordered one of these cars, and some have already received theirs.

[@Smiler7]

Why can you only the best colours like that blue& silver in the base Model??? I drive around and see loads of black and 6 Shades of grey cars?? On a rainy gay they look even worse.! Great review though!

[@barriepountney3598]

I think KIA are one of the leaders in the EV market and have a excellent range of vehicles and the model tested is nice looking and a good spec but I still have the problem it's the price at the moment they are still far to expensive which is a massive shame because I want to go electric 😮

[@ralpharmsby8040]

You can pick up a good low mileage eNiro second hand for around £18 - £20k with 3 or 4 years remaing on the warranty. They are popular with taxi drivers apparently.

[@Brian-om2hh]

There is still the used market. There are plenty of decent used EV's out there, and most dealers ought to be able to run a battery state of health check if you feel you'd want one. Although even a 2 year old EV will still have 6 years of battery warranty remaining.

[@jupiterfive3379]

Could you give us those estimated ranges again, testing in the depths of winter in the real world? Somehow, I don’t think they’ll be anywhere near as ‘impressive'.

[@RuislipResident-v7p]

Why. Just knock off a third which is the very worst drop you will get. On the LR , 250'sh on sub zero winter days is fine. In summer it will go just north of 400.

[@garyhighland1141]

Tish gets fundamentals wrong again 🤣 the length of the EV3 Air isn’t 4110mm but 4300mm & 4310mm for the GT Line & GT Line S

[@AutoSocialUK]

That will be my dyslexia when reading numbers. Unfortunatley it happens

[@contra_plano]

Why americans/uk do not use International Units?

[@AutoSocialUK]

Becuase I make content primarily for the UK market.

[@contra_plano]

@AutoSocialUK We are in a global market

[@drewsterwa]

It looks very like the Kia Sportage

[@ralpharmsby8040]

No that's the EV6.

[@ISuperTed]

Tish, lovely car but those nails aren’t made for those haptic buttons 😂

[@philsimpson3556]

Affordable? NO £20k is affordable

[@stevehayward1854]

Then just have to wait until it is affordable for you, dont be jealous of folks that can afford it. It will come down to your price range eventually on the 2nd hand market

[@mihaitel4774]

4110mm? more like 4300mm which places the EV3 in another category altogether

[@FriedaFuzzypaws-f3h]

Yeah, it's a Snoop Doggy dog world

[@wayneheyes4934]

High range ? So 550-600miles ACTUAL USEABLE RANGE ? no ? Not acceptable for the price range I’ll stick to my hybrid that does 550miles

[@RBcymru]

What car did real world test and car efficiency 3 to 4 miles per kwh so no where near claimed range. Manufacturers keep changing styling with new models but can't improve range without bigger heavier batteries. EV's are great being a city run around but that is it.

[@stevehayward1854]

Your ignorance belittles you.

[@RBcymru]

@@stevehayward1854 You are the ignorant one as I have owned an EV and I am an engineer who has worked with Lithium batteries. You have swallowed the lies in one without wanting to listen to actual science. What I said is true. One Tesla model Y at 4 years old has lost 14% capacity.

[@stevehayward1854]

@@RBcymru I am also an Engineer and I have been driving EV's for over 7 years, I presently own 3, 2 Teslas and Nissan Leaf, I do know what I am talking about

[@stevehayward1854]

I have a 3 year old M3 LR and a M3 performance, charged at home 95% of the time and there is no battery degradation

[@RBcymru]

@@stevehayward1854 Tesla software lies to you. Have you done range tests over same distance on same roads at same ambient temp ? I guess not because 100% of 50 kwh is the same as 100% of 55 kwh on your screen.

[@iannoble4854]

WLTP figures are a big problem for electric cars, What Car has just driven an EV3 to Belgium with a claimed WLTP of 367 miles they achieved 247 miles, just quoting the manufactures figures helps no one we need real life driven examples of what these new electric cars can do.

[@ralpharmsby8040]

The quoted range fits our eNiro is 283. We drove from Pembrokeshire to North Yorkshire. 265 miles on a free charge from our hotel got us home with a bit to spare. Local driving gets us well over 300. It has averaged 4.5 miles per kWh over 22000 miles so it's very economical especially on home charging.

[@chasf3433]

I think none of those cars had heat pumps which should really be fitted as standard in the UK. Also they were driven at motorway speeds a lot of the time. There really needs to be more than one range figure to be quoted by manufacturers e.g at not just 20°C but also at 5°C. and maybe different average speeds otherwise we are being conned .

[@davidpepperdine5659]

Hang on ,where do you get LOW PRICE from?

[@Brian-om2hh]

So, I take it you wouldn't buy a new Ford Focus petrol at £28k then?

[@MrDeepakvasudev]

Small children will find rear door handle difficult to reach.

[@AutoSocialUK]

I agree; not an ideal location

[@H.Shahpouri]

💘

[@iank1640]

It's 4300 mm long

[@IMAN7THRYLOS]

The most imprssive thing about this car is its price. Too bad it doesn't come in red.

[@iannoble4854]

Sunset Orange isn't bad.

[@IMAN7THRYLOS]

@@iannoble4854 Not red. I love red cars.

[@tonyrobinson362]

NOTHING impressive about the price are you real?

[@robtheplod]

Really??? Just to get from a to b??

[@sharonec5419]

It does actually, but for some strange reason, Kia have called it sunset Orange lol.

[@paulhammond5599]

Try the Elroc as a comparison, sorry Kia.

[@colinfarrell6444]

Chunky

[@MaxOConner-zg4gi]

Gosh you can talk!

[@Paulruk]

Just don’t get the KIA range design language , it looks like something a kids toy car designer would make and the interior looks like it will date really badly, lots of cheap looking buttons and materials. They’ve always dated badly, nothing new in these. Be ok for sub £25k but not at double that. Thanks for the review !

[@Musikmanni1]

Was für eine Traumfrau für mich dich würde ich sofort Heiraten 😅❤

[@lindsayclubb]

Just hang on ... 4 years ago I bought a car for £20,000 with 500+ miles of range in all weathers. Its called the Ford Focus and there isn't a lithium battery in it. The world has gone mad!!

[@ObiePaddles]

Well you have. A mad comment on an EV review.

[@spsmith45]

And it pollutes the air. That’s the point. There is a climate crisis.

[@Paulruk]

6 months ago I bought an electric 2021 car for £14k it does 250 miles, it’s cost me £25 to do 1500 miles which I charge once a week overnight from the comfort of my home and it uses green energy and doesn’t damage children’s brains or lungs and will help reduce global climate change Good aye!

[@videocanonuser]

The basic model would certainly suit me. I like the styling too. My Leaf is 40 months old and not yet past 9500 miles, so I have no real need to change car. But I would certainly consider the EV3 next time. 😊

[@benlavington4944]

If you buy a new ford focus you are looking at £30,000+ now

[@P.J.B.769]

Kia are making far too many boxy ugly looking cars now. When are we gettinv back to I.C.E cars on the channel. i'm getting impatience now Tish.

[@johnlaine2654]

In other words it’s about the same size as the Petrol KIA SELTOS… OR VW T CROSS OR T ROC… or HYUNDAI KONA… why pay extra for this electric car? It will cost more for Insurance and tyres and not the range or the convenience of a quick fill at the local petrol station.

[@creakingknees2928]

You're right John, I like driving electric cars but the extra cost of this over my Kona Hybrid doesn't make sense.

[@pm2453]

and the worst is they don't come with a cassette player!

[@Brian-om2hh]

And you feel that "quick fill" at the local petrol station is an advantage, despite the fact you're paying one of the highest rates of fuel duty in the world, using earnings you *already* paid tax on? That's fine. I'll just continue charging up on my drive, for an 8th of the cost of using petrol.... I can cover 1000 miles of town and general driving for less than £30. I haven't set foot on a petrol station forecourt for over 3 years. Servicing is cheaper too. My last service cost me £70.

[@Brian-om2hh]

@@pm2453 No, and there's no long wave radio either...

[@johnlaine2654]

You haven’t even consider the much lower return you’re going to get when it comes to changing that car?Also your range anxiety must be through the roof if you live in a country with snowy Winters.I own a VW which costs less than $400 per Service and is cheap to run compared to big Petrol cars. you are correct about the cost of your refills but when it comes to trips outside of bigger towns,there is definitely a problem finding chargers.. also in cities. We all have a right to choose what we drive, I’ll,stay with Petrol until the equation tilts more in the favour of electric cars.