CAR magazine UK drives a prototype of Kia's new EV3 electric car, with pictures, specs and first impressions
Of the boldly styled and technically advanced BEVs that Kia has launched over the last three years, it’s this, and with the compact SUV segment expected to offer the greatest room for growth, the EV3 is positioned at thew very sharp end of that sales drive.
UK buyers will have the choice of two lithium iron phosphate batteries – a standard 58.3kWh unit with an estimated 255-mile range, and a longer-range model with a higher capacity 81.4kWh battery offering 372 miles between recharging, if WLTP figures are to believed. To rein in costs, these fourth-generation batteries have a less powerful 400V recharging system, half that of the EV6 and EV9.
The EV3’s fourth-generation multi-valve heat pump further increases range by drawing in both ambient heat from the outside air and combining this with recovered waste heat from the electric motor – which Kia claims is a world-first.Oh yes. The EV3 gets an all-new heating, ventilation and air conditioning system that’s both more compact to increase cabin space but also more efficient.
It’s difficult to fully explore the EV3’s ride and handling characteristics while only driving anticlockwise on a glass-smooth ice, but the EV3 rides and handles just the way you’d expect – and want – it to. It feels planted and stable, going about the business of stopping, starting and turning in a smooth, relaxed and composed manner. That long 2680mm wheelbase – coincidentally the exact same as the Sportage – plays a key role here.
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