Front 3/4 view of a white Kia EV3 drivingWhen Kia unveiled its little EV3 crossover in 2024, the automaker said the EV3 would be coming to the U.S. this year, but given *waves hands* everything going on in the industry and the world, I kind of expected that to never happen. Kia canceled the EV4 sedan mere months before it would've gone on sale, after all, and small cars are already a tough sell in the U.S., let alone electric small cars. So it would have been disappointing but not surprising if Kia decided not to bring the EV3 to our shores.Luckily that is not the case. Kia just revealed the U.S.-spec EV3 at the New York Auto Show, and it seems like a fantastic package. The EV3's wonderful design hasn't changed at all for our market, and it'll be available with all sorts of high-end features typically not found on cars of this size. Kia says it'll have a range of up to 320 miles, more than initially estimated, and though it won't charge quite as fast as its EV6 and EV9 siblings, the standard NACS port can still juice it back up pretty quickly. Oh, and we're even getting the 288-hp GT model. It's so cuteRear 3/4 view of a white Kia EV3 drivingThe EV3 rides on the same E-GMP platform as basically all of Hyundai Motor Group's other EVs, though it's the 400-volt version of that architecture instead of the faster-charging 800-volt setup. The base Light trim has a 58.3-kWh battery pack that provides a Kia-estimated range of 220 miles, but every other trim gets an 81.4-kWh pack that gets you the 320-mile range if you stick with front-wheel drive. Kia hasn't said how much power single-motor EV3s have, but if you go for optional all-wheel drive, that second motor brings the total to 261 horsepower. The GT cranks that up to 288 hp, also adding sport-tuned suspension and steering, as well as virtual gear shifts and active sound design, like what you get in an EV6 GT.Kia says the smaller battery will need 29 minutes to DC fast-charge from 10% to 80% in 29 minutes, while the larger battery takes 31 minutes. Both batteries have plug and charge capability, as well as vehicle-to-load and vehicle-to-home bi-directional charging functionality. Kia's latest regenerative braking system is said to be smoother, and it works in reverse now, too. (The car will also now remember your last-used setting, which I really appreciate.) There's a Macpherson strut front suspension and multi-link rear setup, and Kia says its engineers added more sound deadening and took other measures to reduce NVH. Its drag coefficient of 0.275 is pretty good for a small, affordable car. Spacious and tech-filledInterior of a 2027 Kia EV3Inside you get a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and 12.3-inch center touchscreen sandwiching a 5-inch climate control display, with the system offering a bunch of new entertainment features, different display themes from properties like National Geographic and Star Wars, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an AI voice assistant, and over-the-air updates The overall interior design is much like what we've seen in other new Kias, and it certainly looks more upscale than what you get in competitors like the Chevy Bolt; hopefully we get some of the fun interior colors offered in other countries.The 60/40-split rear seatback can be reclined up to 39 degrees, and there are air vents for rear-seat passengers. Kia says there's 26.1 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up, a couple cubes more than an EV6, and if you fold them down you get 56.5 cubic feet. The EV3 also has a frunk that can hold 0.9 cubic feet's worth of stuff, and in the back the luggage floor has two height positions and storage underneath. A power tailgate is optional, and you can set the opening height and speed in the infotainment system, if that's something you're concerned about. Coming late this yearRear 3/4 view of a white Kia EV3Every EV3 has eight airbags and a selection of driver-assist systems like automated emergency braking with junction turning alert. Highway Driving Assist 2, remote smart park, reverse collision avoidance and blind-spot cameras are among the other available safety features. Also available on the EV3 are features like heated and ventilated front seats, a 360-degree camera system, a 12-inch head-up display, Kia's Digital Key 2.0, a wireless charging pad, an 8-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, and MyQ Connected Garage, described as "an intuitive garage door management system that brings peace of mind by addressing the question, 'Did I close my garage door?'"We don't yet know how much the EV3 will cost when it goes on sale in late 2026, but two years ago Kia said it would start at around $30,000. I have to imagine that will still be the case, especially given the base prices of the Chevy Bolt and Nissan Leaf. The EV3 will essentially be replacing the 5-inch-longer Niro EV in the U.S.; that car starts at just over $40,000, but the EV3's entry-level trim has a smaller battery, and in other countries the EV3 has undercut the Niro by at least a few grand. Even if the EV3's base price comes in closer to $35,000, it feels like a great offering in our market. We'll know more details closer to the EV3's launch. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox, and add us as a preferred search source on Google.
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